The Master of Science in One Health and Emergency Research Ethics (MOHERE) program is an international joint initiative of the University of Nairobi, The Ohio State University (OSU) and the Kenya Medical Research Institute.

The program delivers a one-year postgraduate diploma (PGD) and 2-year Master of Science (MSc) in Research Ethics focused on both One Health research and research in emergency settings. The program’s aims are two-fold:

1. To strengthen the international health research ethics training capacity at the University of Nairobi and Kenya with a focus on One Health research and research in emergency settings; and
2. To establish a master’s-level program in international health research ethics with a focus on One Health research and emergency research. A cadre of health professionals will develop expertise in research ethics for One Health so that health research is conducted ethically and in culturally-relevant ways for participant communities in Kenya.

At the same time, another group of professionals will become MA Fellows to complete the OSU MA in Bioethics. They will become the bioethics and research ethics educators and mentors to will help sustain a vibrant research ethics culture at the University of Nairobi and in Kenya. This group will also engage in research into research ethics so that the distinct ethics issues in international research ethics in Kenya will be investigated. As a result, Kenya will contribute to important research ethics scholarship into One Health research ethics.

A limited number of scholarships will be available for each program to support learners tuition fees, research costs, and participation in the annual MOHERE workshop.

What MOHERE will do

The MOHERE team, with experience teaching One Health, bioethics, and research ethics, will equip scientists, health professionals and academics as MOHERE trainees to develop the critical competencies needed to provide research ethics education and training, ethics review leadership and expert consultation to researchers, their institutions, governments and international research organizations. The MOHERE MSc and PGD programs are approved by the University of Nairobi Senate.