Science Granting Councils Initiative’s PPP Project Promotes Cooperation for Shared Access to Research Facilities

Access to and sharing of scientific research facilities, such as laboratories, experimental farms, and space launch installations, are essential for modern scientific inquiry. In the 21st century, the specialized and sophisticated research infrastructure required for cutting-edge research is often prohibitively expensive, making it difficult for individual institutions to acquire and maintain on their own. In addition, research and academic institutions tend to acquire these advanced research facilities and equipment at different times. Furthermore, most research and academic institutions in sub-Saharan Africa lack their own searchable databases of research facilities and equipment, and the up-to-date status of the available facilities across institutions is unknown. This has led to disparities in the availability and accessibility of research facilities within and across institutions.

These persistent disparities necessitate the development of research facilities and equipment-sharing guiding frameworks, policies, protocols, and a digital searchable platform for research and academic institutions. By promoting the sharing of research facilities and equipment, we can address these challenges through cost-sharing, improving resource utilization, and reducing the need for researchers to seek resources outside their countries and the African continent. This approach also fosters collaboration and knowledge exchange among researchers and institutions. Additionally, access to well-maintained, professionally operated facilities saves researchers time and money by eliminating the need for extensive equipment training.Sharing research facilities significantly impacts intellectual property (IP) development. Innovations and inventions rely on scientific skills and access to advanced research facilities and equipment. By sharing research facilities and equipment, we avoid resource duplication, ensuring funds are used effectively to acquire a diverse range of necessary infrastructure. This cost-effective approach supports national research and development (R&D) by providing comprehensive access to state-of-the-art facilities. This also aligns well with the principles of inclusivity and open science.

Despite these benefits, research facility sharing in Sub-Saharan Africa is limited due to various factors, including nonexistent or suboptimal frameworks such as institutional policies and signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), conflicting stakeholder expectations, regulatory hurdles, intellectual property concerns, and financial considerations. Furthermore, the need for efficient resource allocation and scheduling is essential to avoid conflicts and ensure fair access to facilities. Financial considerations also play a significant role, as clear agreements on cost-sharing, maintenance, and operational expenses are necessary to prevent disputes and maintain long-term sustainability.
In the context of the Science Granting Councils, it is critical to ensure that there are effective frameworks to guide the sharing of research facilities and equipment within and between institutions and guidelines for drafting MoUs and various policies promoting infrastructure sharing.

Objective 5 under theme 6 of the current phase of the SGCI project aims to support councils in customizing and implementing an infrastructure sharing protocol. This builds upon the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST)’s earlier work of developing ‘Technomart’, an online platform designed to facilitate research infrastructure sharing, collaboration, and enhanced peer-to-peer learning. To ensure the Technomart’s effectiveness, an enabling environment and institutional level governance structures are necessary to promote the sharing of research infrastructures through the platform.

The Association of African Universities (AAU) in collaboration with the UNCST, is implementig objective 5 of the SGCI PPP project in a bid to strengthen research infrastructure management using the Technomart. As a centralized digital repository of research and development (R&D) equipment and facilities, Technomart aims to improve discoverability and accessibility of research equipment and facilities, encourage and support the sharing of research resources within and between institutions across the SGCI participating countries, and foster collaboration through building a network for knowledge exchange and partnership among others.

Capacity building of Council Team Members
In August 2024, the Association of African Universities, in collaboration with the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology and the Scinnovent Centre organised a workshop in Malawi that sought to promote the adoption and implementation of an infrastructure sharing protocol and the Technomart platform to encourage the efficient utilization of available research and innovation infrastructure. This workshop was hosted by the National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST), Malawi, at the Sunbird Lilongwe Hotel in Malawi as part of the Scinnovent Centre’s Methodology Training Workshop on Developing Institutional IP Policies and Strategies. About 30 participants (of mixed gender) from the SGCI-participating countries—Botswana, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe—were in attendance.
Also in attendance were representatives of public and private research institutes, representatives of public and private universities, policymakers in government, and representatives of intellectual property offices, among others. The recent workshop on research facility sharing brought together key stakeholders to address challenges and develop strategies for cooperation. Drawing inspiration from the Model Cooperation Protocol, participants discussed best practices and shared experiences to improve collaboration among researchers, institutions, funders, and Science Granting Councils.

The workshop yielded significant outcomes, including discussing actionable strategies and recommendations for enhancing cooperation and minimizing conflicts in research facility sharing. Participants also gained increased awareness of the infrastructure sharing protocol and the Technomart platform, which is expected to promote a culture of collaboration and shared responsibility in utilizing research facilities. Furthermore, the workshop identified common challenges and best practices in developing and implementing MOUs for research facility sharing, providing valuable insights for future collaborations. It marked a significant step towards fostering cooperation and optimizing research infrastructure utilization, facilitated by strong and effective Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) among involved partners.