Public and Population Health Open Research Ecosystem in Africa (P2HOREA)
Wellcome Trust
University of the Witwatersrand
This project seeks to address existing data sharing concerns of African public and population health researchers. It also motivates for the implementation of Africa-led initiatives for data sharing. Using acquired knowledge on global best practices and regional concerns, the project will design sustainable mechanisms to incentivise data sharing. This will involve leveraging our strategic partnerships and adopting artificial intelligence (AI) tools to implement solutions to some of the concerns. We will improve data sharing value chain; simplify access and utilization of data; and strengthen capacity and advocacy towards incentivised data sharing. Using AI tools, we will develop a virtual and physical environment for active and passive identification and curation of a list of publicly funded research data in public and population health in Africa; link researchers and research institutions to reusable publicly funded data; increase awareness and address fears and misconceptions about data sharing; and advocate for institutions to provide best practice rewards when data is shared. These activities will result in improved knowledge, attitude, and practices on data sharing by researchers, institutional data custodians and institutional management; increased collaboration and knowledge generation among researchers; and incentivisation of data sharing at institutional level. The project will promote scientific data findability, access, and reusability while simultaneously addressing data governance and trust concerns, fear of data misuse and exploitation, and ensuring compliance with privacy, security, and ethical standards on data sharing.
8.3 Policy, ethics and research governance