The Next Generation: Ideas and Experience in African Researcher Support. The Nairobi Process

This report forms part of the Nairobi Process, a series of discussions and reports aimed at stimulating debate around Africa-UK research collaboration and the provision of researcher support in African higher education. It emphasizes the value and the need to invest in the development of early career researchers. As the research leaders of the future, it is they who will direct and shape the development of African higher education and research. This report charts examples of good practice for institutions, donors, and leaders looking to pursue this path. The aim is not to present a comprehensive review of systems of support for early career researchers, but rather to draw on a number of examples to give an indication of existing provision and case studies of more integrated/inclusive systems. In addition to institutional case studies, approaches currently adopted by externally-funded programmes are explored, to see how institutional capacity building for early career researcher development can be integrated within institutional research support systems. A number of recommendations are made in this report, drawing on the lessons learnt from African institutions and external funders in developing early career researchers. These aim to build and sustain structures and processes that can effectively and holistically support early career researchers in their development. These recommendations are presented as a framework through which institutions may reflect on their own research provision and what is appropriate in their particular context.