Enhancing Policy environment and Mechanisms to support research translation

Dr. Eng. Ahmed HAMDYAfrican Union

Scientific, Technical and Research Commission

• What is research translation • Problem statement • Why• what are the challenges • preliminary policy analysis (on research

translation) • Stakeholders for research translation • Identification of pillars and sub-pillars • Identification policy/strategy arrangements• Identification of infrastructure; systems and mechanisms

• Observations.

It is a relatively new field, an exact definition is difficult to achieve

The USA National Institute of Health (NIH) defines translational researchas the movement of discoveries in basic research to application at theclinical level.

S.H. Woolf (2008 and 2015), defines translational research as ‘the “ frombench to bedside” i.e. enterprise harnessing knowledge from basicsciences to produce new drugs, devices and treatment options forpatients.”

What is research translation ?

Transfer of new understandings of disease

mechanisms from the laboratory into the

development of new methods for diagnosis,

therapy, prevention, and their first testing in humans

Translation of results from clinical studies into

everyday clinical practice and health decision-making

Cont. What is research translation ?

Improved

Health

Two steps translation model

Problem statement?

There is a failure to translate research into practice and policy. As of that patientsfail to benefit from the advances in healthcare and they are exposed tounnecessary risks while healthcare systems are exposed to unnecessaryexpenditure. (Grimshaw, et al. 2012).

LEE Jong-wook ; WHO Director General Stated thatThere is a gap between today’s scientific advances and their application: betweenwhat we know and what is actually being done. Health work teaches us thataction without knowledge is wasted effort, just as knowledge without action iswasted resource

Bridging the know-do gap is one of the most important challenges for publichealth in this century; WHO 2005

Medical scientists and public health policy makers are concerned that thescientific discoveries of the past generation are falling to be translated efficientlyinto tangible human benefit. (Sung, 2009)

Is it a new problem

Not at all

In 1936 W. Hughes the Commonwealth Minister for Health; Stated :Research must be actively pursued and developed and as fast as new knowledge isacquired it must be applied .

Why this problem does exist ?

high costs slow resultslack of facilities or equipment

lack of funding regulatory obstacles

fragmented infrastructure career insecurity practitioners burn out

Ineffective research regulation and management

incompatible databases and information on the beneficiary needs

IP issues shortage of qualified investigators

week participation by the stakeholders conflict of interest

Weak or insufficient communications

gaps between research evidence and policies

inadequate knowledge management and translation systems

Generally Clinical research is increasingly burdened by

Ch

alle

nge

s

• public participation,• information systems,• workforce training,• Regulations and Standardization,• Funding ,and• others

Policy environment and Mechanisms to support research translation

Wh

y th

is p

rob

lem

physical infrastructure

Systems

Mechanisms etc

etc

etc

Strategic goal (from bench to bedside)

stak

eho

lder

s

Research translation

Enhancing/building research infrastructureEnhancing technical and professional

competenciesEnabling Environment

sub-pillar sub-pillar sub-pillar sub-pillar sub-pillarsub-pillar

Stakeholders

Consumers/research participant

Professionals

National policy makers

Local administration

Regulatory bodies

Industry

Researchers/ educators

Funders

Stakeholder analysis

Analysis of three pillars

Research Translation Pillars

1. Research Infrastructure2. Technical/Professional

Competence3. Enabling Environment

• Strengthen existing R&D Institutions on the National level

• Establish new National R&D institutions in the priority sectors

• Encourage Private Sector to establish new R&D facilities

• Encourage Private Sector to establish Universities/ Higher Education Institution

• Promote Sciences parks

• Build critical mass of practitionersMD, M.Scs. & Ph.Ds.

