Enhancing institutional research capacity in the midst of a pandemic: A system approach

BackgroundThe EDCTP-funded project ‘Institutional capacity development for multi-disciplinary health research to support the health system rebuilding phase in Sierra Leone’ (RECAP-SL) created a solid platform on which sustainable research capacity can be built at the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS) at the University of Sierra Leone. This in turn will support the much-needed evidence-based health systems reconstruction phase in Sierra Leone and support the evolution of the research landscape at COMAHS.Methods and resultsWe established a research centre at COMAHS and conducted a research needs assessment. This informed the development of short- and long-term action plans to support sustainable institutional research capacity development and enabled the development of a four-year research strategy. These plans also served as a guide for subsequent research partnerships in terms of capacity building efforts to address identified challenges.We also focused on training four research fellows and developed a wider student engagement platform to help cultivate a research culture. The research fellows will support other researchers at COMAHS, thus promoting sustainability of the research centre. Continued professional development opportunities for the fellows are also being actively sought, to develop them up to doctoral level, which addresses one of the gaps identified in the capacity assessment report.ConclusionTo support sustainability, capacity building efforts are being designed to ensure that these gains are maintained over time, with international and national research partners and funders recognising the importance of further developing local research capacity. Through a multi-pronged approach, health systems research capacity has been strengthened in Sierra Leone. This will support the generation of evidence that will inform building sustainable health systems fit for responding cohesively to outbreaks and for delivering services across the country, especially for the most disadvantaged populations.

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Evaluating Academic Research Networks

Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation ◽

10.3138/cjpe.42159 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 33 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Damien Contandriopoulos ◽

Catherine Larouche ◽

Arnaud Duhoux

Keyword(s):

Research Performance ◽

Academic Research ◽

Scientific Productivity ◽

Research Capacity ◽

Institutional Research ◽

Research Networks ◽

Scientific Performance ◽

Small Component ◽

Positive Correlations ◽

Policies And Programs

Abstract: Funding agencies and universities are increasingly searching for effec-tive ways to support and strengthen a dynamic and competitive scientific research capacity. Many of their funding policies are based on the hypothesis that increased collaboration and networking between researchers and between institutions lead to improved scientific productivity. Although many studies have found positive correlations between academic collaborations and research performance, it is less clear how formal institutional networks contribute to this effect. Using social net-work analysis (SNA) methods, we highlight the distinction between what we define as “formal” institutional research networks and “organic” researcher networks. We also analyze the association between researchers’ actual structural position in such networks and their scientific performance. The data used come from cur-riculum vitae information of 125 researchers in two provincially funded research networks in Quebec, Canada. Our findings confirm a positive correlation between collaborations and research productivity. We also demonstrate that collaborations within the formal networks in our study constitute a relatively small component of the underlying organic network of collaborations. These findings contribute to the literature on evaluating policies and programs that pertain to institutional research networks and should stimulate research on the capacity of such networks to foster research productivity.Résumé : Les universités et les agences de financement cherchent de plus en plus à renforcer de façon efficace une capacité de recherche scientifique dynamique et concurrentielle. Bon nombre de leurs politiques de financement sont fondées sur l’hypothèse qu’une amélioration de la collaboration et du réseautage entre les chercheurs et entre les établissements mène à une productivité scientifique accrue. De nombreuses études ont noté une corrélation positive entre les collaborations de recherche et le rendement en recherche, mais la contribution des réseaux institution-nels officiels à ce résultat reste nébuleuse. À l’aide de méthodes d’analyse des réseaux sociaux, nous mettons l’accent sur la distinction entre ce que nous définissons comme les réseaux institutionnels de recherche « officiels » et les réseaux « organiques » de chercheurs. Nous analysons aussi l’association entre les positions structurelles réelles

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Impact of the Fogarty Training Program on Trainee and Institutional Research Capacity Building at a Government Medical College in India

Annals of Global Health ◽

10.5334/aogh.2932 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 86 (1) ◽

pp. 86

Author(s):

Gauri Dhumal ◽

Andrea DeLuca ◽

Ajay Chandanwale ◽

Dileep Kadam ◽

Samir Joshi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Training Program ◽

Capacity Building ◽

Research Capacity ◽

Government Medical College ◽

Institutional Research ◽

Research Capacity Building ◽

Medical College

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Institutional research capacity development for integrated approaches in developing countries: an example from Vietnam.

One Health: the theory and practice of integrated health approaches ◽

10.1079/9781780643410.0332 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 332-340

Author(s):

N Hung ◽

N Vi ◽

P Phuc ◽

V Le ◽

D Phung ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Developing Countries ◽

Capacity Development ◽

Research Capacity ◽

Institutional Research ◽

Integrated Approaches ◽

Research Capacity Development

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A Disability and Health Institutional Research Capacity Building and Infrastructure Model Evaluation: A Tribal College-Based Case Study

Rehabilitation Research Policy and Education ◽

10.1891/2168-6653.31.3.309 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 31 (3) ◽

pp. 309-336

Author(s):

Corey L. Moore ◽

Edward O. Manyibe ◽

Perry Sanders ◽

Fariborz Aref ◽

Andre L. Washington ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Capacity Building ◽

Health Research ◽

Study Participant ◽

Integrated Approach ◽

Research Capacity ◽

Institutional Research ◽

Tribal Community ◽

Research Capacity Building ◽

Disability And Health

Purpose: The purpose of this multimethod study was to evaluate the institutional research capacity building and infrastructure model (IRCBIM), an emerging innovative and integrated approach designed to build, strengthen, and sustain adequate disability and health research capacity (i.e., research infrastructure and investigators’ research skills) at tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) and other minority-serving institutions. Methods: A qualitative case study design was used to evaluate the model based on the perspectives of three different study participant groups (i.e., faculty members, staff/administrators, and students). Semistructured interviews, document review, and observation were used to collect data. Results: The IRCBIM showed promise in improving learning and retention outcomes, creating a pipeline for producing new Indigenous researchers and contributing toward their graduate schools success, and building institutional research environment and prestige. The challenges category addresses overall issues deemed to impede and limit the institution’s disability and health research capacity. Conclusions: The findings support IRCBIM as a promising institutional research capacity building approach. Such sustained efforts, coupled with synergistic long-term federal research agency (i.e., National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research) sponsorship, could empower TCUs to make “new knowledge” contributions to improving employment, community living and participation, and health outcomes among tribal community members with disabilities.

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