Duration: 2023 - 2025

Partner country: Namibia

Partner institution: Health Information and Research Directorate (HIRD), Namibia

Involved RKI unit: ZIG 2

Modules:

1. Online and offline training on public health research methods
2. Joint supervision of Master’s projects
3. Pilot research projects on public health topics of local importance
4. Joint development of an international grant proposal for submission to an external funder

Latest updates:

• RKI running second face-to-face workshop in applied public health research in Namibia
• RKI launches training programme in Applied Public Health Research in Namibia

Challenges addressed by the project

The production of high-quality evidence to support public health policy-making that improves health in local contexts is vital for international health protection. Research capacity is essential for the early identification of health threats and a country’s ability to learn from ongoing health problems and public health interventions. Existing collaboration with GHPP partners has identified untapped potential for improving such public health research capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa. Particular gaps exist regarding strategic competence in public health research methods, grant writing and research dissemination. GHPP partners thus currently do not manage to fulfil their full potential regarding bridging the research-practice gap and acting as key partners for Germany in global health research.

Objectives

CARE aims at building capacity in applied public health research and at strengthening South-South research collaboration between key GHPP partner institutions in Africa. Capacity will be built in all aspects of the public health research cycle, with a particular focus on research methods, grant writing, and research dissemination.

CARE is primarily targeted at the Ministry of Health in Namibia as a core GHPP partner country, and secondarily at staff from other GHPP partner institutions who work in public health and related fields in Africa. To enhance sustainability and independence, the project operates as a partnership aimed at co-production and co-delivery of capacity building activities and the development of communities of practice. CARE is thus in line with Germany’s commitment to stimulate structural improvement and support partner countries in strengthening global health research outlined in the Federal Government’s Strategy for Global Health.

Overview of activities

The project consists of four components: (1) online and offline training on public health research methods, (2) joint supervision of Master’s projects, (3) pilot research projects on public health topics of local importance, and (4) joint development of an international grant proposal for submission to an external funder.

1. The training on applied public health research methods includes a comprehensive in-person and online training curriculum on all aspects of the public health research cycle. The training will run over the course of 2.5 years and is aimed at strategic competence development and increased networking among researchers working on public health projects in GHPP partner countries.
2. The joint supervision of Master’s projects aims at supporting students in developing strategic competence in public health research and building networks among early career researchers. It also aims at facilitating mutual learning between senior staff at RKI and HIRD in supervising and mentoring research students. Staff from RKI, HIRD and local universities in Namibia will jointly co-supervise students who are completing their Master’s theses on a public health-related topic at a Namibian university.
3. The third component comprises the completion of pilot research projects based on a competitive call for proposals which will be open for applications from institutions from all GHPP partner countries in Africa. This component aims at facilitating the development and implementation of research projects by local researchers which address locally relevant public health challenges.
4. The joint development of a grant proposal for submission to external funding bodies is aimed at developing strategic competence in applied public health research among researchers in Africa by jointly working on the development of grant proposals for a large scale, international research project that will be submitted to an external funding body.