Table 4 Challenges, recommendations and innovations regarding research capacity strengthening activities

Lack of mentorship and institutional support

Participants’ initiatives blocked by managers [10]

Lack of strategies encouraging recent trainees to apply new learning within the services [10] Difficulty getting buy-in from institutions [16, 23]

Provide mentorship to participants by managers to enhance application of acquired skills on the job [10]

Drop out from training program because of no mentorship [16, 18, 20]

During application approvals, organizational commitment to in-service training for capacity development [10]

Delay in completing research projects because of no mentorship [16]

Weak co-ordination due to incompetency of leaders [13]

Support professional network and alternative communication pathways to

improve intra- and inter-program collaboration [15]

Lack of communication between participants and supervisors [21]

Engage with institutions from the beginning and get commitment from program leadership [16, 18]

Sensitize policy-makers and health managers through special meetings [13]

Poor research infrastructure

Poor internet [17]

Poor internet [17]

Improve internet access [17, 23]

Inadequate space and lack of equipment [18, 23]

Difficulty in securing adequate space for research activities [12, 13, 18, 23]

Provide budget lines dedicated for improving research infrastructure [23]

Insufficient time for research and program dropouts

Trainees get absorbed into routine work and responsibilities [16]

Loss of trainees through dropout [16, 18, 20]

Conducting training activities at the workplace

Trainees take jobs with other institutions [16]

Trainers do not have resources nor authority to conduct effective follow-up within workplace [10] Mismatches between participants’ capabilities and training priorities [21]

Increase time allocated to research activities [18, 23]

Suitable training schedule [18]

Establish strong selection criteria to minimize dropouts [23]

Add distance learning to face-to-face classes

Provide support supervision to trainees by program staff and/or mentors [16]

Lack of funds for research activities

Lack of resources to conduct research activities [11, 13, 23]

Dependence on external institutions or donors for funding [13]

Build more resources for funding [11]

Embed research agenda into health program [21]

Difficulty in accessing training location [18]

Develop strong institutional infrastructure (administrative leadership) [18]

Integrate courses into existing curriculum [16, 20]

Difficulty in publishing papers in international journals

Difficulties in publishing in international journals [11, 21, 23]

Mentor on publication process [11]

Strengthen selection criteria to get strong candidates

Explore other opportunities such as publishing in local journals and presenting at local meetings [21]

Provide further training [21]

Language barriers and differences in educational levels

Trainees face communication challenges [18]

Difficult to manage a group of different levels of education [21] and/or speaking different languages [18]

Strategic groupings of participants with similar skill levels [21]