Researchers from three organizations in Africa and five in the UK are working together to develop their individual capacity, promote knowledge and culture sharing and the development of tools and resources by research management professionals in the respective regions and beyond.

The researchers are from the University of Cape Town, the University of the Western Cape and the African Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology and, in the UK, from the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), and the GW4 Alliance – the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter.

The project will bring together research development and management expertise to address operational and infrastructural challenges that research managers and administrators (RMAs) face in both Africa and the UK. It will involve conducting exchange visits, delivering an online knowledge exchange workshop and developing a competency-based draft training curriculum. 

By compiling and creating resources for competency-based training and best practice, the team hopes to develop RMAs’ capacity to build and deliver research partnerships professionally and equitably across countries and continents, as well as extending participants’ networks and building their knowledge of evidence-based practice, which will support African institutions’ capacity to sustainably deliver research programs.

The project forms part of the International Research Management Staff Development Program (IRMSDP), an initiative of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) in collaboration with the UK’s Association of Research Managers and Administrators (ARMA).  It is keen to promote South-South and North-North collaborations, while at the same time strengthening international ties and enabling research management professionals to widen and share their skills for the benefit of their institutions and the profession.

Photo courtesy / Pexels

https://www.aasciences.africa/news/africa-and-uk-research-teams-collaboration-build-capacity