Collaborative Research Capacity Research Articles

Rethinking student teachers' professional learning in Wales: Promoting reflection‐in‐action

AbstractNearly forty years ago, Stenhouse argued that the function of the curriculum was to stimulate teachers' everyday reflection about and learning from practice. This suggestion, alongside his support for teachers as researchers, aligns with the Welsh Government's commitment to build an evidence‐informed profession as part of ongoing major education system‐level reforms, including the implementation of the new Curriculum for Wales from September 2022. University initial teacher education (ITE) partnerships are playing an important role in building collaborative research capacity. This paper describes a case study of one such partnership which aims to promote research‐informed, reflective practice among its postgraduate primary student teachers. We use one of Stenhouse's principles of empirical study to frame our discussion of how student teachers' reflective practice is supported through brief conversations with their teacher educators (mentors) during lessons. Using a mixed methods approach, the findings show that student teachers value in‐the‐moment feedback. The intervention also helps them to question aspects of teaching and learning, although such reflection is at a technical level. Our study is useful for teacher educators who are interested in supporting reflective practice through coaching and mentoring. It also cautions school leaders and policymakers implementing major curriculum reforms not to lose sight of Stenhouse's view that ‘it is teachers who, in the end, will change the world of the school by understanding it’. The paper concludes by discussing the research implications in shaping emerging practice and policy in the context of ongoing system‐level reform and curriculum implementation in Wales, with potential applicability and portability to other contexts and jurisdictions.

Building capacity for collaborative research between basic scientists and underrepresented communities in cancer research.

Basic science research is critical for understanding biological mechanisms essential to advances in cancer prevention, diagnoses and treatment. However, most of this research is conducted outside of the purview of community observation or input, leaving these research processes mysterious and subsequent findings disconnected from the communities they intend to benefit. This paper discusses strategies to build capacity for collaborations between basic scientists and Hispanic community members at the University of Arizona Cancer Center (UACC). Through partnership of the Cancer Biology Program and Office of Community Outreach and Engagement both at UACC, the Research Outreach for Southern Arizona (ROSA) program was developed as a way to forward the following strategies to build capacity for collaboration: forming a community working group, launching a community and student ambassador program, hosting scientific cafés and developing a community-based survey. The strategies underpinning the ROSA program have been integral in bridging dialogue between basic scientists and the community and fostering bidirectional learning opportunities. Each of the strategies presented have documented successes and based on the lessons learned, they have evolved into productive and integral parts of UACC's overall strategy of bridging scientific research and communities. While the strategies discussed are evolving, they help foster dialogue and exchange between basic scientists and community members that demystifies basic science research and facilitates culturally tailored approaches to address health disparities of vulnerable communities. These strategies also have the potential to shift cancer research into a paradigm that is more collaborative and transformative.

The Nigerian Environmental Epidemiology Accelerated Research Program (NEEAR): Evaluation of an Environmental Epidemiology Short Course for Nigerian Researchers

BACKGROUND AND AIM The Nigerian Environmental Epidemiology Accelerated Research (NEEAR) Program seeks to promote collaborative capacity and research development in environmental epidemiology in Nigeria. In 2021, a short course on environmental epidemiology was developed to strengthen the ability of Nigerian researchers to conduct environmental epidemiology research and thereby, to fill gaps in research capacity. METHODS The course was extensively advertised through social media and professional networks. Eligible applicants included Nigerian graduate students and scientists with degrees in Environment and Health related disciplines. Training was weekly 2-hour online sessions for 2 weeks and a 1-day in-person session in Nigeria. It included tutorial, videos, group work and hands-on exercises with faculty from Emory University USA and the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research. Session topics included study design, exposure assessment, data analysis, research ethics, and dissemination. A career talk and transferable skills sessions were also included. Pre- and post-session quizzes were administered during each session to assess whether the training improved participants’ understanding of the session topics. RESULTS A total of 240 Nigerian researchers applied to the program, of which 35 (15%) top applicants were invited. Short course participants were 47% female and 53% male, with 87% possessing postgraduate qualifications. The participants came from 8 states within Nigeria. There was a marked improvement in participants post-session quiz scores compared to scores from the beginning of the sessions. Participants feedback was very positive. There was clarity on how the training will be applied in their current studies or work. CONCLUSIONS The short course was impactful and fostered collaborative research capacity among Nigerian researchers. There is potential for more of such courses to be held due to the large number of eligible applications received. Future courses on intermediate/advanced epidemiology and biostatistics methods, internships and post-training connects are recommended. KEYWORDS Capacity development, Nigeria, collaborative research

