Building Sustainable Research Capacity: Our Model for Equitable Knowledge Production

African research institutions have long confronted the challenge of dependence on foreign donors, a dynamic that often constrains research agendas and undermines local ownership. Our organization has pioneered an approach to capacity building that emphasizes institutional sustainability, researcher autonomy, and community-centered inquiry. We have invested in training local researchers in advanced methodologies, established peer review and mentorship systems, and created pathways for early-career scientists to lead their own investigations. Our infrastructure includes a biostatistics unit, qualitative research laboratory, data management systems compliant with international standards, and ethics review capacity. We are seeking partnerships that respect our intellectual contributions as equals, provide fair authorship and recognition, invest in our institutional growth, and support publication in both international and regional journals. Potential collaborators will find in us partners who bring methodological rigor, cultural competence, strong community ties, and commitment to research that addresses real-world problems facing Kenyan and African communities. We are particularly interested in multi-country consortia, training exchanges, joint grant applications, and co-supervision of graduate students. Our vision is a research ecosystem where knowledge flows in multiple directions and African researchers shape global scientific discourse.

Citations:

• Nature Correspondence. (2026). African science needs to cut reliance on foreign donors. Nature. Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00263-y