• Promote Technology transfer & Acquisition

• Build lifelong learning

• Promote Knowledge exchange and brain circulation

• Develop advocacy programmesand outreach at all levels

• Innovation capacity building

• Entrepreneurship capacity building

• Development of Integrated market

• Financial support research translation

• Advocacy & communication

• Financial instruments for entrepreneurship establishments

• Setting up a comprehensive IP system

• Development of policies/strategies that correlated to pillars 1 & 2

Using problem Tree methodology each of the Research translation pillars were

analysed and the needed sub-pillars were identified to ensure that they are in place to

achieve the required output and ultimately to address the Research translation goal.

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1- Predefined sub-pillars were examined and analysed using problem Tree

methodology to identify policy/strategy arrangements that needed in

place to strengthen the three pillars and ultimately contributes to

research translation.

Analysis of the predefined sub-pillars

Policy/Strategy Aim Objectives

Investment Policy on

R&D Infrastructures

To build and Strengthen

existing R&D

infrastructures in MS

Higher Education

institutions and research

facilities

Encourage and facilitate

the establishment of

private R&D institutions

and facilities

Improve national budgetary allocation for R&D infrastructure

Maximize the use of existing infrastructure

Promote R&D agreements between private enterprises and

national research centres

Create an enabling/encouraging environment for private sector

investment on Universities and Higher Education institutions

Facilitate Regulation on the establishment of privet

Universities and Higher Education institutions

Promote standardization and quality control systems for

private Universities and Higher Education institutions

Science Parks Promotion

Policy

Encourage the establishment

of thematic science parks

Leverage the entrepreneurship at National and Regional levels

Building the National and Regional entrepreneurship capacity

Attract more foreign direct investments

Extending the local/regional market size

Incubate innovations and inventors

Create wealth

Policy/strategy Aim Objectives

Reviews on National

Higher Education

Policies

To introduce creative thinking

and Innovation capacity

building to the Education

System in all levels

Build critical mass of MSc’s & PhDs

Promote HR mobility between industry and academia

To develop innovative thinkers and inventors

To develop competitive work force for the market

Strategies on Lifelong

Learning

Improve the competitiveness

of professionals and

practitioners

Improve the scales of professionals and practitioners to

address the translation issues

Develop mentor-training systems

Ensure that health care providers are educated in applying

clinical evidence to clinical practice and decision making

Extend the national benefit from existing work force

To develop mechanisms for collecting data on training

programmes outcome

Promote career development, direction, and change/adaptation

Extending Job market size and wealth creation

Strategies on Knowledge

Exchange and Brain

Circulation

Introducing new and up-to-

date knowledge to the

practitioners and ultimately to

boost the know-do process

Introduce a new dimension of cooperation and mutual benefit

of the Health research committee.

Foster knowledge production and sharing

Facilitate access to accurate and up-to-date information

Bridge the Scientific community and introducing a new

dimension of brain circulation

Promote publication sharing and open access.

Strategy on Enhancing

Public Participation

in Clinical Research

Standardizing

and Streamlining the

Regulatory Process

Maintain participant protection and to maintain an appropriate

level of privacy

Provide a mechanism whereby information can be accessed by

professionals

2- Predefined sub-pillars were examined using finite element analysis exercisewhere the challenges were considered as the boundary conditions to identifythe Physical Infrastructure; Systems; and mechanisms needed by each sub-pillars.

Enhancing/building research infrastructure

Strengthen existing R&D

Institutions on the National level

Promote Sciences parks

Encourage Private Sector to establish

Universities/ Higher Education

Institution

Encourage Private Sector to establish new R&D facilities

Establish new National R&D

institutions

physical infrastructure

Systems

Mechanisms

Analysis output for pillar 1

Research Infrastructure (pillar 1)

sub-pillar Physical Infrastructure Systems Mechanisms

Strengthen existing

National R&D

Institutions

Existing Universities,

Polytechnic, Research

Institutions and Centres

Investment policy on

R&D infrastructures

Improved budgetary allocation for

R&D infrastructures

Maximize the use of existing

infrastructures

Tax waivers on R&D materials and

equipment

Research grants

Encourage Private

Sector to establish new

R&D Institutions/

Facilities

Research unit/facility to

be attached to SMEs/

companies

Policy on the

engagement of Private

Sector on R&D

Regulation on benefit share of the

research output

Award/Incentives

Advocacy plans

R&D agreement

between private

companies/SMEs and

national research centers

to attend to private

sector R&D needs

Promote Science Parks Science parks at RECs&

Member States levels

Policy to encourage

the establishment of

science parks at the

national and regional

levels

Financial mechanisms (Investment

plan to be encouraged in RECs &

Member States)

