A University of Bristol research group is training doctors and nurses in Brazil, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Occupied Palestinian Territories to identify and support women experiencing domestic violence when they seek sexual or reproductive healthcare. Violence against women is a global health crisis, but health systems in many low- and middle-income countries lack the training, protocols, and data to respond effectively. This group aims to close that gap by building local research capacity—teaching clinicians how to ask about abuse safely, how to document cases, and how to connect women to support services. If successful, the project could embed routine, compassionate screening for domestic violence into sexual and reproductive health clinics across partner countries. This would mean more women are identified early, offered help, and potentially spared further harm. The group also plans to train a new generation of researchers in these countries, creating a lasting infrastructure for studying and improving health system responses long after the grant ends.
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a) Key objectives of UoB's 2017 strategy include responsible globilisation, diversity, inclusivity, internationalisation and building global relations, including the development of research partnerships with institutions in LMICs and collaborative research programmes. Our global research strategy is overseen by a Global Challenges Steering group, and draws its membership from our University Research Committee, members of our research institutes, and academics experienced in working with LMIC partners. The University has invested significantly (£1m p.a.) in four interdisciplinary University Research Institutes, which are catalysts for interdisciplinary research, providing expertise and a hub for networking, dissemination, and public engagement and partnership working. Two of these institutes (those focussed on environment and health) are particularly pertinent to global health research. The University also promotes and nurtures ODA activity through interdisciplinary forums such as the International Development Group and provides funding to enable development of new partnerships as well as investing in sustaining those international research groupings which have already been established. b) UoB is the UK leader in domestic violence and health research. The domestic violence and health research group currently has 12 researchers, funded by NIHR and MRC grants and fellowships. The Population Health Sciences Institute, where this research group is based, has expertise in epidemiological, qualitative, trial and evidence synthesis methods that will underpin the work of our proposed Group, building capacity in these methods in partner countries. Our strong track record of collaboration with researchers in LMICs through PhD studentships, post-doctoral fellowships and hosting sabbaticals will ensure we grow capacity in this area. As outlined in our Letter of Endorsement, the University will contribute matched funding for 1.5 PhD studentships, access to Short Courses for academics from our LMIC partners, and a visiting Professorship scheme for academics to spend up to 3 months at UoB. The proposed NIHR Global Research Group on improving the health system response to VAW is perfectly aligned with the University aims of building world-class global health research and will benefit from this commitment, experience, and underpinning infrastructure. c) The Group builds on partnerships with the LSHTM Gender Violence and Health Centre through an NIHR HTA grant, an NIHR Programme Grant for Applied Research, and an MRC GCRF foundation award. There is a formal relationship between An Najah National University (ANNU) and the University of Bristol, exemplified by HESPAL (British Council) scholarships for PhD studentships and honorary appointments for ANNU faculty members. The goal of our proposed NIHR Global Health Research Group is to build the research capacity of our LMIC partners and in the UK departments for collaborative research. The MRC GCRF grant has already linked UoB, LSHTM, University of Sao Paulo, ANNU and the WHO’s Reproductive Health and Research Department. This proposal will strengthen those links through a group structure and develop new links with the University of Peradeniya and Kathmandu University. Our partner universities in the Group will also act as hubs for VAW researchers in other HEIs in Brazil, the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), Sri Lanka and Nepal, helping amplify our impact on national VAW health research capacity. Our choice of new partners is informed by a previous VAW collaboration between our LSHTM researchers and researchers in those universities, providing familiarity with the local context and partners. Our proposed Group will help develop the epidemiological, social science and health service research capacity in partner countries to improve the health systems response to VAW, particularly in sexual and reproductive healthcare settings. Sustainability of capacity and capability of our Group will be
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