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Table 1 Characteristics of approaches in the review of research capacity strengthening activities in sub-Saharan Africa

From: Approaches and impact of non-academic research capacity strengthening training models in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review

Reference

Location of the training

Training goal and specific competencies

Target trainees

Faculty/trainers

Structure, duration of the training activities, and frequency of offering

Funding and partnership

Technical support/follow-up during the program

Adams et al. 2003 [10]

South Africa

Goal: Provide skills for health service evaluation Competencies: Research ethics, research methods, data capture and analysis, research protocol and report writing

300 trainees, all African: Health service middle managers and MSc students within the country

In-country based faculty

Training activities lasted 2 weeks and offered 13 times during 1992–2001

Total funds: Not reported (materials expenses mentioned) Funding source and partnerships: Not reported

No

Ajuwon and Kass 2008 [14]

Nigeria

Goal: To develop the capacity of academic staff to conduct ethically acceptable research involving human population Competencies: Research ethics

133 trainees, all African: Clinical staff from College of Medicine and researchers from NGOs and IRB

Locally based seven resource persons with experience

Training activities lasted 21 hours spread over 3 days and offered three times during 2003–2004

Total funds: Not reported (materials expenses mentioned) Funding source and partnerships: NIH, Wellcome Trust, Fogarty International Center

No

Ali et al. 2012 [15]

Blended between USA and the country of origin

Goal: Training on research ethics to health professionals. Competencies: Ethics and research methods

28 trainees, all African: Researchers mainly from Eastern Africa, most of which had graduate degrees with research experience, health professionals, ethics committee members, journalists and scientists

Associate faculty from JHU, the NIH, associated research ethics programs, and African professionals

Program lasted 1 year, 6 months of courses and seminars, IRB involvement and development of field project and 6 months for practicum and was offered multiple times during 2001–2009

Total funds: Not reported (materials, flight expenses mentioned) Funding source and partnerships: NIH

Continuous mentorship from JHU and African faculty, biannual reunion meeting of alumni and faculty for networking and exchanging ideas

Matovu et al. 2013 [16]

Uganda

Goal: Strengthen the capacity of M&E and continuous quality improvement using work-based training model Competencies: Data collection, data analysis, project proposal, report writing and M&E

143 trainees, all African: Mid- and senior-level managers, coordinators and supervisors within the country

MakSPH faculty and external facilitators

Training activities lasted 5 weeks of face-to-face sessions and 6 months of field activities between 2nd and 3rd modules and was offered multiple times during 2008–2011

Total funds: $2500 for project implementation Funding source and partnerships: CDC

Ongoing technical support from an academic mentor over the program

Mbuagbaw et al. 2011 [17]

Cameroon

Goal: Training on how to initiate and complete systematic reviews Competencies: Design, analysis and interpretation of systematic review and meta-analysis

15 trainees, all African: University lecturers and researchers within the country

Cochrane Review authors and researchers from Africa and Chile

Training activities lasted 4 days of face-to-face sessions and was offered once in 2011

Total funds: Not reported

No

Funding source and partnerships: Cochrane Collaboration, South African Medical Research Council, Yaunde Central Hospital, and Global Health Research Initiative

Njie-Carr et al. 2012 [18]

Uganda

Goal: Research capacity building to assess implementation of mobile service for HIV intervention Competencies: Research ethics, research methods, data collection

14 trainees, all African: Employees and volunteers at Reach Out, a large HIV/AIDS care and service program in Kampala

Five authors in total from fields of medicine, nursing, psychology, biology, and public and international health

Training activities lasted 6 days of intensive didactic training and 4 weeks of field activities and offered once in 2010

Total funds: Not reported (software fees mentioned) Funding source and partnerships: RO, Makerere University, and Johns Hopkins

Continuous mentorship from trainers over the program

Tshikala et al. 2012 [19]

Democratic Republic of Congo

Goal: Train on research bioethics through ancillary care Competencies: Research ethics

30 trainees, all African: Members of CIBAF, faculty from universities, members of clinical ethics committee, representatives of NGOs, paediatric clinics and National AIDS Control Program, members of UNC/DRC

Members of GIRIE, CIBAF and KSPH faculty

Training activities lasted 3 days of formal presentations and discussion and offered once

Total funds: Not reported (materials expenses mentioned) Funding source and partnerships: NIH/Fogarty International Center

No

Williams et al. 2010 [20]

South Africa

Goal: Increase research training and utilization of existing datasets Competencies: Data management and analysis

55 trainees, 40 African: Masters and PhD students from Wits, CU, Brown University and researchers from APHRC

CU researchers, Institutional faculty from Wits, CU, Brown University and APHRC

Training activities lasted 3 weeks of lectures, guided exercises, and research projects and was offered three times during 2006–2008

