RTI International

This season of , the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) and the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP) join forces to shine a light on evidence-based research and initiatives tackling substance use and overdoses in the United States.

Hosted by Dr. Lawrance Mullen, D.H.Sc we dive into insightful conversations focusing on reentry services, peer support, crisis response, and more. Explore groundbreaking research in drug monitoring programs through wastewater drug epidemiology, overdose data, and cutting-edge drug checking technologies. Tune in to discover lessons learned, inspiring successes, and practical advice for agencies looking to implement similar programs.

Don't miss out on these impactful stories and innovations: https://forensiccoe.org/just-science-podcast/

USAID is building partnerships to control plastic pollution and improve waste management. We're proud to support these efforts through the USAID Activity. Learn more:

In her recent blog post, and building on USAID’s Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Assistance (ACVFA) paper on the subject, RTI’s Nicole Jacobs shares 6 priority practices that international implementing partners can adopt to promote development and, in doing so, contribute to changing development for the better.

Asking Ourselves the Uncomfortable Questions About Locally Led Development ​​Learn about strategies for international implementing partners to promote locally led development and help global aid practices become more inclusive and effective.​

While they are least responsible for global climate change, small island nations like those in the Caribbean are most affected by it. They are also at the forefront of climate impacts today.

Transitioning to renewable energy can help these nations strengthen their resilience while diversifying their economies, creating new jobs, and reducing their exposure to global energy price shocks.

Additionally, the lessons and technologies applied in the Caribbean’s clean energy transition will be useful elsewhere as climate change’s impact spreads.

Learn what it will take to turn this potential into impact in our latest blog post by Charly De la Rosa, Gerald Lindo, and Robyn Camp.

Why Clean Energy in the Caribbean Matters for the World The Caribbean's clean energy transition is crucial for global resilience, economic growth, and climate action. Explore sustainable solutions with RTI.

In June, RTI International experts joined nearly 1,200 public health experts in Sydney at the Global Health Security Conference 2024 ( ) to tackle pressing issues and innovative solutions in health security. We presented key projects and research that highlight our commitment to advancing global and building resilient health systems.

In this latest blog, we explore the top 5 insights from the conference, including lessons from past outbreaks, the importance of a approach, and the need for community-focused strategies. Our experts Manon Billaud, Gabriella Corrigan, Lauren Courtney, Emmanuel Oga, and Kristen Stolka share their perspectives on strengthening health systems and preparing for future challenges.

🔍 Read more about these insights and our ongoing efforts in global health security:

Global Health Security Progress: 5 Takeaways From the 2024 Global Health Security Conference Discover 5 key takeaways from the 2024 Global Health Security Conference, highlighting crucial insights and strategies for future health security.

🌐 Keilyn Iboy is one of the few young women in her rural Guatemala community who has made the transition from elementary to secondary school. "For me, school has been a place where I could find out how much I love natural sciences and to learn how to search online for videos explaining more about science,” she says.

When she’s on vacation from school, Keilyn utilizes the internet hotspot in her local park, one of 92 set up through the USAID Basic Education Quality and Transitions Activity (BEQT) as part of its partnership with Wayfree.

As we approach on August 12, we’re celebrating efforts to empower youth like Keilyn to advance their education, which helps support a strong foundation for them, their families, and the future of their countries. 📚🔬

Learn more about how this innovative partnership is changing lives and expanding education in Guatemala: https://www.rti.org/insights/free-internet-education-guatemala

Free Internet Zones Create New Opportunities for Education in Guatemala Discover how free internet zones in Guatemala are reshaping education, connecting communities, and empowering students for a brighter future. See more.

is here! Visit our event page to see where to find our experts participating in several panels and sessions.

https://www.rti.org/event/jsm-2024?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social_organic&utm_campaign=SSES_SSES_ALLJSM2024SocialPromotions

RTI's Dr. Brian Southwell joins a CDC advisory workgroup to enhance public health communication strategies. The Communications and Public Engagement Workgroup (CPEW) aims to provide strategic guidance to the CDC on effective public communication strategies with a focus on reaching local communities.