Engaging Community Perceptions of Research in Rural West Virginia

The purpose of this study was to engage rural communities across West Virginia (WV) as stakeholders in the research process, thereby enhancing shared trust, understanding, and interest in research participation and partnership. In collaboration with the WV Practice-Based Research Network and Mountains of Hope Cancer Coalition, a statewide team of the Community Engagement and Outreach Core of the WV Clinical and Translational Science Institute traveled throughout rural WV in 2018, to facilitate community focus groups. The purpose of these focus groups was to gain in-depth insights into the perceptions, concerns, and priorities that West Virginians have about health and research. The information collected in these focus groups guided the development of community-tailored curriculum and policy briefs to better engage and equip rural residents and researchers as partners moving forward. This research demonstrates that community-centered organizations and academic institutions can learn and build upon community strengths and expertise to engage a skeptical citizenry, address misunderstandings, and cultivate collaborative research capacity that addresses local health issues and priorities.

Let nine universities blossom: opportunities and constraints on the development of higher education in China

ABSTRACT China’s pursuit of global superpower status compels the country to make coordinated efforts across numerous sectors. Global leadership in higher education is one example and provides a case study in how resource support and strategic vision can generate ‘quick wins’ in reputation and rankings. The ascendancy of Peking University, Tsinghua University and Fudan University, among others, has positioned China to attract top-tier faculty and supports local innovation ecosystems through collaborative research capacity. However, universities with global visibility account for only a fraction of China’s university enrollment, and reputational stagnation among universities outside the elite ‘C9 League’ has implications for regional economic development, geographic diffusion of innovation, and workforce competitiveness. This article offers explanations for why China has not developed a cadre of globally competitive non-elite universities in the same vein as many Western countries. Issues explored include the institutional and political contexts of university governance, national strategic focus on high-visibility institutions, near-exclusive emphasis on KPIs measured by university ranking indices, and concerns about academic freedom and their cooling effects on research and faculty recruitment.

Developing nurse educators’ research capacity in a resource-constrained environment

Despite concerted efforts through policy reforms, research training, and mentorship programmes, nursing research capacity remains low. This is particularly troublesome in resource -restrained environments. We launched an experiential and collaborative research capacity development programme with nurse educators at a university of technology. A Participatory Action Research approach was followed. This communication reports on the first two one-day cycles of the pilot programme at the main campus. Ten participants were divided into three small groups. In the first cycle, participants produced drawings of their research experience and research pathway while the second cycle concentrated on a collaborative data analysis session with a remix of the original team members. The programme had a positive impact on an inter-and intrapersonal level, as well as facilitating the acquisition of research skills of nurse educators. The programme can be enhanced through similar virtual exercises at remote campuses.

Building capacity for collaborative research on opioid and other substance use disorders through the Clinical and Translational Science Award Program.

The opioid crisis in the USA requires immediate action through clinical and translational research. Already built network infrastructure through funding by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) provides a major advantage to implement opioid-focused research which together could address this crisis. NIDA supports training grants and clinical trial networks; NCATS funds the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program with over 50 NCATS academic research hubs for regional clinical and translational research. Together, there is unique capacity for clinical research, bioinformatics, data science, community engagement, regulatory science, institutional partnerships, training and career development, and other key translational elements. The CTSA hubs provide unprecedented and timely response to local, regional, and national health crises to address research gaps [Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program, Center for Leading Innovation and Collaboration, Synergy paper request for applications]. This paper describes opportunities for collaborative opioid research at CTSA hubs and NIDA-NCATS opportunities that build capacity for best practices as this crisis evolves. Results of a Landscape Survey (among 63 hubs) are provided with descriptions of best practices and ideas for collaborations, with research conducted by hubs also involved in premier NIDA initiatives. Such collaborations could provide a rapid response to the opioid epidemic while advancing science in multiple disciplinary areas.

