Working groups
What do working groups do?
The working group members consists of representations from member agencies with different expertise to contribute to the thematic dialogue on research capacity strengthening in sub-Saharan Africa. The Equitable Partnerships project “From Principles to Practice”, is a partnership between UK Collaborative on Development Research (UKCDR) and ESSENCE, which is being undertaken with oversight from the Equitable Partnerships Task Force. The members in each group work on a very varied range of topics and interests to support country-level mechanism for coordination and capacity development, including the development of best practice guidelines in specific areas that offer broad direction for research institutions and funding organizations in addressing low-and middle-income countries needs. For more on the working groups activities, right-click on any of the links.
ESSENCE Working Group on Review of Investments (WGRI)
ESSENCE Working Group on Review of Investments (WGRI) convened in 2018 following a recommendation put forward by the World Bank International Vaccine Task Force that by end 2019, ESSENCE – with reinforced LMIC national representation – in collaboration with the Global Coordination Mechanism (GCM), should articulate a mechanism, in consultation with major external funders of clinical research, for reviewing current and planned investments in research capacity strengthening, collaborating to ensure synergy and reduce duplication at country and regional levels, and to streamline the administrative burden experienced by institutions with multiple research funders.
The group in 2020 developed background paper, consulted with stakeholders, and established coordination mechanism – Ann Global Health 2020, as well as established simple, universal national metric for health research capacity.
Members:
Thabi Maitin, Co-Chair, Consultant
Joyelle Dominique, Co-Chair, NIAID/NIH
Vaseeharan Sathiyamoorthy, WHO
Karthik Yarlagadda, NIH
Sarah Charnaud, WHO
Thomas Nyirenda, EDCTP
Florah Karimi, APHRC
Thy Pham Gates, Foundation
Jenniffer Maroa, Gates Foundation
Martin Eigbike, Consultant
Marisa Creatore, CIHR
Karen Gosch, GIZ BF
Arlena Liggins, DLR-PT
Alice Norton, Oxford University
Anna Laura Ross, WHO
Michelle Nderu, EDCTP
Moses Alobo, Science for Africa Foundation
Andrew Tuttle, Impact Global Health
Vivian Kouri, IPK
Nebiyu Dereje, Africa CDC
ESSENCE Working Group on Implementation Research (IRWG)
ESSENCE implementation research (IR) working group convened in 2017 from the recognition that many members were having difficulty initiating programs in IR in their organizations, and by sharing experiences members could enhance the ways in which they invest in IR.
In 2019, the working group with the support of a consultant developed a good practice document in the area of IR to highlight seven approaches for organizations to consider when investing in IR in LMICs.
The Seven approaches to investing in implementation research in low- and middle- income countries – an ESSENCE good practice document, offer some broad direction for funding organizations, research institutions and researchers who wish to advance IR expertise in LMICs.
Members:
Morven Roberts, Chair, GACD
Siv Steffen Nygaard, Co-Chair, Novo Nordisk
Barbara van der Linden, EViR
Marisa Creatore, CIHR
Montasser Kamal, IDRC
Val Snewin, DHSC
Kathleen Victoir, Pasteur Network
Fabio Zicker, Fiocruz
Sana Naffa, IDRC
Anna Thorson, WHO
Isobel Bandurek, GACD
Damazo Kadengye, APHRC
Bastien Kolt, WHO
Tanja Kuchenmüller, WHO
ESSENCE Working Group on Research Management (RMWG)
The working group on research management (RM) convened in 2012 to develop the first edition of the Five Keys to improving Research Costing in LMICs (‘the Five Keys’) – an ESSENCE good practice document.
The keys provide clear guidelines and practical tips on improving research costing and pricing, alongside its accompanying suite of training. With fresh survey data and new case studies, the second edition, and case studies on grants and research management costing were published in 2020 in line with current research management trends and practices and, in particular, research costing practices in LMICs.
This edition complements and improves on good practice in research management.
Members:
Kathleen Victoir, Co-Chair, Pasteur Network
Allen Mukhwana, Co-Chair, SFA
Beate Knight, ACU
Pauline Beattie, EDCTP
Yolisa Nalule, Wellcome
Sana Naffa, IDRC
Yessica Alvarez, DHSC
Paulo Ochanga, COSTECH
John Gyapong, ARUA
Joseph Gichuru, APHRC
Teresa Soop, Embassy of Sweden, Sida
Montasser Kamal, IDRC
Florah Karimi, APHRC
Luchuo Engelbert Bain, APHRC
Peter Taylor, IDS
Nelisha Naidoo, SARIMA
Fabian Kaser, Swiss Alliance for Global Research Partnerships
Vaseeharan Sathiyamoorthy, WHO
Emmanuel Adu-Danso, ARUA
William Bramwell, ACU
ESSENCE Working Group on Health, Migration & Displacement (WGHMD)
The WGHMD was created in 2024 to focus on issues related to health research and humanitarian settings, given the increasing trends in migrations and displacements and the poor evidence base. The group is interested in a wide range of topics from community engagement in humanitarian settings, the ethical challenges posed to research in these settings, emergency funding mechanisms for humanitarian crises, and priority setting mechanisms.
The working group has defined three objectives:
· Provide a collaborative space for topics related to health, migration and displacement capacity strengthening and practices;
· Identify opportunities for research funders' collaboration in this domain;
· Demonstrate its work through varied communication initiatives.
The working group will work toward organising a webinar in September 2025 on funding approaches for research on health, migration and displacement.
Members:
Qamar Mahmood, Co-Chair, IDRC
Thomas Nyirenda, Co-Chair, EDCTP
Montasser Kamal, IDRC
Miriam Orcutt, WHO
Beate Knight, ACU
Blythe Beecroft, NIH/FIC
Signe Frederiksen, Novo Nordisk
Georgia Glasman James, Wellcome
Michail Moschovakos, European Commission
Sylvia Garry, WHO
ESSENCE Impact Working Group (EIWG)
During the annual meeting of the ESSENCE on Health Research Initiative, held in February 2025 in Washington D.C., it was proposed to create an Impact Working Group. It was discussed that this working group would focus on the value of investments to advocate for the essential role of global health research for development to policy-makers and governments in low-, middle- and high-income countries. It was also mentioned that this working group would track global health research investments against global declarations.
The objectives of this working group are to document major advances in the field of global health research in order to showcase the value of long-term investments into this field, to identify and promote good research practices and enabling factors from these research programmes and to advocate for impact-oriented investments in global health research. This approach must be funder-agnostic; it encompasses health in its broadest meaning and aims to look back on the first quarter of the 21st century
Members:
Val Snewin, Chair, DHSC
Kedest Tesfagiorgis, Gates Foundation
Brendan Thomason, Gates Foundation
Michael Mihut, WHO
Lara Pandya, EDCTP3
Eren Zink, SIDA
Ashleigh Hosking, Gates Foundation
Agustin Martin, EDCTP3
