Introduction

1. THE ROLE OF ARAA IN INSTITUTIONS IN AFRICAPresented byEsther Mwaikambo MDHubert Kairuki Memorial University

2. Introduction a)Greetings from HKMU b) Appreciation for the invitation to this meeting c) Recognition and commendation for thinking of establishing this kind of an association

3. What I consider to be the role of ARAA • Research in Africa is about research implementation in a unique African setting, African environment. • Who is the implementer? - African Researchers, the African administrators and others • I concur with the two Goals of ARAA as listed under the strategic plan, particularly the 2nd Goal of an “African Ownership.” • Africa is a big continent with many countries at a different level of development. For that matter, there are many problems and challenges facing research in Africa. A lot of them are related to our diverse culture, traditions and beliefs. Which must be understood well before they can be addressed to give way for research to be administered harmoniously.

4. What I consider to be the role of ARAA • ARAA can prioritize issues/ challenges. • Prioritizing challenges:   - The emergency challenges (that need immediate attention) - The priority challenges that need to be attended as quick as possible - And those issues that are challenges but can be tackled when funds are available. • Without people no research whether administered or un administered.

5. What I consider to be the role of ARAA • Research administration focus is research capacity building. • There are so many ways that ARAA could assist its members - At this early juncture of this ARAA I think we should start by considering to First address the three major issues of research capacity: 1. Human resource for research – develop and promote personnel with research knowledge and skills to be able to write fundable proposals and be competently administer ed. 2. To lobby for some means of retaining these good researchers to remain as researchers.   3. Provide and or improve research facilities including premises where necessary, equipments and supplies wherever required. 4. Financial support to be able to conduct research without many worries. 5. ARAA should assist members through lobbying to the institutions and even governments for recognition of Research as an important arm of local institutions.

6. How do I see the role of ARAA. • A forum where we can meet and exchange idea on administration of research, the challenges, failures and achievements. Why? Because African institutions are the implementers and should be well knowledgeable of our environment, culture, beliefs and tradition within which the research is taking place. • The ideas for research mostly originate from our counterparts, from our sponsors, and yet these people do not know or are not conversant with the setting where it will be implemented. Egypt, Morocco, S.Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria are all in Africa but behave differently. We may have the same diseases like malaria or schistomiasis but the settings are totally different. • We are the people who know the settings and therefore need to be involved in all these requirements:

7. Challenges we face • The demands from the sponsors, NIAD, PPD are high. They are good. Some are achievable, some with a lot of constraints • The Human resource is Africa is very poor. • Competition for the good people is very high • Moonlighting by the well trained people is the order. • Researchers are not well compensated for   • The demand for research administration is becoming higher and higher. • We spend hours and hours to try and follow up issues • Ethical clearances • Monitoring from PPD • Quality control • Quality assurance issues for laboratory and • Financial administration • Dealing with IATA and FedEx • Tax exemption etc. • Dealing with the GCP, GLP, Data management etc