"Our public health agencies do important work to improve our health and wellbeing every day, just as individuals are doing their best to keep themselves and their families healthy," said Southwell, senior scientist at RTI. "By improving communication between public health professionals and the communities they serve, we can enhance trust in science and also help our society weather future threats.”

Read more:

RTI’s Dr. Brian Southwell joins CDC advisory workgroup to enhance public health communication strategies RTI’s Dr. Brian Southwell joins CDC advisory workgroup to enhance public health communication strategies

📢 We’re excited to partner with USAID to strengthen disaster risk management in Ethiopia. Home to over 120 million people, Ethiopia faces frequent climate-induced disasters, such as droughts, floods, and landslides.

“Ethiopia’s disaster risk management system is often overstretched by emergency responses, leaving few resources and capacity for proactive risk management,” said Marko Lesukat, RTI’s Chief of Party for the project. “RTI will connect local, regional and federal systems while building on the capacity of key stakeholders to overcome barriers and catalyze change.”

Read more about how the project will create a shift from managing emergencies to managing risks:

RTI partners with USAID to strengthen locally led disaster risk management in Ethiopia USAID has awarded RTI International, a five-year project to strengthen disaster risk management systems and enhance resilience building in Ethiopia. Learn more.

Many research projects struggle to analyze large volumes of audio data. RTI QUINTET™ enables transcription, search, analysis, and data quality checks for any audio data, enhancing capacities to use recordings productively in research and real-world scenarios. Learn how RTI QUINTET can help you unlock novel analysis capabilities, reduce costs, and increase data quality through a suite of AI tools.

RTI QUINTET™: An AI Tool for Audio Data Analysis AI tools for data analysis revolutionize research by improving transcription, search, and data quality. Learn more about the capabilities of RTI QUINTET™.

The ACTIV Virtual Biorepository provides access for researchers to study biospecimens from past ACTIV clinical trials, allowing them to explore the underlying mechanisms of COVID-19 as well as how the researched therapies work. Learn how the virtual biorepository—developed and managed by researchers, system architects, and software engineers at RTI—is critical to helping us further understand COVID-19 and prepare for future outbreaks.

Building the ACTIV Virtual Biorepository: Reflections from the Researchers Discover RTI's role in the ACTIV virtual biorepository, exploring biospecimens, system development, and support for open science in COVID-19 research.

Asking Ourselves the Uncomfortable Questions About Development: In her new blog post, RTI’s Nicole Jacobs asks, “What are we, as international implementing partners and development institutions, doing to promote locally led development (LLD)?”

Explore the 6 practices she recommends:

Asking Ourselves the Uncomfortable Questions About Locally Led Development ​​Learn about strategies for international implementing partners to promote locally led development and help global aid practices become more inclusive and effective.​

Happy ! We're proud to support rangers like Amina through the USAID - US Agency for International Development Tuhifadhi Maliasili Project. Learn more ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Small island nations in the Caribbean are at the forefront of climate change’s impact today. Their journey to clean energy can help build resilience.

Momentum is on the side of clean energy transition in the region. For example:

☀️ The Caribbean is rich in renewable resources like solar and wind

🔋 Renewable energy is more cost-effective than pricey imported energy

⚙️ Renewables offer an opportunity to diversify economies

Learn what it will take to turn this potential into impact in our latest blog post by Charly De la Rosa, Gerald Lindo, and Robyn Camp.

Why Clean Energy in the Caribbean Matters for the World The Caribbean's clean energy transition is crucial for global resilience, economic growth, and climate action. Explore sustainable solutions with RTI.

Many actors in global are interested in how to scale effective interventions, but could we all be operating under a big misconception about costs?

Economies of scale–or the cost advantage that can be achieved at a larger operation level–is a popular and convenient concept and can be true for certain interventions. However, there are multiple reasons why the unit cost of an educational intervention might be greater when operating at scale.

