INDEPTH Cross-Centre Capacity Strengthening Seed Grants Programme

The INDEPTH Secretariat will award two one-year seed grants, totalling $50,000 per year up to ($25,000 per grant), on a competitive basis for multi-centre proposals.

Eligible proposals should:

• involve at least three HDSSs
• have a research agenda showing how to take advantage of the cross-centre design; and
• an immediate and longer-term plan for building scientific capacity.

The programme will also support international exchange and co-operation and facilitate comparative studies and methodological development.  The programme will mainly serve to initiate and only partially support project activities. A core funding and cost-sharing plan (drawing on other resources) therefore has to be specified by the applicants.

For research training activities, the programme will facilitate cross-centre activities, training courses and supervision as well as support joint proposal writing activities.

The grant will be awarded to one site for cross-centre activities involving at least three sites.

Although collaborations across countries are highly encouraged, sites within the same country may also apply.

Illustrative Activities

In line with the objectives of this programme, awardees would be expected to undertake capacity strengthening activities such as but not limited to the following:

A. HDSS Data

Data Managers

HDSSs require much work to share their data effectively, efficiently and accurately. The successful centres would be required to organise workshops for their data managers to provide a forum that will facilitate sharing of experiences, solutions, and other related issues to ensure that the data is readily provided for network-level activities. Key objectives would be:

• Capacity strengthening for Data Managers at INDEPTH member centres;
• Strengthen and share good practices within the Network;
• Improve communication between and among Data Managers;
• Improve communication between the Secretariat and Data Managers in order to enhance Network activities; and
• Promotion of site visibility and information dissemination through websites.

Generating and Sharing HDSS Data

The successful centres would be required to develop/strengthen capacities in various issues related to data systems. Efficient handling of the complex data generated HDSS is an important factor for sites to produce good quality data. The centres would also be required to engage in the discussion on dissemination of the generated HDSS data.

Improving Data Quality

The successful centres would be required to engage in training activities that would enable them maintain high quality data systems with efficient mechanisms for extracting that data.

B. Scientific Writing

HDSSs generate relevant population-based data that must be analysed and published. The successful centres would be required to help their young scientists publish their work in international peer-reviewed journals. Specifically, the objectives could be to:

-  help scientists in INDEPTH member centres develop the ability to communicate their thoughts effectively through writing;

-   build skills for writing in peer-reviewed journals;

-   understand how the peer-review process works and to gain some experience of peer-review on own writing;

-  facilitate peer-review and feedback on a set of HDSS focused papers among developing country researchers and practitioners; and

-   contribute to collaborative research for higher degrees.

C. Proposal Development

The successful centres would get their scientists to develop grant proposals that are capable of attracting funding from the donor community.

D. Methods Standardisation/Harmonisation

The successful centres would be required to participate in activities to continually improve and standardise/harmonise the methods and technologies used by INDEPTH centres to ensure all participating groups have access to the most valid and appropriate methodologies available.