Empowering Health through Research and Education with the Tumaini Project

In 2020, following the University of Michigan’s withdrawal from a previous collaboration, Professor Mukwege turned to the University of Montreal (UdeM) for renewed support in advancing ICART’s mission. This collaboration is now anchored in the Tumaini Project (Swahili for “Hope”), a 2022-2027 initiative led by UdeM’s Hygeia Observatory and funded by Global Affairs Canada.

The Tumaini Project’s primary objectives include building a sustainable foundation for ICART through a team of young researchers and trainers, skilled in continuing education development. This core team represents a lasting resource for local, national, and eventually international growth of the center’s activities.

Since its inception, the Tumaini Project has integrated ICART into its framework, under the title “Tumaini: Women, Adolescent, and Infant Health and Rights” (2022-2027). Through this program, ICART is positioned to strengthen the research culture at Panzi Hospital and the Panzi Foundation. Additionally, Tumaini supports action research initiatives designed to address regional health challenges, advancing both health rights and healthcare standards for vulnerable populations.

As part of this collaboration, the Tumaini Project finances ICART’s primary staff, covering both the research and continuing education coordinators. The Director of ICART, who also serves as Tumaini’s Scientific Director, balances responsibilities at ICART with her role as a professor at the University of Montreal.

ICART currently operates from three offices within the Panzi Foundation, dedicated to management, administration, and scientific development. These facilities provide essential resources, including student reception areas and access to computers and research materials. By 2025, Tumaini plans to establish a new facility, offering expanded space for ICART’s full range of activities and the continued growth of its mission.

Looking ahead, one of ICART’s key objectives is to secure sustained funding to continue its progress after the Tumaini Project concludes.

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Term of Project Application
Project Application Requirements for Use of the Panzi Database

All applications must provide sufficient detail to allow assessment of the project’s feasibility and relevance to Panzi and ICART. This includes data requested, research costs and professional merit.

A project’s request for access to Panzi Bank data must be detailed in a maximum of 10 pages. It must include:

  1. Project title;
  2. Research rationale: context, frame of reference, research questions (and hypotheses where relevant) and the project’s contribution to the scientific literature;
  3. Analytical approaches and proposed methodology, ethical considerations;
  4. Detailed requirements for data use:
  • Justification for using the Panzi data bank;
  • Data requirements;
  • Period covering the required data;
  • Complete and final list of required data and variables. This can be appended. Note that adding or modifying data after project approval requires the approval of the ICART Scientific Committee (may require additional costs).


Expected results:

  • Data cross-tabulation: List of variables involved; number of tables and their dimensions; Statistical summary to support analysis; 
  • For modeling: dependent and independent variables, type of modeling or regressions.
  • Applicable weighting for data, if relevant. Software(s) used. 
  • Anticipated project start and end dates;
  • Detailed budget and source of project funding;


Name and contact details of principal investigator and other investigators and staff. It is important to indicate which researcher(s) must have access to the data so that they can be granted an access account;

  • Appendix 1: If this is a student research project (1st, 2nd or 3rd cycle), include the supervisor’s letter of support. 
  • Appendix 2: CV (not included in the two (2) page protocol).
  • Appendix 3: Questionnaire (any other collection tool in the case of a project not using the Panzi banks).
  • Appendix 4: Consent form. 
  • Appendix 5: Knowledge transfer/application plan.


All research projects conducted at Panzi by international researchers must respect the following principles:

  • Partnerships must be developed with accomplished Congolese researchers or those in training;
  • Research projects must meet international and Congolese research standards. They must also obtain the approval of the local ethics committee, as required by Congolese law;
  • A data management agreement must be signed before the research begins. A copy of the final data resulting from the research, as well as the code book, must be shared with the relevant local institutions;
  • Congolese researchers, as well as Congolese researchers-in-training, will participate in the production of publications related to the project.