The role of mentoring in research ecosystems in Sub-Saharan Africa: Some experiences through the CARTA opportunity

Somefun, Oluwaseyi Dolapo; Adebayo, Kudus Oluwatoyin

doi:10.1080/17441692.2020.1776365

Cited by 12 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…This workshop report highlights some key prevailing barriers for EMCRs from LMICs, such as a lack of mentorship support, weak networks, and poor research/academic institutional support. Ongoing and successful strategies to build capacity, and provide mentorship and networks are commended [ 14 – 16 ]. These initiatives although few and far apart are paramount to learn from and build upon in order to strengthen them and develop sustainable impact.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Achieving equitable leadership in Global Health partnerships: barriers experienced and strategies to improve grant funding for early- and mid-career researchers

Chikwari,

Tadesse,

Shanaube

et al. 2024

BMC Global Public Health

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Calls to decolonize global health have highlighted the continued existence of colonial structures in research into diseases of public health importance particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). A key step towards restructuring the system and shaping it to local needs is equitable leadership in global health partnerships. This requires ensuring that researchers in LMICs are given the opportunity to successfully secure grant funding to lead and drive their own research based on locally defined priorities. In February 2022, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine hosted a workshop aimed at bringing together funders and early- and mid-career researchers (EMCRs) to identify funder initiatives that have worked to improve equitable leadership, to better understand barriers faced by researchers, and collectively brainstorm approaches to overcome these barriers. The workshop transcript was analyzed using a deductive thematic approach based on the workshop topic to identify key emerging themes. Barriers identified were the lack of individual and institutional level support and flawed funding structures for EMCRs in LMIC settings. Strategies on how equitable leadership can be further facilitated include institutional reforms for funders to facilitate equity, diversity, and inclusion in their partners through consultative engagement and in addition, reshaping how research priorities are defined; diversified funding streams for research organizations, building partnerships and dedicated funding for capacity building of EMCRs. Intentional advances to overcome funding barriers in global health speak directly to its decolonization. Urgently required and complex changes in practice must be intentional and do require uncomfortable shifts which will take time.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Achieving equitable leadership in Global Health partnerships: barriers experienced and strategies to improve grant funding for early- and mid-career researchers

Chikwari,

Tadesse,

Shanaube

et al. 2024

BMC Global Public Health

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“…Schriver and colleagues who studied the effect of twinning doctoral students of the University of Rwanda and Aarhus University in Denmark reported that twinning of PhD students led to successful completion of the programs with promotion of collaboration [ 20 ]. Thus, the cohort system, which promotes peer mentoring [ 21 ] provided a platform that is fostering deep interactions among the fellows, thereby giving extra support that has helped to keep fellows on track. It has also enabled the determination and encouragement to pursue quality research as well as timely completion of the program.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experiences of doctoral students enrolled in a research fellowship program to support doctoral training in Africa (2014 to 2018): The Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa odyssey

et al. 2021

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Background The Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) aims to transform higher education in Africa. One of its main thrusts is supporting promising university faculty (fellows) to obtain high quality doctoral training. CARTA offers fellows robust support which includes funding of their attendance at Joint Advanced Seminars (JASes) throughout the doctoral training period. An evaluation is critical in improving program outcomes. In this study; we, CARTA fellows who attended the fourth JAS in 2018, appraised the CARTA program from our perspective, specifically focusing on the organization of the program and its influence on the fellows’ individual and institutional development. Methods Exploratory Qualitative Study Design was used and data was obtained from three focus group discussions among the fellows in March 2018. The data were analyzed using thematic approach within the framework of good practice elements in doctoral training–Formal Research Training, Activities Driven by Doctoral Candidates, Career Development as well as Concepts and Structures. Results In all, 21 fellows from six African countries participated and all had been in the CARTA program for at least three years. The fellowship has increased fellows research skills and expanded our research capacities. This tremendously improved the quality of our doctoral research and it was also evident in our research outputs, including the number of peer-reviewed publications. The CARTA experience inculcated a multidisciplinary approach to our research and enabled significant improvement in our organizational, teaching, and leadership skills. All these were achieved through the well-organized structures of CARTA and these have transformed us to change agents who are already taking on research and administrative responsibilities in our various home institutions. Unfortunately, during the long break between the second and the third JAS, there was a gap in communication between CARTA and her fellows, which resulted in some transient loss of focus by a few fellows. Conclusion The CARTA model which builds the research capacity of doctoral fellows through robust support, including intermittent strategic Joint Advanced Seminars has had effective and transformative impacts on our doctoral odyssey. However, there is a need to maintain the momentum through continuous communication between CARTA and the fellows all through this journey.

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“…Research Training in Africa (Somefun & Adebayo, 2020). We also encourage researchers to be attentive to how debates about these issues are playing out in parallel disciplines.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Gendered conflict in the human family

2023

Self Cite

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Sexual conflict is a thriving area of animal behaviour research. Yet, parallel research in the evolutionary human sciences remains underdeveloped and has become mired by controversy. In this special collection, we aim to invigorate the study of fitness-relevant conflicts between women and men, advocating for three synergistic research priorities. First, we argue that a commitment to diversity is required to innovate the field, achieve ethical research practice, and foster fruitful dialogue with neighbouring social sciences. Accordingly, we have prioritized issues of diversity as editors, aiming to stimulate new connections and perspectives. Second, we call for greater recognition that human sex/gender roles and accompanying conflict behaviours are both subject to natural selection and culturally determined. This motivates our shift in terminology from sexual to gendered conflict when addressing human behaviour; countering stubborn tendencies to essentialize differences between women and men, and directing attention to the role of cultural practices, normative sanctions and social learning in structuring conflict battlegrounds. Finally, we draw attention to contemporary policy concerns, including the wellbeing consequences of marriage practices and the gendered implications of market integration. Focus on these themes, combined with attendance to the dangers of ethnocentrism, promises to inform culturally-sensitive interventions promoting gender equality worldwide.

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The role of mentoring in research ecosystems in Sub-Saharan Africa: Some experiences through the CARTA opportunity

Cited by 12 publications

References 15 publications

Achieving equitable leadership in Global Health partnerships: barriers experienced and strategies to improve grant funding for early- and mid-career researchers

Achieving equitable leadership in Global Health partnerships: barriers experienced and strategies to improve grant funding for early- and mid-career researchers

Experiences of doctoral students enrolled in a research fellowship program to support doctoral training in Africa (2014 to 2018): The Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa odyssey

Gendered conflict in the human family

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