RRCU Receives Grant from Thrasher Research Fund for GOAL Trial Extension Project that Could Inform the Recommended Duration of Long-Term Secondary Prophylaxis for Early RHD
We’re pleased to share that the Rheumatic Heart Disease Research Collaborative in Uganda (RRCU) has received its first directly awarded grant. The award comes from the Thrasher Research Fund and will support the new GOAL-Keep study, led by Principal Investigator Dr. Joselyn Rwebembera.
This direct funding is a significant milestone for RRCU, highlighting its increasing research capacity, infrastructure, and leadership in the global Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) research field. In the past, grants from the Thrasher Research Fund for RRCU-based work were applied for and administered through partner institutions based in the United States. For the first time, with GOAL-Keep, RRCU will serve as Thrasher’s direct, primary awardee. This marks a major milestone for a low-middle income country-based institution, as it allows RRCU to independently manage the full grant, including budgeting, reporting and issuing subawards to collaborating sites. More importantly, it reflects international recognition of RRCU’s growing capacity and credibility – demonstrating that it now possesses the research, administrative and financial infrastructure needed to apply for and manage foreign grants without relying on an intermediary. This shift not only builds institutional autonomy but also strengthens local ownership and leadership in global health research.
RRCU as established a core administrative team, featuring accounting, regulatory, and human resources expertise, that has helped build the infrastructure required to obtain awards independently. Here, RRCU Senior Program Manager, Jafes Pulle, works with RRCU Programmatic Accountant, Ms. Beatrice Namuwulya.
RRCU Co-Director, Dr. Emmy Okello, noted, “We’re proud of the team’s work, especially our RRCU administrative team and early-career investigators who are making important contributions to building RHD research capacity in Uganda. This award is a promising step toward obtaining additional independent funding for our Uganda-based team.”
A Longstanding Partnership: Thrasher, RRCU, and the GOAL Cohort
Since 2019, the Thrasher Research Fund has been a supportive partner in RRCU’s work, starting with the GOAL Trial — a pivotal randomized controlled trial that showed antibiotic prophylaxis improved outcomes for children with early-stage RHD. After the GOAL Trial, the GOAL-Post study followed this cohort to assess the long-term benefits of prophylaxis and the safety of discontinuing prophylaxis once children showed echocardiographic normalization. By the end of GOAL-Keep, Thrasher and RRCU will have worked with members of the GOAL cohort for nearly 10 years.
RRCU Co-Director, Emmy Okello, presenting an overview of RRCU’s research portfolio at a recent stakeholder meeting. The top band illustrates GOAL series of studies - GOAL, GOAL-Post and GOAL-Keep, which will span a total of 10 years.
About the GOAL-Keep Project: Goals and Vision
The new GOAL-Keep study builds on past GOAL cohort projects, investigating outcomes in children with early RHD and examining the need for continued prophylaxis after echocardiographic stability or normalization by “keeping” them in follow-up. Our goals include improving scientific understanding of the value of early diagnosis and intervention, as well as generating evidence for shorter courses of secondary antibiotic prophylaxis because these regular treatments can be financially, academically, physically and socially burdensome for patients.
Clinically, this work is an important step toward sustainable and effective treatment pathways that can benefit not only our cohort, but also children and adolescents living with RHD around the world. GOAL-Keep has the potential to inform future recommendations for secondary antibiotic prophylaxis duration, ensuring that emerging guidelines reflect best practices for those most affected.
