From African scientists to a self-sustaining research ecosystem
What does it take to build research capacity that lasts beyond a single project or funding cycle?
At the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Scientific Summit in New York, Professor Katharina Kranzer presented the Southern Africa Research Capacity Network (SOFAR), the Global Health EDCTP3 flagship capacity-building programme supporting African researchers across Zimbabwe , Zambia and Mozambique .
At the heart of SOFAR is a simple idea: invest in people, and create the conditions for that investment to multiply.
SOFAR supports researchers across different stages of their careers — from MSc researchers and PhD candidates to Postdoctoral, mid-career and senior researchers — recognising that career development does not happen through a qualification alone.
The programme combines five pillars of capacity strengthening:
Protected research time and budgets
Tailored training
Supervision and mentorship
Strategic networking
Communication for impact
Together, these create an environment in which fellows can develop as scientists, collaborators, communicators, mentors and future research leaders.
And the ambition goes beyond individual career progression.
An MSc researcher progresses to doctoral training. A PhD researcher develops into a postdoctoral scientist. Postdoctoral and established researchers take on greater leadership, supervision and mentorship roles. Knowledge and experience are transferred to the next generation, strengthening the institutions and research cultures in which they work.
This creates a self-reinforcing cycle of research capacity — where today's researchers become tomorrow's supervisors, mentors and research leaders.
For SOFAR, capacity strengthening is therefore not simply about producing more qualifications. It is about supporting African scientists to grow, connecting them to one another, strengthening the institutions around them and creating research ecosystems capable of sustaining excellence and innovation.
The work is rooted in Southern Africa, but the research questions and impact reach far beyond the region — contributing African expertise and evidence to the global infectious diseases research agenda.
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