Research & Training

The Directorate of Research and Training is responsible for the administration and oversight of internally and externally funded projects. It provides relevant support services to researchers, students and staff, and coordinates training, CMEs, consultancy, extension and outreach activities to various communities within the country and beyond.

Our Mission

To build capacity, promote, coordinate and facilitate research training and uptake activities in the Institution.

Our Vision

To become a Centre of excellence in research and training, reaching out and impacting the target audience with institutional research output.

Introduction

JOOTRH is a tier 4 health facility according to the current health sector strategic plan. This is the main referral hospital in western Kenya whose role is mainly to offer specialist curative and rehabilitation services. The hospital’s first ISERC was launched in June 2006 and currently draws its membership from diverse professions as per the set standards of the National Council for Science, Technology, and Innovation. The hospital has had a long-term collaboration with major international research agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Walter Reed Research Project (WRP) from the USA, Mildmay International (UK), and local NGOs such as Nyanza Reproductive Health Services (NRHS), FACES, KEMRI, UNIM, K-MET, ICAP (K), among others.

The Directorate of Research and Training was established in the year 2008. It is headed and coordinated by a Director who is answerable directly to the CEO. The directorate coordinates research proposal scientific and ethical review, identifying and circulating sources of research funding opportunities, and ensuring that researchers are provided with expert guidance in research proposal development.

Institutional Scientific and Ethics Review Committee (ISERC)

The Directorate serves the role of coordination for the ISERC whose function is to:

• Provide independent, competent, and timely review of human research projects in respect of their ethical acceptability.
• Provide ethical oversight, monitoring, and advice for human research projects.
• Prescribe the principles and procedures to govern human research projects including handling of human tissue and/or confidentiality of personal records.

JOOTRH ISERC was first accredited in 2013 by the National Commission for Science Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI), and reviews research proposals/protocols for JOOTRH staff, students and researchers from local, regional and international organisations. It draws its mandate via accreditation by NACOSTI, Government of Kenya under the Science Technology and Innovation Act No. 28 of 2013.