{"id":242182,"date":"2026-04-03T10:23:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T04:23:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kgumsb.edu.bt\/?p=242182"},"modified":"2026-04-03T12:57:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T06:57:34","slug":"call-for-papers-bsmart-research-course-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kgumsb.edu.bt\/index.php\/2026\/04\/03\/call-for-papers-bsmart-research-course-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Call for Proposal: BSMART Research Course 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\nThe Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan (KGUMSB) is pleased to announce a Call for Papers for the forthcoming BSMART Research Course, organized by the Medical Education Centre for Research, Innovation, and Training (MECRIT) under KGUMSB. The course will be conducted from 18 \u2013 30 May 2026<\/strong>.<\/span>


<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

Application Deadline :<\/strong> 20 April 2026, 23:59 (BT) <\/span><\/p>

Contact Information :<\/strong> <\/span>Cheku Wangchuk, MECRIT, KGUMSB\nThimphu, Bhutan       Email: cheki123@kgumsb.edu.bt<\/span><\/p>

Course Application and Paper Submission: <\/strong>CLICK HERE<\/a> or visit https:\/\/events.kgumsb.edu.bt\/event\/25\/<\/p>\n

1. Course Overview<\/strong> <\/p>

The Bhutan\u2019s Structured & Mentoring Approach to Research Training (BSMART) is an adapted version of the Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative (SORT-IT), originally developed by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) and M\u00e9decins Sans Fronti\u00e8res (MSF). This course has been contextualized to address Bhutan\u2019s national health priorities and research needs. The program aims to strengthen operational research (OR) capacity among health professionals by equipping them with practical skills to design, conduct, analyze, and disseminate research. The course emphasizes evidence-based decision-making to improve healthcare planning, service delivery, and policy formulation. Participants will gain hands-on experience across the entire research cycle – from protocol development to publication and dissemination of findings. <\/p>\n

2. Purpose<\/strong> <\/p>

To develop practical competencies in conducting operational research, including designing studies, managing and analyzing data, and disseminating findings through scientific publications and presentations. <\/p>\n

3. Course Structure and Duration<\/strong> <\/p>

The BSMART course consists of four modules conducted over a period of 6\u20138 months at MECRIT, KGUMSB, Thimphu. <\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>

4. Course Modules and Expected Outputs <\/strong>
<\/p>


<\/strong><\/p>

Module 1: Research Questions and Protocol Development<\/strong> <\/span>
<\/p>

Duration:<\/strong> 7 days <\/p>

Objective:<\/strong> To provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of operational research and enable them to develop a draft research protocol. <\/p>

Content Overview:<\/strong> <\/p>

– Introduction to operational research <\/p>

– Formulating research questions <\/p>

– Research terminology (patients and data) <\/p>

– Development of research hypotheses (where applicable) <\/p>

– Defining aims and objectives <\/p>

– Basic data analysis concepts <\/p>

– Reference management <\/p>

– Research ethics <\/p>

Assessment:<\/strong> <\/p>

– Pre-test prior to course commencement <\/p>

– Post-test conducted after Module 2 for learning assessment. <\/span><\/p>

Output:<\/strong> Draft research protocol developed by each participant. <\/span><\/p>


<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

Module 2: Data Management and Analysis (Part I) <\/strong><\/span><\/p>

Duration:<\/strong> 7 Days <\/span><\/p>

Objective:<\/strong> To develop skills in data management and design efficient electronic data collection tools. <\/span><\/p>

Content Overview:<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>

– Principles of data quality and data management <\/span><\/p>

– Designing electronic data entry tools (REDCap\/EpiData \u2013 hands-on) <\/span><\/p>

– Developing structured data collection instruments <\/span><\/p>

– Data entry and validation techniques <\/span><\/p>

– Introduction to basic data analysis <\/span><\/p>

– Generating tabular outputs. <\/span><\/p>

Output: <\/strong> Draft electronic data entry instrument for each participant. <\/span><\/p>


<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

Module 3: Data Analysis (Part II) <\/strong><\/span><\/p>

Duration:<\/strong> 7 days <\/span><\/p>

Objective:<\/strong> To strengthen participants\u2019 capacity in quantitative data analysis using statistical software. <\/span><\/p>

Content Overview: <\/strong><\/span><\/p>

– Data types and levels of measurement <\/span><\/p>

– Descriptive statistics (tables, graphs, summary measures) <\/span><\/p>

– Measures of dispersion <\/span><\/p>

– Bivariate analysis (t-tests, chi-square tests, correlation, F-tests) <\/span><\/p>