Learning to navigate and enriching the research process by engaging in a collaborative practice research capacity strategy

Engaging regulated health professionals in research is associated with greater service efficiencies and positive patient outcomes (reduced patient mortality and morbidity). This paper provides the results from a study undertaken to explore the perspectives and experiences of nurses and health disciplines participating in a collaborative practice based research (CPBR) capacity building educational program. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of nurses and other health disciplines in an interprofessional, collaborative research capacity building strategy. The interviews were analyzed using an inductive, thematic analysis process. Twelve members participating in the CPBR program who were female with 5 nurses, 3 occupational therapists, 2 social workers, 1 speech language pathologist and 1 research coordinator were recruited for the study. The following five themes emerged from the data: 1) learning to navigate the research landscape in a shared space; 2) providing an opportunity and support for interprofessional clinician driven research; 3) enriching the research process by engaging different professions to collaborate; 4) impacting current and future collaborative practice; and 5) keeping the momentum amidst experiencing challenges. Our study demonstrated the value of providing opportunity for nurses and health disciplines to engage in collaborative practice based research and undertake a project relevant to clinical practice that adds to the body of knowledge on the value of collaborative practice based research capacity building strategies and communities of practice.

The experiences of lecturers in African, Asian and European universities in preparing and delivering blended health research methods courses: a qualitative study

BackgroundGrowing demand for Global Health (GH) training and the internationalisation of education requires innovative approaches to training. Blended learning (BL, a form of e-learning combining face-to-face or real-time interaction with computer-assisted learning) is a promising approach for increasing GH research capacity in low- to middle-income countries. Implementing BL, however, requires additional skills and efforts from lecturers. This paper explores lecturers’ views and experiences of delivering BL courses within the context of two north–south collaborative research capacity building projects, ARCADE HSSR and ARCADE RSDH.DesignWe used a qualitative approach to explore the experiences and perceptions of 11 lecturers involved in designing and delivering BL courses collaboratively across university campuses in four countries (South Africa, Uganda, India and Sweden). Data were collected using interviews in person or via Skype. Inductive qualitative content analysis was used.ResultsParticipants reported that they felt BL increased access to learning opportunities and made training more flexible and convenient for adult learners, which were major motivations to engage in BL. However, despite eagerness to implement and experiment with BL courses, they lacked capacity and support, and found the task time consuming. They needed to make compromises between course objectives and available technological tools, in the context of poor Internet infrastructure.ConclusionsBL courses have the potential to build bridges between low- and middle-income contexts and between lecturers and students to meet the demand for GH training. Lecturers were very motivated to try these approaches but encountered obstacles in implementing BL courses. Considerable investments are needed to implement BL and support lecturers in delivering courses.

Assessment of the Building Collaborative Research Capacity Model: Bridging the community-academic researcher divide

Background: Community–based Participatory Research (CBPR) can be challenging when community leaders and academic researchers have not previously co-led research or worked together with established rules guiding their relationships, roles, and respective functions. The objective of this investigation was to assess the processes and outcomes of the Building Collaborative Research Capacity Grant Program, sponsored by the Community Engagement Research Program of The Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute and designed to foster CBPR.

Lessons Learned from Three Models that Use Small Grants for Building Academic-Community Partnerships for Research.

Despite the direct contribution of community-engaged research towards effective translation, establishing strong and sustained community academic research partnerships remains a challenge. The Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute's Community Engagement Research Program (CERP) has developed and implemented three models for using small grants to seed new community academic partnerships for research: 1) community-initiated health projects with faculty partners, 2) dissemination of discoveries to community partners, and 3) building collaborative research capacity. In this paper, we describe each model in terms of its purpose, funding level, funding period, proposal requirements, selection criteria and faculty involvement. Resulting partnerships are described, along with benefits and challenges from faculty and community perspectives, and lessons learned in using these mechanisms to promote community-engaged research. These models may aid others attempting to promote community-engaged research for the purpose of narrowing the gap between research, practice and ultimately, impact on community health.