Total funds: Not reported Funding source and partnerships: Wit School of Public Health, University of Colorado, African Population Studies Research and Training Program

No

Buist and Parry 2013 [11]

Multiple countries in sub-Saharan Africa

Goal: increasing local and national research capacity Competencies: Research ethics, research methods, data collection and analysis, research protocol and writing report

1015 trainees, 112 African: Practicing and academic physicians and public health professionals across Africa

Local and international behavioural, epidemiologic, public health, and statistical researchers

Five courses structured as a ladder with each one lasting 5 to 5 1/2 days

Total funds: Not reported (material expenses mentioned) Funding source and partnerships: CDC, USAID, ATS

Students receive mentoring following the course, incentives to support research projects and editorial assistance are provided

Courses involved lectures, small groups to develop protocol, and daily homework and was offered multiple times during 1994–2013

Chilengi et al. 2013 [22]

Web-based targeting African researchers

Goal: Complement other forms of learning though online training on health research ethics and good clinical practice Competencies: Health research ethics and good clinical practice

1155 trainees, 958 African: Researchers from multiple countries

Trainers or practitioners of research ethics within Africa

Training lasted 100 days

Total funds: Not reported (software expenses mentioned) Funding source and partnerships: EDCPT and AMANET

No

Harries et al. 2003 [21]

Malawi

Goal: Operational research training for TB related research Competencies: Data collection and data analysis, research protocol and manuscript writing

25 trainees, all African: TB officers from district and mission hospitals within the country

NTP facilitators from the Central Unit and Regional TB offices

Training activities lasted 1 1/2 days of seminar on OR and development of protocol, 6 months of field work, 1 day workshop of data analysis and writing a paper and was offered once in 2000

Total funds: Not reported (financial incentives mentioned) Funding source and partnerships: National governments and District TB units

Field supervisory visits are carried out once or twice yearly by central unit to assess data collection

Laserson et al. 2005 [12]

South Africa then expanded to regional course

Goal: building capacity in basic epidemiology and operations research Competencies: Qualitative methods, study design, data collection and data analysis, research protocol and manuscript writing

149 of various nationalities: National, provincial, and district-level NTP managers and TB laboratory directors and staff

International and in-country epidemiologists and TB experts

Training activities lasted 6 days, involving lectures, field exercises, development of OR protocol and 12 months of field implementation of the protocol, often in groups and was offered nine times during 1997–2004

Total funds: US$2000 – 20,000 Funding source and partnerships: NTP in various countries, USAID, WHO, CDC, Pan American Health Organization

Technical assistance is provided during field activities including further training

Varkevisser et al. 2001 [13]

Southern African Region

Goal: increase national capacity for operational research Competencies: Data collection and data analysis, research protocol and manuscript writing

1159 trainees, all African: Higher and middle level health workers from provincial and district level

University staff, senior health trainers and higher-level health staff who have completed an HSR methodology before

Training activities lasted 14–16 days of workshop to develop research proposal, 6 months to collect data, followed by 12–14 days of data analysis and writing a report and was offered 50 times during 1987–1997

Total funds: USD$5000–$8000 per study

Institutional support from local authority is sought through special meetings at national and inter-country level organized at regular intervals (2–3 years)

Funding source and partnerships: WHO, The Netherlands Ministry of Development and Cooperation, USAID, IDRC, Norad

Zachariah et al. 2011 [23]

Multiple countries

Goal: building leadership in operational research Competencies: Research questions and protocol development, data management and analysis, paper writing

Number of trainees not reported: Persons who work within disease programmes and who are committed and have opportunities to carry out operational research

International

Training activities lasted 3 weeks spread over 9 months with significant intervals between modules and frequency of offering is not reported

Total funds: $500–$1500 small grants Funding source and partnerships: The Union/MSF

Technical support throughout the program

  1. AMANET African Malaria Network Trust, APHRC African Population and Health Research Center, ATS American Thoracic Society, CDC US Centers for Disease Control, CIBAF Centre Interdisciplinaire de Bioethique pour L’Afrique Francophone, CU University of Colorado-Boulder, DRC Democratic Republic of Congo, EDCPT European Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, GIRIE Groupe Interproject de Reflexion et d’Intervention en Ethique, IDRC International Development Research Centre, IRB Institutional Review Board, JHU Johns Hopkins University, KSPH Kinshasa School of Public Health, M&E Monitoring and Evaluation, MakSPH Makerere University School of Public Health, MSF Médecins Sans Frontières, NGO Non-Governmental Organization, NIH National Institutes of Health, Norad Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, NTP National TB Control Program, OR Reach Out, TB Tuberculosis, UNC University of North Carolina, USAID United States Agency for International Development, WHO World Health Organization