Developing Comprehensive Research Support Services of College of Health Sciences

描述（由申请人提供）：研究是津巴布韦大学健康科学学院（UZCHS）学术和奖学金不可缺少的一部分。因此，加强研究是学院完全致力于的一项制度义务。一个有效的研究支持基地支持高技能和积极的研究人员的关键发展。缺乏制度性的研究支持结构已被认为是学院可持续研究能力发展的主要障碍。随着研究的国际化加剧了对有限的研究资金池的竞争，这一点变得更加明显。为了有效地竞争资金并确保研究质量，UZCHS需要发展其研究管理，为研究人员和学生提供良好的资助管理和支持，确保研究能力的再生。拟议的机构研究管理能力建设（IRAC）计划优先发展研究管理能力，作为更广泛的研究技能建设和对研究企业的支持的先决条件。这将主要通过加强研究支助中心（RSC）来实现，方法是培训校外助理和其他RSC和部门支助人员进行研究和补助金管理。该计划还包括为研究人员和学生提供培训和支持，以提高他们对研究的认识和欣赏，激发学生和初级教师的研究兴趣，并培养申请资助和进行研究的必要技能。RSC将协调各种活动，从拨款管理到临床试验支持、研究培训课程、数据管理和研究信息服务。该中心致力于确保拟议项目与学院其他研究和能力建设倡议的协同作用。咨询委员会的主要目标是：

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Research is an indispensible part of academia and scholarship for the University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences (UZCHS). Strengthening research is therefore an institutional obligation to which the college is fully committed. Criticalis development of highly skilled and motivated researchers backstopped by an effective research support base. Lack of an institutional research support structure has been recognized as a major barrier towards sustainable research capacity development in the college. This has become more evident as internationalization of research has increased competition for the limited pool of research funding. To effectively compete for funding and ensure quality research, the UZCHS needs to develop its research administration that will provide the base good grant management and support to researchers and students, ensuring the regeneration of research capacity. The proposed Institutional Research Administration Capacity Building (IRAC) Plan places priority on developing research administration capacity as a pre-requisite for broader research skills building and support for the research enterprise. This will be achieved primarily through the strengthening of a Research Support Centre (RSC) through training of the Extramural Associate and other RSC and departmental support staff in research and grants administration. The plan also includes the training and support for researchers and students to enhance awareness and appreciation of research, generate research interest in students and junior faculty, and develop requisite skills for grant application and conduct of research. The RSC will coordinate the various activities that will range from grant administration through clinical trials support, research training courses, data management and research information services. The UZCHS has committed to ensuring synergies of the proposed project with other research and capacity building initiatives in the college. The main objectives of the IRAC are to: Strengthen research administration through distance and residency training at NIH and other funding and research institutions; Strengthen grants administration through targeted training of RSC and other staff in the college; Strengthening the research information system at RSC to ensure effective identification of funding and training opportunities, timely provision and easy access to relevant research information; Enhancing the research knowledge and skills, especially of junior scientists through appropriate short research training course (grant writing, research methods, data management etc) thereby enhancing ability to develop good quality proposals and employ good research practices in implementing their projects; Strengthening the research governance framework in order to engender a culture of research; Providing data management and clinical trial support services; Reaching out to other organizations for establishment of networks of excellence in research administration. These objectives will be achieved through a variety of interlinked and synergistic activities that involve training, technicl support and provision of the necessary equipment. The IRAC is for a period of five years and is estimated to cost about $235,000.00. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Developing research administration capacity is critical for effective and sustainable overall research capacity building in the UZCHS. The capacity building will enable the college to create a culture of research underpinned by effective and efficient utilization of its human and material resources that will facilitate and sustain indigenous scientiic leadership that conducts nationally relevant research. This is imperative with the ever increasing shift by funding agencies from targeting individuals to rely more on institutional accountability o research funds.