INDIACLEN - Capacity

International Clinical Epidemiology Network (INCLEN) and the IndiaCLEN established an Institutional Review Board (IRB), Microbiology Reference Laboratory and Training Courses were developed through the infectious Disease Initiative funded by USAID.

Microbiology

For conduct of studies relating to infectious disease quality microbiology laboratory facilities are prerequisite. Many laboratories in India are not up to the mark in terms isolating, identifying and reporting infectious agents. Therefore, a reference laboratory was established in Christian Medical College, Vellore. Apart from the facilities to serve as a center for quality control related activities, a laboratory for molecular work with all modern equipment such as thermocyclers, Pulsed Field Gel and Electrophoresis systems with accessories is being set up.

The objectives of the center are to monitor the quality services in the participating laboratories, upgradation of peripheral centers to meet national and international standards and to establish a genotyping center for S.Pnemoniae and H.influenzae.

Biostatistics Resource and Training Center (BRTC)

Biostatistics Resource and Training Center (BRTC) of Department of Biostatistics, Christian Medical College, Vellore was established with the funding from INCLEN and has been running Biostatistics update courses since 1996 for IndiaCLEN Fellows. Visiting faculty from McMaster University, Canada and University of North Carolina, USA. Three-month courses on the recent developments in Biostatistics are offered by the Center.

The BRTC also provides training through special workshops for 3-4 days on the recent developments in Biostatistics with visiting faculty. The BRTC is also specialized in Data Management for multi center studies. This center develops data entry software for IIDI projects and maintain databases for various projects.

Workshop on Multicenter Studies, BRTC,CMC, Vellore

Strategies in Mental Health Research - An 8 month Training Course

This collaborative training programme between the Clinical Epidemiology Unit of Madras Medical College and the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF) is into its third year. It is a Uniquely innovative programme that provides training in all aspects of mental health including epidemiology, social psychiatry, research methodology, qualitative research techniques, designing a research protocol, analysis and report writing. Fellows with backgrounds in psychiatry, psychology, social work, community medicine and nursing have completed the course so far. While both the CEU and SCARF faculty are the main supervisors to the Fellows, other experienced and distinguished mental health professionals from different parts of India also offer their expertise and act as resource persons.

M.Phil., Degree in Clinical Epidemiology

The international Clinical Epidemiology Network (INCLEN) an international organization based in Philadelphia, USA. INCLEN envisages building of research capabilities by each nation for conducting problem based national health research. The goal of INCLEN is to introduce epidemiology into the mainstream of clinical medicine by training and supporting promising young clinical faculty members from medical schools in developing countries. The Regional Clinical Epidemiology Resource and Training Center at the Medical college, Thiruvananthapuram is established by INCLEN trained faculty with the aims and objectives of INCLEN.

The name of the course and the seats available are furnished below

Course

• The duration of the course will be for one year.
  
  
• Eligibilty for admission :   Candidates who have passed M.D./M.S. or MDS in any University recognized as equivalent there to, with eligibility for full registration in Kerala University. To see who have shown a flair for institution building activities in addition to own career path developments will be preferred. They have a challenging job ahead when they become a member of the INCLEN programme. Hence the candidate should be of high quality, extremely credible, devoted to institutional development, research and teaching. The person should be a role model, a good clinician, a good teacher, committed to excellence in academics and research and over all he should be a team man.
  
  
• Persons below 45 Years as on 31-05-99 are eligible to apply.
  
  
• The candidates selected will be ranked for admission. They have to execute a bond to serve the Clinical Epidemiology Unit of the Institution/Department which sponsored them for a period not less than five years in appropriate stamp paper. If any candidate violates this condition a liquidated damage of Rupees two lakhs will be realized by way of penalty. Half of this amount will go to the Government of Kerala and half to the CERTC. If any one fails to execute the bond at the time of admission to the course, the principle can deny admission.
  
  
• Copies of all certificates will be verified with the originals before the admission is confirmed.
  
  
• The candidates admitted are eligible for 20 causal leave per year and will not be eligble for any other leave. Candidates who absent for more than the eligible leave will have to do extra days to make up the loss.
  
  
• Payment of fees will be made by INCLEN for those candidates deputed by the Government.
  
  
• The select and Waitlist will be published in the office of the Principle on or before 15th July.
  
  
• Application forms will be available at the Clinical Epidemiology Resource and Training Center (CERTS), Medical College, Trivandrum at a cost of Rs.100/-. These can be obtained by application on plain paper with self addressed stamped envelop of 28cm x 22cm. The application form duly filled should reach the CERTC office before 9 July. Late and defective applications will not be considered.
  
  
• A three-member team deputed by the CERTC to assess the suitability of the Candidates will interview candidates prior to this. The INCLEN guidelines and interview format will be used.
  
  

Strategic Plan

The members of the CBS had a strategic planning session on 16th December 2000 at Chennai. The following were the CBS activities planned for the year 2001:

1. Research Methodology and Evidence Based Medicine Course :

   In partnership with the research subcommittee of IndiaCLEN the "Research Methodology and Evidence Based Medicine course" (RM-EBM Course) will begin in all of the six CEUs to counteract attrition of trained faculty. Faculty less than 40 years of age as on 1st of January of the year of admission will be eligible to register for an in-house training on a standard and uniform format for 6 months. There will be monthly written evaluations and a central certification examination after the completion of the course. External faculty will also assess the candidates. The registered faculty will develop a protocol in infectious diseases with one of the trained INCLEN faculty as mentor. The protocol will be presented at the IndiaCLEN meeting of that year. Upon approval of the protocol and passing the final certification examination the candidate is eligible to apply for a one-year start-up grant from the research subcommittee. The results of the work have to be presented in the next IndiaCLEN meeting. The trained faculty will then become full members of the CEU. This year the CBS has planned to allocate funds for the training of 2 faculty per unit or a total of six within IndiaCLEN.
   
   

2. Continuing Education Program:

   The CBS has also planned to organize a one-day continuing education programme, a day before the annual IndiaCLEN conference. It is planned to conduct four parallel sessions, one each in clinical epidemiology, health economics, health social sciences and biostatistics. The CBS has urged that interested IndiaCLEN members submit proposals to the CBS concerning the particular continuing education programme they would like to hold. The coordinators of these sessions are also advised to advertise the course in national journals and allow paid participation of up to 10 non-IndiaCLEN members. The CBS will fund the travel of about 7 IndiaCLEN members per session who have not been funded by the IndiaCLEN conference funds. Also each session will have one international resource person. The sessions will be externally evaluated and feed back given to the CBS for further improvement. Members who have registered for the RM-EBM course will need to attend one of these sessions.
   
   

3. Protocol Presentation Session:

   The CBS will book a slot for the presentation of protocols of the registered members of the RM-EBM course at IndiaCLEN 2001.
   
   

4. CBS calendar:

   The CBS calendar has been finalized and all the activities will be marked and informed in advance to all the units.