A Model for Strengthening Collaborative Research Capacity

Community-engaged research is effective in addressing health disparities but may present challenges for both academic institutions and community partners. Therefore, the need to build capacity for conducting collaborative research exists. The purpose of this study is to present a model for building research capacity in academic-community partnerships. The Building Collaborative Research Capacity Model was developed as part of the Community Engagement Research Program (CERP) of the Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute (ACTSI). Six domains of collaborative research capacity were identified and used to develop a model. Inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes of building collaborative research capacity are described. To test this model, a competitive request for applications was widely distributed and four community-based organizations were funded to participate in a 2-year program with the aim of conducting a pilot study and submitting a research proposal for funding to National Institutes of Health or another major funding agency. During the first year, the community-based organization partners were trained on conducting collaborative research and matched with an academic partner from an ACTSI institution. Three of the academic-community partnerships submitted pilot study results and two submitted a grant proposal to a national agency. The Building Collaborative Research Capacity Model is an innovative approach to strengthening academic-community partnerships. This model will help build needed research capacity, serve as a framework for academicians and community partners, and lead to sustainable partnerships that improve community health.

Competitive Adaptation: Biobanking and Bioethical Governance in China Medical City

The role of the state in genomic innovation in relation to global life science competition is central to understanding the moral economy of bioethics. This article asks how in China the adoption of research regulation is balanced with global competition in genomics. I argue that “competitive adaptation” plays an important role. The concept refers to a mode of innovation that reworks bioethics in a way that avoids a loss of competitiveness. In contrast with neoliberal views that claim a correlation between the devolution of state responsibilities and an increase in individual choice and responsibilization, I maintain that political strategies, older notions of scientific progress, and nation-state ideologies continue to play major roles, too. In the assessment of China's collaborative research capacity, China's political, academic, and social institutional history is largely ignored, and the ability of society to adapt to first-world standards and bioethical institutions to function without major investment is uncritically assumed. Missing in this analytical field is a discussion of the strategic adoption of bioethics, the meaning it acquires in science collaboration, and its relation to both international scientists and local populations. The case study of the Taizhou biobank serves to exemplify competitive adaptation occurring where the application of alien standards is imposed.

Developing the capacity of researchers for collaborative working

PurposeThe complexities and challenges inherent in research often require collaborative rather than solitary or team‐based forms of working. This paper seeks to open new perspectives onto the nature of collaborative research and onto strategies for developing the capacity of researchers to engage in it.Design/methodology/approachThe paper outlines a speculative model of collaborative working in higher education that is rooted in critical realist perspectives, using it to ground a conceptual analysis of a stage model of expertise for collaborative working taken from the researcher development framework (RDF) developed in the UK by the organisation Vitae.FindingsThe paper highlights the contribution that theory can make to the practice of researcher development, drawing out the relevance of personal engagement, professional dialogue and collaborative vehicles to support shared practice in pursuit of mutual goals. In this way, it identifies gaps within the stage model that pertain to relational, disciplinary, situational and other elements. The paper articulates insights for the development of the capacity of researchers for collaborative working that prioritise dialogue that is situated within given contexts for research. The analysis draws out implications for the development of collaborative capacity of such notions as corporate agency and collaborative reach.Originality/valueThis paper articulates a novel approach to conceptualising capacity for collaborative research and offers a theoretical critique of a given descriptor taken from Vitae's RDF. As such it assists in developing the scholarly basis for the field of researcher development.

Building Ethical Capacity for Collaborative Research

Researchers collaborate for a number of reasons: clarify questions, sharpen arguments, influence practice, and many others. That said, collaborations—especially those that go beyond parallel writing on a single topic—bring normative frameworks into conflict. Values infuse the voluntary sector, nonprofit organizations, and our research on both, yet it is far from clear how we go about managing normative claims as a positive resource. This article discusses a process for developing moral pluralism into ethical capacity that advances collaborative work. The process consists of three cumulative stages: diagnosis, description, and mutual accommodation. The ethical capacity generated in these stages is not extrinsic but internal to collaboration. It allows us to develop and sustain the intellectual spaces in which assets and limitations interact to create knowledge that cannot be created by individuals working alone.

Eclecticism Is Not a Free Good: Barriers to Knowledge Development in Social Work

Level of paradigm development has numerous consequences for a field of study, affecting its ability to obtain resources, its level of autonomy, and its capacity for collaborative research. In turn, these consequences perpetuate a field's status as more or less well developed. Evidence shows that social work is not well developed paradigmatically. Its dependence on other fields for abstract knowledge, its diffuse cognitive authority, and disincentives to engage in field-specific knowledge development magnify the advantages other fields have in the contest for resources and scientific legitimacy. I illustrate one possible way to overcome these disadvantages by defining a problematic for social work and by showing how such a problematic could be used to construct an abstract body of knowledge based on a social ecology of caring.