Research capacity building integrated into PHIT projects: leveraging research and research funding to build national capacity
Creators: name: Manuel, João Luis
name: Binagwaho, Agnes
name: Nimako, Belinda Afriyie
name: Awoonor-Williams, John Koku
name: Cyamatare Rwabukwisi, Felix
name: Manzi, Anatole
name: Drobac, Peter
name: Kyei, Pearl
name: Stringer, Jeffrey
name: Farmer, Didi Bertrand
name: Lemba, Michael
name: Ramsey, Kate
name: Wagenaar, Bradley
name: Hingora, Ahmed
name: Tani, Kassimu
name: Hedt-Gauthier, Bethany L.
name: Chisala, Masoso
name: Mutale, Wilbroad
name: Biney, Adriana
name: Chilengi, Roma
name: Kante, Almamy Malick
name: Ayles, Helen
name: Jackson, Elizabeth
name: Baynes, Colin
name: Bawah, Ayaga
name: Mboya, Dominic
name: Exavery, Amon
name: Gupta, Neil
name: Odhiambo, Jackline
name: Manzi, Fatuma
name: Hirschhorn, Lisa R.
name: Napua, Manuel
name: Sherr, Kenneth
name: Pemba, Senga
name: Henley, Catherine
name: Mulenga, Mary
name: Michel, Cathy
name: Michel, Catherine
name: Nkikabahizi, Fulgence
name: Kariaganis, Marina
name: Jackson, Elizabeth F.
name: Pio, Alusio
name: Musatwe, Dennis
name: Kanlisi, Nicholas
name: Asuming, Patrick O.
name: Phillips, James
name: Condo, Jeanine
name: Chirwa, Cindy
name: Sheff, Mallory C.
name: Gimbel, Sarah
name: Cuembelo, Fatima
name: Mwanza, Moses
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2017

description: Background: Inadequate research capacity impedes the development of evidence-based health programming in sub-Saharan Africa. However, funding for research capacity building (RCB) is often insufficient and restricted, limiting institutions’ ability to address current RCB needs. The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation’s African Health Initiative (AHI) funded Population Health Implementation and Training (PHIT) partnership projects in five African countries (Ghana, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia) to implement health systems strengthening initiatives inclusive of RCB. Methods: Using Cooke’s framework for RCB, RCB activity leaders from each country reported on RCB priorities, activities, program metrics, ongoing challenges and solutions. These were synthesized by the authorship team, identifying common challenges and lessons learned. Results: For most countries, each of the RCB domains from Cooke’s framework was a high priority. In about half of the countries, domain specific activities happened prior to PHIT. During PHIT, specific RCB activities varied across countries. However, all five countries used AHI funding to improve research administrative support and infrastructure, implement research trainings and support mentorship activities and research dissemination. While outcomes data were not systematically collected, countries reported holding 54 research trainings, forming 56 mentor-mentee relationships, training 201 individuals and awarding 22 PhD and Masters-level scholarships. Over the 5 years, 116 manuscripts were developed. Of the 59 manuscripts published in peer-reviewed journals, 29 had national first authors and 18 had national senior authors. Trainees participated in 99 conferences and projects held 37 forums with policy makers to facilitate research translation into policy. Conclusion: All five PHIT projects strongly reported an increase in RCB activities and commended the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation for prioritizing RCB, funding RCB at adequate levels and time frames and for allowing flexibility in funding so that each project could implement activities according to their trainees’ needs. As a result, many common challenges for RCB, such as adequate resources and local and international institutional support, were not identified as major challenges for these projects. Overall recommendations are for funders to provide adequate and flexible funding for RCB activities and for institutions to offer a spectrum of RCB activities to enable continued growth, provide adequate mentorship for trainees and systematically monitor RCB activities. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12913-017-2657-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.