Learn why in this recent Innovations for Poverty Action blog, by RTI’s Joe DeStefano and IPA’s Sarah Kabay:

Diseconomies of Scale: Does Scaling Educational Interventions Cost More Than We Think? [node:summaryLearn why scaling educational interventions might cost more than expected and explore factors causing diseconomies of scale in international education programs.

Spotlight on Eva Matsiko, a Senior Technical Advisor in RTI’s Center for Governance. With 20+ years of professional experience, Eva has provided strategic leadership, management, and technical expertise to complex multi-donor and programs. Her efforts, in partnership with local actors, have resulted in strengthened parliamentary, accountability, electoral, and local governance systems in Uganda. Eva's leadership has nurtured civic engagement, enhanced governance systems, and strengthened the accountability loop between local and national-level governments.

Eva is passionate about leadership development for individuals and within organizations. She has designed and facilitated capacity building and mentoring sessions for individuals and organizations. She is also a staunch advocate for women's participation in governance. She has strengthened women's roles in electoral processes and held various positions within the Uganda Association of Women Lawyers. Her expertise includes providing political economy analysis and technical support for projects in Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Liberia, and Uganda. Explore Eva's dedication to building resilient governance systems and promoting gender equality in governance:

Eva Matsiko Eva Matsiko is an experienced Chief of Party (COP) with more than 20 years of professional experience providing strategic leadership, management, and technical expertise to complex multi-donor, USAID- and DFID-funded democracy and governance programs that have resulted in strengthened Parliamentary,...

Just out: Catch the most recent episode of the Jacobs Foundation's BOLD podcast, featuring RTI expert Carmen Strigel 👇

AI EdTech in low resource settings – BOLD Owen and Libby speak to Carmen Strigel about building EdTech products including voice AI for low resource settings.

In an overcrowded classroom in Uganda, Lydia, a first-grade teacher, makes her way through a room of 150 students, including some with disabilities, who are all sitting on the floor. She is tasked with providing quality instruction for all of them, although she can barely walk through the room, has few teaching materials, and has never received training on inclusive instruction.

The realities faced by Lydia and many others like her underscore the need for broad adoption of and support for inclusive education. Education that is truly inclusive of children with disabilities must be designed in partnership with those children, their families, and the communities that surround them.

In this new blog post, RTI’s Jennae Bulat and Carmen Strigel explore how implementing partners, particularly international organizations, can collaborate with local partners to realize inclusive education for children with disabilities.

https://ow.ly/RhZm50SKlY8

The Power of Locally Led Inclusive Education for People with Disabilities RTI International champions locally-led inclusive education, integrating disability-focused strategies and community collaboration to enhance learning for all.

The first mobile exam center for National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) program arrived at our RTP campus this month! A total of seven exam centers will soon embark on an annual national data collection to assess the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the U.S.

“The data collection process for NHANES is truly a national endeavor and would not be possible without these mobile exam centers, which are impressively equipped but also small enough to travel the country,” said Steven B. Cohen, Ph.D., NHANES program director and principal scientist at RTI.

Learn more:

NHANES mobile exam center arrives at RTI’s campus The first mobile exam center has arrived at RTI International and will soon embark on an annual national data collection process for the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) program.

We are thrilled to announce that Eddie Story, Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary at RTI International, has been elected as the North Carolina Bar Association Corporate Counsel Section Chair for the term of July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025. This prestigious appointment is a testament to Eddie's exceptional dedication, expertise, and leadership within the legal community.

Please join us in congratulating Eddie on this remarkable achievement!

Today is ! We are proud to implement USAID's Sustainable Interventions for Biodiversity, Oceans, and Landscapes (SIBOL) project, fostering sustainable environmental practices, supporting 🇵🇭 communities, and strengthening .

Learn more in this new USAID Medium blog ⬇️

Planting A Path to Climate Resilience How a local leader in the Philippines uses mangroves to protect her community

We are incredibly proud to share the inspiring journey of Olympic swimmer Jesse Ssengonzi, who is honoring his late father, Robert Ssengonzi, by competing for Uganda at the Paris Olympics. Robert dedicated over 15 years of his professional life to RTI International, serving as a senior research health specialist and director of the Africa Integrated Health program from 2000-2011 and later returning as the senior director of HIV and leader of RTI’s cross-institute xHIV team.

