Specialist training services

Tender description

The University of Southampton was awarded funding for a programme encompassing a range of activities including capacity and capability strengthening, partnership building and research. The programme, Building Research Capacity for sustainable water and food security in drylands of subSaharan Africa (BRECcIA) is proud to be part of this innovative research cohort. The overall aim of BRECcIA is to develop research capacity and strengthen existing research capabilities in 3 subSaharan countries (Kenya, Malawi, and Ghana) in the related areas of water and food security. The University of Southampton has been awarded funding for a programme encompassing a range of activities including capacity and capability strengthening, partnership building and research. The programme, Building Research Capacity for sustainable water and food security in drylands of subSaharan Africa (BRECcIA) is proud to be part of this innovative research cohort. The overall aim of BRECcIA is to develop research capacity and strengthen existing research capabilities in three subSaharan countries (Kenya, Malawi, and Ghana) in the related areas of water and food security. Working in close collaboration with the BRECcIA team, the partnering organisation will be critical to achieving the key elements of capability and capacity building aims of the grant; with the specific focus on assessment and capacity building in the area of research and innovation management. Activities affected by procurement: Work package 3 is critical to the aims of the GCRF (Global Challenges Research Fund) and spans all aspects of the BRECcIA programme including: research staff (from early career to Principal Investigator); key stakeholders in the field of water and food security; information flows between project partners; and future developments including policy formation, sustainable regional/community responses to water and food issues, and a specialised network of researchers and practitioners, as well as a research development framework for other institutions and programmes to use. The partnering organisation must have a framework or mechanism to specifically assess capability in research and innovation management, and to have a method of assessing needs and identifying gaps in these areas at the mico, meso and macro levels of 6 Higher Education Institutions across four countries. Please note: Organisations with commercially sensitive frameworks and needs assessment methods will not be considered for reasons in the PIN documents. These elements (an established framework, methods, and open access) are critical to BRECcIA: — BRECcIA extends across six Higher Education Institutions and several international organisations and NGOs located in Malawi, Kenya, Ghana and the UK. The prospective partner organisation, therefore, must have proven experience of operating within and establishing cross-national networks. — The partner organisation must have proven experience of working in African countries (it is desirable that this experience has been within sub-Saharan Africa), with a tangible knowledge and understanding of African research and funding culture(s), and able to negotiate across regional/national differences. Because of the time limitations on the funding and stage gate review in September, interested parties must be able work in the sub-Saharan African context immediately and without any preparation/lead up time. This element is critical to BRECcIA. — Interested organisations must be able to co-design capacity building approaches with other partners and provide training for a range of individuals involved in research and innovation management.