APHRC Bespoke Training

In 2013, APHRC started a training program to expand the reach of its research capacity-strengthening mandate. The program was a response to an ever-increasing market demand for training focused on strengthening research, leadership, and management capacity in sub-Saharan Africa. The high demand for APHRC’s courses and available capacity, which includes an excellent pool of accomplished researchers and former university lecturers, is a rare but perfect skill-set that gives us a competitive edge.

Objectives

The training program aims to:

• Support research leaders in sub-Saharan Africa to become globally recognized experts in their respective fields;
• Support senior leadership at African institutions to lead and drive change within their organizations; and
• Equip faculty and administrators in African universities with research, leadership, and competencies. 

We meet this mandate by conducting short courses either as public offering or bespoke (tailor-made) for individual institutions. Examples of our signature courses include:

• Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
• Scientific Writing and Publishing
• Grants Proposal Writing
• Research Governance
• Quantitative Data Analysis and visualization using R
• Qualitative Data Analysis Using NVivo
• Implementation Research with Emphasis on Infectious Diseases

Outputs

• Between 2015 to 2019, we have conducted close to 40 short courses with over 800 participants from across the continent. 
• Our Training Program has grown over the years and we recently completed phase 1 of the Research Leadership and Training Center in Kitusuru, Nairobi, Kenya, also known as the Ulwazi Training and Residential Facility. Ulwazi provides facilities and a restaurant ideal for business meetings, product launch functions or seminars and holds up to 40 delegates. The new building has two one-bedroom apartments, eight studio apartments and 22 standard hotel rooms.
• We have existing relationships and strategic partnerships with government NGOs. These include the Commission for University Education (CUE) of Kenya, Inter-University Council of East Africa (IUCEA), Private University Research Consortium of Kenya (PURCK), Kenya School of Government, among others. 
• In 2018, APHRC was selected by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be a regional Human Reproductive Programme (HRP) Alliance Long-Term Institutional Development Hub (LID-HUB) for Anglophone Africa. The HRP Alliance is a WHO initiative that brings together institutions conducting research in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in collaboration with WHO regional and country offices. As a regional HRP Alliance hub, the APHRC’s Training Unit continues to engage in different activities aimed at strengthening the capacity of institutions to undertake implementation research and policy engagement in SRHR in Africa. 

Project duration

Start Date: 2013

End Date: Continuous subject to funding 

Project team

• Hesborne Wao
• Patrick Owili