Unfortunately, overuse of the ISPs in Mali have made connections slow and unreliable. Therefore, the MRTC is currently upgrading its Internet connection to direct satellite uplinks, which are much faster and more dependable than the local ISP connections. The MRTC is also developing a wireless network using packet-radio to link the most remote field research clinics to the Internet. This will allow voice, fax and e-mail communications, and database updates from any location within 1000 kilometers of Bamako, Mali. This program offers a unique opportunity for undergraduate and graduate minority students interested in biomedical research to obtain experience in emerging infectious and tropical disease research.
Students work under the direction of research or clinical mentors in Africa.
The University of Maryland School of Medicine directs the program in cooperation with the University of Mali. Students in the program receive free room and board at a guest house at the University of Mali, plus a monthly stipend. The new MRTC lab is a unique research facility that provides the proper tools, resources and technology to scientists who can then carry out malaria research in their native countries where the disease is endemic.