Africa University (AU) in Zimbabwe strives to be a center of research excellence and a research leader, contributing to knowledge generation and knowledge dissemination for leadership development, and for social and economic transformation. This project seeks to strengthen the research administration infrastructure at AU, in order to assist researchers to successfully compete for international funding to carry out the much needed research to solve the many health problems that Zimbabwe is facing. Currently the biomedical and biobehavioural research output at Africa University is low. Lack of grants management and other support for researchers is thought to be a contributory factor. This project proposes to develop the recently established AU Office of Research and Outreach Programs (OROP) to make it fully functional and productive to serve the needs of the AU research community. The project proposes a plan to develop the capacity of Africa University OROP leadership and staff in various aspects of research administration. This will result in the availability of a user-friendly central research office that is led and staffed by well qualified ad motivated cadres to support and motivate interested AU faculty, students and staff to move to the next level of productivity in research. The project proposes an innovative cost-effective staffing plan for the OROP. Then a two-tiered capacity building plan where initially the research administration leaders are trained in many areas, including NIH policies and processes, then they in turn pass on the knowledge and skills they would have acquired to the OROP staff. A variety of training methods will be used, including internships, formal certified courses, seminars, workshops, e-lessons, exchange visits. Mentoring will be provided by well-experienced leaders in research administration. The OROP staff will in turn support and train AU researchers on key areas that include developing research proposals, implementing and managing grants, report and manuscript writing. The ultimate goal is research output increasing at AU, especially large externally funded research. This will generate income that will in turn sustain the OROP, enabling it to provide even more professional services to researchers.
The BRAD award, if granted to AU, will increase research capacity of African researchers and research output of Africa University to solve the many health problems faced by Africa. These require home-grown, evidence-based solutions from local researchers who understand the social context. This will result in the improved economic and social transformation for the people of Africa.
