This proposal is to establish the Partnership for Education Training and Research Enhancement (PETRA) as a consortium of four Zimbabwean University faculties and departments of health professions education in collaboration with two United States Universities to pursue a program of health professions education and research capacity initiatives. The Zimbabwean Universities are University of Zimbabwe, College of Health Sciences, National University of Science and Technology, Midlands State University and Africa University. The USA universities are; University of Colorado Denver and Stanford University. The health education focus is inter-professional education and collaborative practice (IPE/CP). The research focus is dissemination and implementation science research (DIS). These are new areas of education and research at the Consortium institutions. The innovation in PETRA is to bring together these four university level health education training institutions in the country in a coordinated and integrated program to promote these new education and research models in Zimbabwe. The rationale for IPE/CP is that there are synergies, advantages and complementarities in various health professionals working in teams that collaborate and respect each other. IPE/CP training of faculty will enable capacitation in being able to facilitate teaching sessions in IPE/CP. We have planned demonstration projects in antiretroviral therapy clinics and at a stroke unit to provide experiential learning of the model. In DIS, faculty will also receive training alongside the usual training in research methodology and scholars will be selected to pursue multidisciplinary projects with a focus on DIS in HIV/AIDS research questions. Utilization of information communication technology platforms will be used in multimodal and blended models to deliver the PETRA program. Robust communication and outreach will ensure that all stakeholders are made aware of PETRA initiatives which can be leveraged for wider circulation and implementation. We have targeted working with the Ministries of Health and Higher Education and Community Service Organizations.

The Partnership for Education Training and Research Enhancement (PETRA) brings together a Consortium of four Zimbabwean Universities in collaboration with two United States Universities to promote inter-professional education and dissemination and implementation science research training and practice.