LSTM’s Capacity Research Unit has expanded to become the Centre for Capacity Research. The new name reflects its continued growth, now employing 12 members of staff and 6 PhD students working across 15 projects, worth a joint total of approximately £3m in project funding. The team have been responsible for the publication of 27 journal articles since its formation in 2011.
The overall aim of the centre, which is headed by Professor Imelda Bates, is to improve the health, wellbeing and economic development in low and middle-income countries through the advancements of research capacity strengthening (RCS) science.
Professor Bates said: “The continued expansion of the team reflects the increasing importance of research capacity strengthening science. LSTM has a tradition of training the next generation of leaders in global health, and strengthening research systems will better enable those new leaders to address global health problems where they occur.”
The Centre for Capacity Research is committed to its underpinning theory of change which was designed collaboratively and in consultation with a wide range of research capacity strengthening stakeholders. With a team made up of researchers from a number multidisciplinary backgrounds, the Centre for Capacity Research works to four research capacity strengthening themes:
Science & Theory – To advance a common framework for implementation-focused research
Measurement & Evaluation – To develop and apply robust RCS evaluation methodologies and resources
Exploring the Consortium Paradigm – To enhance the effectiveness of the research consortia model as a means to strengthen research capacity in low and middle-income countries
Support at the Institutional Level – To maximise current RCS investments in institutional capacity strengthening through the identification and alleviation of barriers to capacity gain and / or through greater leveraging of existing resources or capacity ‘enablers’
The Centre for Capacity Research operates strategically in actively pursuing grants that align with its impact statements and bridging the gap between the demand for, and supply of, research into strengthening research capacity. Further information about the Centre, along with a full explanation of all of the activities and the unique 5-step approach to capacity strengthening, can be found here.