Robert's commitment to improving health outcomes in Africa and beyond continues to inspire us all. We wish Jesse the best of luck as he carries forward his father's legacy of dedication and excellence.

Join us in cheering for Jesse as he makes waves at the Paris Olympics! 🌟🏊‍♂️ https://www.wralsportsfan.com/cary-s-jesse-ssengonzi-honors-late-father-by-swimming-for-uganda-at-paris-olympics/21530306/

Cary's Jesse Ssengonzi honors late father by swimming for Uganda at Paris Olympics :: WRALSportsFan.com Jesse Ssengonzi was born in Raleigh, but has deep family roots in Uganda. After living there for several years as a child, he made Uganda's Olympic swim team. In Paris, he will swim for more than country, he will swim for family.

Attending ? Be sure to RSVP for our annual networking reception at the Portland. Save your spot to join us Monday, August 5.

JSM 2024 | RTI Reception Join the RTI International team at our annual reception at the 2024 Joint Statistical Meetings on August 3-8 in Portland, Oregon. Meet our statisticians, data scientists, and survey methodologists and discuss innovative statistical and data science solutions that ensure policies are shaped by a...

Congratulations to USAID Guatemala, our Basic Education Quality and Transitions project team, and all our partners in launching the new Universal Design for Learning and Funds of Knowledge b-learning courses. We are honored to help play a role in improving education quality and transition rates from primary to secondary school in .

Did you miss last week’s RTI Tech Talk webinar? Watch the video recording to hear from RTI experts about fit-for-purpose data visualization solutions that prioritize user-focused design and can help deliver actionable insights faster.

Unlock Actionable Insights with User-Focused Data Visualization Solutions | RTI Tech Talk Webinar Join RTI experts on July 17, 2024, to learn how user-focused data visualization can transform data into actionable insights for government agencies.

Happy National Intern Day! At RTI, our internship program offers an immersive experience where aspiring professionals gain hands-on skills to build their resumes and excel in their career!

Mark your calendars! Join us as RTI Interns present their projects at the RTI Internship Showcase on August 6th and 7th.

More info coming soon!

At the Bounkiling health center, located 50 km (30 miles) from Sédhiou, Senegal, the lack of running water had been a significant challenge. For up to 4 months at a time, the center was without water due to a broken borehole. The burden fell on patients' families to bring water for treatment, making infection prevention and control a constant struggle.

Thanks to the USAID-funded Owod project, implemented by RTI International, a new borehole constructed by the local Health Development Committee is now providing relief to over 23,000 patients and 52 staff members. With clean premises and well-maintained facilities, the center can now offer quality care with renewed motivation.

"Thanks to the borehole, we can smile again and are now equipped to offer quality care to the population. Our premises are clean, with well-maintained toilets, which improves our motivation on a daily basis," says Dr. Bou Diarra, the district's chief medical officer.

Learn more about the USAID - US Agency for International Development Owod project and our efforts to improve healthcare access:
https://www.rti.org/impact/fostering-local-innovation-improve-maternal-and-child-health-senegal

We believe that sustainable development is best achieved through locally led efforts.

Reflecting on their recent visit to the Philippines, RTI’s President & CEO Tim Gabel and Executive Vice President Paul Weisenfeld highlight how local organizations like PLLENRO, IMAP, and the Forest Foundation Philippines are leading the charge in transforming systems for clean energy, health, and conservation. Their dedication and expertise are pivotal in building resilient and adaptive communities.

Through USAID-funded projects, we’re honored to partner with these organizations and others to foster impactful, long-lasting change. Read Tim and Paul’s blog to learn more:

Driving Change: How Local Organizations are Transforming Systems in the Philippines Discover how local organizations in the Philippines are driving systems change in energy, health, and conservation to address complex challenges.