Topic
Date published
08/05/2026
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Global Health Research Centres (GHRC) programme funds research driven partnerships between institutions in the UK and in low and middle-income countries.
In 2022, Professor Kamlesh Khunti, from the University of Leicester and Co-Director of NIHR ARC East Midlands, and Professor Dorairaj Prabhakaran, from the Centre for Chronic Disease Control in India, were awarded £9.5 million to establish a Global Health Research Centre for Multiple Long-term Conditions (MLTCs).
As part of the Research Capacity Strengthening work-package, a bespoke face‑to‑face training workshop was held at the University during week commencing April 27, 2026.
The programme was designed for international research administrators and finance staff from India and Nepal and was delivered by the University’s Organisational Development (OD) team, with contributions from colleagues in Research and Enterprise Development (RED).
The week-long programme covered a wide range of topics relevant to the research support environment, including contracts and finance, RApToR (the RED Application Toolkit for Researchers), artificial intelligence (AI), process mapping, motivation, building resilience and influencing skills. The training supported effective and sustainable research delivery and encouraged shared, bi-directional learning between partner institutions.
Participants also took part in a guided campus tour, which enabled them to explore the University’s teaching and learning facilities, alongside other areas of interest.
Shifalika Goenka, Research Capacity Strengthening Lead for the Centre, said: “Research capacity strengthening is one of the three main pillars of the NIHR Global Health Research Centre for MLTC. A unique feature of this Centre is its focus on the environment for doing research. As part of this, capacity building for research support professionals was facilitated through a secondment at Leicester. This was a great opportunity and I want to thank the Organisational Development team.”
Dr Anvesha Singh, GHRC Research Capacity Strengthening Co‑Lead, added: “It was great to see this bespoke training delivered as part of the Research Capacity Strengthening objectives of the NIHR GHRC for MLTC, supporting bi‑directional learning between institutions. We are very thankful to the University’s OD team for taking the lead on this programme, and to all the colleagues who contributed to the delivery of the training.”
To find out more about the NIHR GHRC for MLTC, click here.