Capacity Building

The Centre's capacity strengthening strategy will run alongside the programme of high-quality research, with synergy between the research activities and learning opportunities provided. We are working on the following objectives:
To develop the research skills of local researchers and clinicians from Bolivia, Guatemala, and Colombia.
To develop a culture of sustained research within each of the partner institutions.
To investigate the best way to manage long-term conditions, including within indigenous communities, focusing on NCDs: Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD), Chronic Respiratory Diseases and Mental Disorders.
To identify health needs across indigenous and local communities in Bolivia, Guatemala, and Colombia respecting culture, local customs, and linking with traditional healthcare practices.
This will be achieved through a multiscale programme for capacity building which is divided in 4 phases:

PHASE 1: Exploratory

Knowledge generation and transfer will need collaboration between actors, including academia, clinicians, policymakers, and members of indigenous communities. To build relationships between partners from the Centre, establish a shared vision, link with local stakeholders, initiate the postgraduate training programme, and identify future research leaders, we will organise meetings and workshops centred on local research priorities. To address this objective, we will carry out the following activities:
  • a. Workshops sessions, communication plan and agreements between partners.
  • b. Short training sessions.
  • c. Characterise the health-related challenges face by indigenous communities.

PHASE 2: Formal training in health research and associated areas

During the workshops (phase 1), we will offer fellowships for individuals to be involved in Master’s Degree programs at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (PUJ). This will include Master’s in: i) Clinical Epidemiology, ii) biostatistics, iii) health economics or specialisation in health administration/ project manager.  Furthermore, up to 8 members of the Centre will be able to conduct a funded PhD, with support from UK-based academics and mentors. Towards the latter stage of Phase 2, we will also offer locally based Master’s degrees to individuals in Bolivia and Guatemala, working with the institutions to develop their training capacity. This will enable individuals, who may be unable, or may not wish to travel to Colombia to obtain higher research degrees. 

Postgraduate education – Master’s programmes 

The Faculty of Medicine and DECB has postgraduate research Master’s programmes related to clinical epidemiology, biostatistics, health economics, and public health, approved and certificated by the National Minister of Education.

PHASE 3: Producing high quality research evidence (medium term)

The Centre’s comprehensive capacity-strengthening programme uses a research-driven approach, where the research activities provide the framework and learning environment for the training strategy. The studies will consolidate learning from the taught courses and workshops. Experts in Colombia and the UK will provide supervision, leadership and mentoring, and promote expertise in statistics, epidemiology, primary care, health services research, and indigenous studies.

We will consolidate capacity strengthening activities through student projects and small-scale quality improvement work, testing effectiveness and implementation of appropriate interventions for indigenous people with middle and long-term health outcomes such as hypertension (HTA), obesity, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), alcohol abuse and depression as primary outcomes, into umbrella health research proposals conducted by trainees.

Phase 4. Research unit building and capacity strengthening

During this phase, we will train personnel in the other two research institutes in Bolivia and Guatemala in the administrative processes required to set up the capacity strengthening strategy and training unit.  Furthermore, we will guide all academic activities (e.g., programmes, workshops, training, instructors) to sustain and grow the Centre. Through a critical mass of researchers with regional and international collaborations, complementary skill sets, and top-level expertise to lead research groups and generate further funding, the Centre will provide relevant research evidence and influence policies to improve health and social outcomes for patients with NCDs. 

Training needs will be identified during the pre-grant set-up processes, including completion of the due diligence documents, and during the initial situation analysis. Training will be offered in person or via distance learning and will make use of the existing expertise of both QMUL and PUJ. Alongside developing institutional capacity, towards the latter stages of the Centre, we will specifically target training and capacity building activities at enabling institutions to be competitive within international research. This includes coordinating with the Early Career Researchers network, holding sessions on research grants and fellowships, hosting regional sandpit events to foster innovation and hosting grant writing seminars and weeks in both London and Colombia. The aim will be to enable ECRs and Mid-career researchers to obtain their own research funding to promote their careers within the Centre, as well as support the institutions more widely to continue to build their research capacity.

Capacity Building Strategy Map

Coming soon:

Read our full Education & Capacity Building Programme here