RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 RAHI–SATHI Indo-U.S. Collaboration: The Evolution of a Trainee-Led Twinning Model in Global Health Into a Multidisciplinary Collaborative Program JF Global Health: Science and Practice JO GLOB HEALTH SCI PRACT FD Johns Hopkins University- Global Health. Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Communication Programs SP 152 OP 163 DO 10.9745/GHSP-D-16-00190 VO 5 IS 1 A1 Apurv Soni A1 Nisha Fahey A1 Abraham Jaffe A1 Shyamsundar Raithatha A1 Nitin Raithatha A1 Anusha Prabhakaran A1 Tiffany A Moore Simas A1 Nancy Byatt A1 Jagdish Vankar A1 Michael Chin A1 Ajay G Phatak A1 Shirish Srivastava A1 David D McManus A1 Eileen O'Keefe A1 Harshil Patel A1 Niket Patel A1 Dharti Patel A1 Michaela Tracey A1 Jasmine A Khubchandani A1 Haley Newman A1 Allison Earon A1 Hannah Rosenfield A1 Anna Handorf A1 Brittany Novak A1 John Bostrom A1 Anindita Deb A1 Soaham Desai A1 Dipen Patel A1 Archana Nimbalkar A1 Kandarp Talati A1 Milagros Rosal A1 Patricia McQuilkin A1 Himanshu Pandya A1 Heena P Santry A1 Sunil Thanvi A1 Utpala Kharod A1 Melissa Fischer A1 Jeroan Allison A1 Somashekhar M Nimbalkar YR 2017 UL http://www.ghspjournal.org/content/5/1/152.abstract AB RAHI–SATHI presents an innovative twinning model of global health academic partnership, resulting in a number of successful research activities, that features trainees or students as the driving force, complemented by strategic institutional support from both sides of the partnership. Others can promote similar student-led initiatives by: (1) accepting an expanded role for trainees in global health programs, (2) creating structured research and program opportunities for trainees, (3) developing a network of faculty and trainees interested in global health, (4) sharing extramural global health funding opportunities with faculty and trainees, and (5) offering seed funding.Background: In recent years there has been a surge in the number of global health programs operated by academic institutions. However, most of the existing programs describe partnerships that are primarily faculty-driven and supported by extramural funding.Program Description: Research and Advocacy for Health in India (RAHI, or “pathfinder” in Hindi) and Support and Action Towards Health-Equity in India (SATHI, or “partnership” in Hindi) are 2 interconnected, collaborative efforts between the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) and Charutar Arogya Mandal (CAM), a medical college and a tertiary care center in rural western India. The RAHI–SATHI program is the culmination of a series of student/trainee-led research and capacity strengthening initiatives that received institutional support in the form of faculty mentorship and seed funding. RAHI–SATHI's trainee-led twinning approach overcomes traditional barriers faced by global health programs. Trainees help mitigate geographical barriers by acting as a bridge between members from different institutions, garner cultural insight through their ability to immerse themselves in a community, and overcome expertise limitations through pre-planned structured mentorship from faculty of both institutions. Trainees play a central role in cultivating trust among the team members and, in the process, they acquire personal leadership skills that may benefit them in their future careers.Conclusion: This paradigm of trainee-led twinning partnership promotes sustainability in an uncertain funding climate and provides a roadmap for conducting foundational work that is essential for the development of a broad, university-wide global health program.