ODA Research Management Capacity Strengthening

International research collaboration is a strategic priority for the British Academy, however, support for such collaboration is often focused solely at a researcher level without considering the wider context in which research and research collaboration take place, particularly within and between institutions involved in research projects. This can hinder effective collaboration and counteract equitability of partnerships.

Weak organisational research management is a major obstacle to flourishing research environments. Institutions are, however, the foundation from which research is built. Circumventing them will not help to create sustainable and productive research cultures. Research requires good institutional policy environments and cultures of management that create the conditions and set the rules and procedures which enable research to take place and for how researchers can collaborate internationally. Consequently, research management has to be embedded in and supported through the wider institutional context.

This call aims to reach beyond individual capacity and skills development to achieve sustainable transformation at an institutional level.

The primary intended outcome of this programme is to enhance the capabilities of institutions in Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Philippines, South Africa, Turkey, Thailand, Vietnam and/or Least Developed Countries and UK-based institutions to overcome systemic barriers of working across borders and to embed the resulting best practise within the institutions to support sustained, equitable, international research collaboration. Emphasis is placed on activities that enable sustainable change that continues well beyond the life of the award in institutions, including the development and implementation of policy frameworks or training programmes, for both UK and overseas institutions bearing in mind that these are likely to need to reach beyond research offices. It is understood that needs of partner institutions might differ, and projects should reflect this.