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Learn about Dr. Kelika A. Konda's career trajectory as a LMIC-based Global Health (GH) researcher in Peru, her funding trajectory, creative ways to fund research projects and salary, assets she brings to the field, and challenges of inequities within GH.
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GloCal Health Fellowship Career Development: LMIC-based GH model Kelika A. Konda, MHS, PhD
Career trajectory • I have lived in Peru since finishing the classes for my masters in 2004, though I spent 2 9-month periods in the US for classes during my PhD • Parallel to all of this there is teaching and mentoring: • Coordinator of the Epidemiology series at a masters (since 2008) and now doctoral program at UPCH (since 2016) • Since 2016, I have hosted a month-long GH program for UCLA students • I have 1 GloCal student, 4 masters students & 1 PhD student (this year) • Institutional participation: I have been a member of the UPCH IRB since ~2015
Funding trajectory (2009 – now) • A K01 is a grant for junior investigators • Blessing (5 years of full funding) • Curse – you aren’t allowed to be on other grants and when the funding ends you have to fulfil 100% of your salary • Now post-K01, my salary is pieced together from a variety of sources: research projects/teaching/consultancies/grant writing
Creative ways to fund research projects and salary • C O L L A B O R A T I O N! • Funding from: NIH, WHO, UNAIDS, UNITAID, CFAR, Peruvian National Science Foundation, Peruvian Ministry of Health, University of Hawaii, industry, etc. • Although I had full funding for my K01, I knew I could not afford not to collaborate with others during that time • Though I worked without being paid on others grants during that time – those grants or the next step of those grants is now paying (part of) my salary
Assets • Access to LMIC study populations • Local connections – working with the Ministry of Health • Establishing and maintaining relationships with potential collaborators • Epi/ stats skills • If you look at my publications, I am primarily 2nd author (analysis) • Language/cultural skills • I am entirely fluent in Spanish • Teaching and mentoring • Former students are now collaborators • Research is a small world – keep that in mind as you wade through
Where does family fit in? • So – how do you fit in all of this + two kids, a dog that’s been with me since Peace Corps, and a husband? • My first child was born in the final year of my PhD • My second child was born during my time on the T32 • Honestly, I have no idea how one would do it in the US. • Here, I have help. • I can afford a full time nanny and a part time housekeeper/cook (this is the norm for the middle-class in Peru) • When my husband and I are both traveling – my mom comes to stay with the kids • Is it humbling to admit the level of privilege that allows me to do this? Absolutely.
How to contend with the inequities within GH? • F&A • For those of you at US institutions, your F&A is often 50%+ • It is capped at 8% for international institutions, though this will not cover the actual costs • Think about US institutions & their IRBs/Library access!/admin staff and support for grants management/etc • Training opportunities – Fogarty is one of the only parts of the NIH that provides training for international fellows. • The K01 I had was only for US citizens. • There are K01s for international fellows within Fogarty (1 in the past 5 years has gone to someone from Latin America) • Salary… • A lot of GH falls short of true collaboration • First authors are very often not from LMICs • Many initial opportunities for students to experience GH occur when they cannot provide actual support to the international site, great for sparking interest, but a drain on the hosts • Too often non-LMIC researchers take credit for international accomplishments