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Capacity Strengthening

Professionalising research management
in Africa

Research Management and Support | Africa Research Management Capacity Strengthening (REMACS) |Capacity Strengthening Initiative

WHAT WE DO

REMACS

Research management is expanding in scope and complexity. Specialist skills are needed to enable researchers, who have been selected competitively, to focus on their research. There has been a healthy and inevitable trend of transitioning research management responsibility from academic personnel to professional research management personnel. These professionals bring specialised knowledge of research; indeed, some of them come from academic careers. It is critical that the special skills contributed to the research enterprise by these trained professionals be appropriately recognized, supported and rewarded in order to continue to attract the first-rate management talent necessary to support first-rate research.

The REMACS Africa Programme is developing a cohort of accredited research management professionals in key research management functions to promote the research management career pathway in institutions, supported by an appropriate infrastructure of networks and training opportunities on the African continent.

How will science policy engagement drive impact:

  • If R&I is to deliver maximum impact and positively change the lives of African people and societies, findings from Africa led R&I research programmes should be translated into recommendations that can be implemented within policy and practice in Africa.
  • Contribute to efficiency and effectiveness within programmes through best practice.
  • Ensure the right questions are formulated, asked, and answered through an African lens.
  • Highlight gaps and key points of evidence within context and in an accurate manner to facilitate comprehension and use.
  • Promote shared understanding, trust and collaboration for meaningful work that drives change regionally and globally
  • Place African experts and policymakers at the centre of science-led policymaking processes in Africa
  • Place contextually relevant data and perspectives at the centre of science-led decision-making process in Africa.

Activities being implemented by SPEAR

Artificial intelligence (AI) and Data Science policy gaps from an African perspective. The African STI landscape is witnessing the emergence of AI and Data Science across various sectors. However, for these technologies to have their full positive impact, it is crucial to develop trust among stakeholders and formulate contextualized policies that support their implementation in the region. This grant aims to address these areas by:

  • Convening African stakeholders to examine and comprehend the policy gaps in AI and Data Science in global health from an African perspective, focusing on but not limited to genomics, clinical trials/drug development, and epidemics/pandemics.
  • In collaboration with African partners, identifying the research and development goals of AI and data science for the betterment of global health from an African perspective.
  • Engaging the public on AI and Data Science policy

" If scientific results are not shared broadly, then the societal benefits are significantly limited. We have a responsibility to ensure that policymakers have access to the best, relevant and up-to-date knowledge available. To achieve Africa’s sustainable development goals, it is critical that policy decisions are informed by contextually relevant evidence”. - Uzma Alam, SPEAR programme lead.