The field research for the first phase of the stakeholder consultation exploring the opportunities and constraints to research capacity building in the 13 partner universities – nine in Ireland, four in Africa – was conducted over the period May to September 2008. This unprecedented exercise involved individual interviews and group interviews and workshops with 312 senior academics and administrators in the partner universities.

The interim report detailing the findings from this research, by IAP researchers Dr Eimear Barrett (Queen’s University Belfast) and Dr Mary Goretti Nakabogo (Mary Immaculate College, Limerick), is available as Research Capacity within IAPRCB Partner Institutions: An Interim Report on the findings of the First Phase of the IAPRCB Stakeholder Consultation (October 2008, Draft) Further research exploring key constraints in more detail – and also involving consultation with relevant policy-makers – will be conducted from May to December 2009.