FICRS-F Support Center

History:

The Fogarty International Clinical Research Scholars Program (FICRS) was initiated in 2003 as the Fogarty International Center/Ellison Program.  The FICRS program is a one-year, mentored training experience which provides opportunities for U.S. graduate students in the health professions to participate in clinical research and have hands-on experience at top-ranked, NIH-funded research centers in across the globe from Bangladesh to Zambia. The purpose of this program is to foster the next generation of clinical investigators with an eye toward building international health research collaborations in the developing world. Through March 2009, five cohorts of scholars have engaged in mentored international clinical research, including 128 US scholars and 123 foreign scholars from the foreign site itself.

In 2007, Dr. Sten Vermund, Director of the Vanderbilt University Institute for Global Health, was awarded a R24 grant from the Fogarty International Center to provide programmatic support to the Fogarty International Clinical Research Scholars Program as the FICRS Support Center.

The FICRS Support Center oversees overall program management, information dissemination and applicant selection, communications, program coordination and logistics, program monitoring and evaluation, organization of educational programs and conferences, and maintains relationships with program alumni. Outreach to numerous health-science fields is also conducted by the Association of Schools of Public Health.

A recent expansion of the Scholars Program is the creation of a post-doctoral Program for medical residents and fellows, as well as scientists with PhDs engaged in health-related post-doctoral programs. Thus the Support Center currently administers two programs, Fogarty International Clinical Research Scholars (FICRS) and International Clinical Research Fellows (ICRF).

To learn more about our specific programs please visit:

Program Management:

Sten Vermund, MD, PhD
Director, Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health
Principal Investigator
(615) 322-9374
Sten.vermund@vanderbilt.edu

Douglas Heimburger, MD, MS
Associate Director, Education and Training
Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health
(615) 322-9374
douglas.heimburger@vanderbilt.edu

Catherine Lem, MPH
Senior Program Manager
(615) 343-3555
c.lem@vanderbilt.edu

Tokesha Warner, MHA
Program Manager, Alumni Affairs
(615) 875-0085
tokesha.warner@vanderbilt.edu

Kaneitha Kelly, MA
Program Coordinator II
(615) 875-0039
kaneitha.kelly@vanderbilt.edu

Aditi Thite, MLS
Trainee Coordinator
(615) 322-9006
Aditi.thite@vanderbilt.edu

Sarah Schlachter, M.Ed
Events & Training Coordinator
(615) 875-0150
sarah.schlachter@vanderbilt.edu

Sheri Kimble
Administrative Assistant
(615) 343-2394
Sheri.t.kimble@vanderbilt.edu

Judy Thompson
Administrative Assistant
(615) 322-0232
judy.w.thompson@vanderbilt.edu