Abstract:
Since Mozambique’s independence, the major emphasis of its higher educational institutions has
been on didactic education. Because of fiscal and human resource constraints, basic and applied research activities
have been relatively modest in scope, and priorities have often been set primarily by external collaborators. These
factors have compromised the scope and the relevance of locally conducted research and have limited the impact
of Mozambique’s universities as major catalysts for national development.We developed a multi-institutional partnership to undertake a comprehensive analysis of the
research environment at Mozambique’s major public universities to identify factors that have served as barriers to
the development of a robust research enterprise. Based on this analysis, we developed a multifaceted plan to
reduce the impact of these barriers and to enhance research capacity within Mozambique.On the basis of our needs assessment, we have implemented a number of major initiatives within
participating institutions to facilitate basic and applied research activities. These have included specialized training
programmes, a reorganization of the research administration infrastructure, the development of multiple
collaborative research projects that have emphasized local research priorities and a substantial investment in
bioinformatics. We have established a research support centre that provides grant development and management
services to Mozambique’s public universities and have developed an independent Institutional Review Board for the
review of research involving human research subjects. Multiple research projects involving both communicable and
non-communicable diseases have been developed and substantial external research support has been obtained to
undertake these projects. A sizable investment in biomedical informatics has enhanced both connectivity and
access to digital reference material. Active engagement with relevant entities within the Government of
Mozambique has aligned institutional development with national priorities.Although multiple challenges remain, over the past 3 years significant progress has been made towards
establishing conditions within which a broad range of basic, translational and clinical and public health research can be
undertaken. Ongoing development of this research enterprise will enhance capacity to address critical locally relevant
research questions and will leverage resources to accelerate the development of Mozambique’s national universities.