Technology gap analysis/Market need

Assessment of STI priority areas in

Regional economic communities and

Member States

Comparative advantage assessment in

Regional Economic Communities and

Member States

Enhancing technical and professional

competencies

Promote Technology transfer &

Acquisition

Entrepreneurship capacity

Innovation capacity building

advocacy programmes and

outreach

Promote Knowledge

exchange and brain circulation

physical infrastructure

Systems

Mechanisms

Analysis output for pillar 2

Build critical mass of practitioners

Enhancing technical and professional competencies (Pillar 2)

sub-pillar Physical Infrastructure Systems Mechanisms

Build critical mass of

practitioners MD,

M.Scs. & Ph.Ds.

Improvement of

research facilities in

Universities/Research

Institutions

Policy reviews to the

existing Higher

Education policies

with emphasis to

postgraduate studies

and linking it to

industry

Higher Education trust fund,

Scholarships, loans, Awards & Grants

Curriculums development/updating

Exchange programs

Industrial scholarship for PhDs/MScs

Professional capacity building

programs

Promotion of HR mobility from

industry to academia and vice versa

Industrial Attachment Programs

Promote Knowledge exchange and brain circulation

Existing Networks

Strategies on

Knowledge Exchange

and Brain Circulation

Technical/Scientific networks

Data repositories and libraries

University Chairs

Incentives (Including visiting home

programs, relocation grants)

Bilateral and multilateral agreements

Enabling Environment

Financial support research

translation

Development of policies/strategies that correlated to pillars 1 & 2

Setting up a comprehensive IP

system

Financial instruments for

entrepreneurship establishments

Advocacy & communication

physical infrastructure

Systems

Mechanisms

Analysis output for pillar 3

Development of Integrated market

Enabling Environment (Pillar 3)

sub-pillar Physical Infrastructure Systems Mechanisms

Setting up a

comprehensive IP

system

Existing IP national

offices and advisory

bodies

Strong IP regulatory

frameworks

Protection legislations

Promotion of IP share and exchange

Financial instrument for research translation

Existing financial

institutions

Financial laws and

policies for promoting

research translation

Banking and micro- financing tools

Grants and loans

Communication skills of the

Practitioners

Updates on the research findings

Informative communication tools

Corporate Social

Responsibility

Advocacy policy

R&D Resear

chInst.

physical infrastructure

Universities Science

ParkNetworks

R&D Private

inst.

Financial Systems

Systems Research systems

Man power

systems

Technology transfer/ Outreach Systems

Research incentivesMechanisms

Ph.Ds. and

MScs.

Information accessibility

Long-life learning

etc

etc

etc

strategic goals (from bench to bedside)

stak

eho

lder

s an

d P

artn

ers

Research translation

Enhancing/building research

infrastructure

Enhancing technical and

professional competenciesEnabling Environment

5 sub-pillars 7 sub-pillars 6 sub-pillarsPath

way

Know Bench

BedsideDO

Observations:

This pathway was developed by an exercise that conducted under the limitationof time and participation and by considering two steps translation model; but itcould be a core for further development of the pathway ;

The two steps translation model need to be broken down to its micro level;

The Stakeholders analysis need to be more detailed by addressing their role andimpact in the pathway; and sure their participation in such exercise is vital;

Checklist need to be in place to find out which of the systems and mechanismsare in place and which are not;

Micro analysis to be conducted on each of the systems and mechanisms forperfection of the pathway;

Continues monitoring for the pathway and its structure to identify the obstaclesand to introduce mitigation actions or interventions;