The Role of Research Support Centres in Promoting Research and Academic Excellence

Exnevia Gomo Research Support Centre College of Health Sciences University of Zimbabwe SACORE Annual Scientific Meeting Livingstone, Zambia 5 September 2011

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Outline of Presentation

• • • • • • Definitions Background – Research & Academia Rationale for RSCs Key Elements of Research Support Emerging Evidence of RSC Relevance Conclusion UZCHS Research Support centre 2

Academia

• • The environment or community concerned with the pursuit of research, education, and scholarship the world within an educational community. An example of academia is a college, its students, and its teachers (MacMillan) UZCHS Research Support centre 3

Excellence…….

The man became great. He continued becoming greater until he was exceedingly great (Genesis chapter 26 verse 13.) UZCHS Research Support centre 4

Research and Academia – the link Academia Teaching

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Academic Career Pathways Teaching Balanced Portfolio Lecturer Senior Lecturer Associate Professor Full Professor Research

Adapted from: http://www.southampton.ac.uk/hr/managing/promotion/academicpromotionguidesforcandidate.pdf

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Conditions for Academic Advancement…

• Scholarly leadership must be demonstrated through evidence of effectiveness of – teaching, – research, – professional activities – community contributions.

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Research – Teaching Balance in African Universities

Most African universities emphasize teaching and are research non-intensive i.e

Weak Research Capacity UZCHS Research Support centre 8

What is Research Capacity? Enhancing the abilities of individuals, organisations and systems to undertake and disseminate high quality research efficiently and effectively.

A DfID Practice Paper, 2010 UZCHS Research Support centre 9

Excellence in Research…..

• • Quality of individual skills (critical mass), Quality of the research environment (institutional/broader), – funding, – adequate infrastructure, – robust governance – research incentives, – time available to the researcher UZCHS Research Support centre 10

Research Capacity Strengthening Models

• • Individual skills development Institutional strengthening – organisational structures, – processes, – resources, – management and governance issues

so that local institutions are able to attract, train and retain capable researchers.

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Challenges for African Institutions

• • • Increasing teaching load in the face of brain-drain and dwindling resources Predominantly individualized instead of combined with institutionalized research capacity strengthening Internationalization of research – Increasing competitiveness of funding – Shifting of focus by funding agencies away from informal – arrangements with individual researchers and to the assurance of institutional oversight for funded projects.

Increasing demand for better accountability of resources by the broader society 12 UZCHS Research Support centre

Increasing Demands….on the Institutions

• Lead to increase in the role of institutions in the procurement, management, monitoring, and certification of projects • Success of research increasingly dependent on the effectiveness with which the institutional functions are discharge 13 UZCHS Research Support centre

Regeneration of capacity….

• Successful research at an institution depends on depth of expertise practiced by a wide range of people, not only academic, and a an environment that nurtures individuals, systems and cultures of research. • Thus, in the absence of on-going research activity, one cannot talk meaningfully about sustainable research capacity building A DfID Practice Paper, 2010 UZCHS Research Support centre 14

A Case for Institutionalizing RSCs

• • A Central Office (nexus) that anchors research related activities to facilitate evolution of and ensure a corporate identity, motivation, good practice and culture of research The corporate identity must be backed by common benefits (and common restrictions, of course). UZCHS Research Support centre 15

RSC – a ONE-STOP-PROFESSIONAL SHOP

• • • • • • • • • Research governance Stimulating research Grant application Grant management Training Good research practice and research compliance Information services Publicity Professional development UZCHS Research Support centre 16

ONE-STOP SHOP DEPARTMENTS… Research Training (courses) Individual Support Grants Administration Medico-Legal Services Compliance Support Research Governance (Research Culture Regeneration of Capacity) Research Information & Data Management Support

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Individual researcher support One-on-one Consultation

•

Research methodology

•

Data management

•

Statistics

•

Proposal writing & submission

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Activities Governance and Compliance Research Training Research Policies

•

Approvals

•

Good research practice

•

Incentives

•

Intellectual property Clinical Trials Support

•

CRA training

•

CTC training

•

ICH-GCP training

•

Clinical trial monitoring Support to Research Ethics Committee Courses

•

Grant writing

•

Proposal writing

•

GCP

•

Research methodology

•

Clinical trial design

•

Data management

•

Data analysis

•

Ethics

•

Research integrity

•

Project management

•

Scientific writing

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Information Services Activities cont’d….1

Grants Administration Data Management Information Hub

•

Funding Opportunities

•

Training Opportunities

•

Conferences

•

Collaborations

•

Communication, Dissemination of research results

•

COM Research Database

•

Publication Tracking

•

International Relations

•

Knowledge Translation

•

Policy maker engagement

•

Administration

•

Funding Opportunities

•

Training Opportunities

•

Proposal Preparation

•

Budget Preparation

•

Submission

•

Financial Management of Awards

•

Project management

•

Medico-legal services

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Data entry

•

Data audit

•

Statistics

•

Training

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Activities cont’d…..2

Research-Teaching …the Interface

• • Undergraduate research priming/training (BOILER PLATE) – promoting research-led learning and teaching – Support for student research projects • Funding – small research grants • • Information Role modeling Postgraduate research training •

Professional development

–

MAXIMIZING SYNERGIES BETWEEN RESEARCH AND MEDICAL EDUCATION

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RSC – a nexus – the Centripetal Force for Research Management Students RSC Faculty Administrative Staff

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• •

Evidence……

Malawi RSC – The model – Significant contribution to • • Awareness and appreciation of research Research skills building – • • • Quality of research Improving grants management Research governance (including definition and sustainability of incentives) • Income Emerging RSCs in Zambia and Zimbabwe UZCHS Research Support centre 22

• •

Evidence……

Increasing dedicated funding for research administration and research leadership – – Wellcome Trust NIH – EDCTP Increasing efforts to professionalize research management and administration – Regional and International Research Administration/Management Associations – Certificate, Diploma, Degree courses in Research Administration UZCHS Research Support centre 23

RSC, Reinforcing culture of excellence……

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RSC, Stimulating research interest……

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RSC, facilitating application for grants……

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Achievable through … INVESTMENT AT ALL LEVELS Impact, Institutional Profile Researchers, Teachers, Students Infrastructure, Systems Institutional Research Governance

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Conclusion…

• Developing research support services is a critical component of sustainable research and teaching capacity building and research excellence • RSCs enhance nexus between research and teaching • RSC services, improved governance and resources encourage and facilitate research and teaching UZCHS Research Support centre 28

Conclusion

The extent to which higher education institutions are engaged in research and development activities has a key role in determining the status and the quality of these institutions and the contribution, which they make to economic and social development Source: Dr Ellen Hazelkorn, IMHE/OECD, Paris and DIT, Dublin, EUA conference, Barcelona, June 2004.

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Thank You Ndatenda Zikomo

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