– Regression analysis (linear, logistic, ordinal, multinomial) <\/span><\/p>

– Testing statistical assumptions (linearity, normality, homoscedasticity, multicollinearity) <\/span><\/p>

– Data transformations (logarithmic, quadratic) <\/span><\/p>

– Introduction to factor analysis and survival analysis <\/span><\/p>

– Practical exercises using STATA\/R. <\/span><\/p>

Output:<\/strong> Completed data analysis with tables and figures. <\/span><\/p>


<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

Module 4: Scientific Writing and Publication <\/strong><\/span><\/p>

Duration:<\/strong> 7 days <\/span><\/p>

Objective:<\/strong> To guide participants in transforming research findings into a publishable scientific manuscript. <\/span><\/p>

Content Overview: <\/strong><\/span><\/p>

– Principles of scientific writing <\/span><\/p>

– Structuring a research manuscript <\/span><\/p>

– Use of LaTeX and document preparation tools <\/span><\/p>

– Journal selection and submission process <\/span><\/p>

– Responding to peer review comments. <\/span><\/p>

Output:<\/strong> Draft manuscript ready for journal submission. <\/span><\/p><\/span>

<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Eligibility Criteria<\/span> <\/strong><\/span><\/p>

\u2022 Applicants must: Be faculty members, clinicians, program officers, or health professionals under KGUMSB, or affiliated institutions. <\/span><\/p>

\u2022 Attended and completed Basic Research Methodology Training conducted by MECRIT. Importantly, not have previously attended the BSMART course<\/em><\/strong>. <\/span><\/p>

\u2022 Submit a complete research concept note in the prescribed format – Demonstrate commitment to attend all modules – Obtain institutional endorsement where required. <\/span><\/p>\n

6. Selection Criteria<\/strong><\/span> <\/span><\/p>


<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

a. Alignment with National Health Priorities<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>

\u2022 Relevance to Bhutan\u2019s priority health areas (e.g., NCDs, communicable diseases, maternal and child health, health systems strengthening) <\/span><\/p>

\u2022 Contribution to improving healthca<\/span>re delivery <\/span><\/p>


<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

b. Operational Research Relevance <\/strong><\/span><\/p>

<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

\u2022 Focus on real-world implementation challenges <\/span><\/p>

\u2022 Potential to generate actionable evidence <\/span><\/p>


<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

c. Research Quality<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>

\u2022 Clearly defined research question and objectives <\/span><\/p>

\u2022 Draft protocol, dataset plan, and analysis outline <\/span><\/p>


<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

d. Methodological Appropriateness<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>

\u2022 Suitable study design <\/span><\/p>

\u2022 Feasible data sources <\/span><\/p>

\u2022 Appropriate analysis plan <\/span><\/p>


<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

e. Feasibility <\/strong><\/span><\/p>

\u2022 Achievable within the course timeline <\/span><\/p>

\u2022 Ethical feasibility and approval potential <\/span><\/p>


<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

f. Policy and Program Impact <\/strong><\/span><\/p>

\u2022 Potential to inform policy and program improvements <\/span><\/p>

\u2022 Alignment with MoH priorities <\/span><\/p>


<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

g. Publication Potential <\/strong><\/span><\/p>

\u2022 Likelihood of producing publishable results <\/span><\/p>

\u2022 Scope for dissemination at national or international levels <\/span><\/p>


<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

h. Applicant Commitment and Capacity<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>

\u2022 Demonstrated interest in research <\/span><\/p>

\u2022 Commitment to complete all course requirements <\/span><\/p>

\u2022 Basic understanding of research methods <\/span><\/p>\n

7. Additional Considerations<\/span> <\/strong><\/span><\/p>

\u2022 Equitable regional representation <\/span><\/p>

\u2022 Gender balance <\/span><\/p>

\u2022 Priority for early-career and first-time researchers <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>

\u2022 Encouragement of multidisciplinary participation<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":241870,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[80],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-242182","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsroom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kgumsb.edu.bt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/242182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kgumsb.edu.bt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kgumsb.edu.bt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kgumsb.edu.bt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kgumsb.edu.bt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=242182"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.kgumsb.edu.bt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/242182\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":242266,"href":"https:\/\/www.kgumsb.edu.bt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/242182\/revisions\/242266"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kgumsb.edu.bt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/241870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kgumsb.edu.bt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=242182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kgumsb.edu.bt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=242182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kgumsb.edu.bt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=242182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}