New research uptake projects selected for funding

At Elrha, we want the research we fund to have real-world impact – to improve the lives of people affected by crisis. Research uptake, the process of ensuring research users engage with research findings, is critical to achieving this impact.

In 2023, our Research for Health in Humanitarian Crises (R2HC) programme launched our Research Uptake and Impact Small Grants funding opportunity. Open to current and previous R2HC grantees, this funding aims to support teams to help humanitarian actors, including policymakers, practitioners and community stakeholders, to understand, use and apply research outcomes.

Following the success of our 2023 round of funding, we repeated the process again in 2024, with seven exciting new research uptake projects now selected for funding.

Read on to find out more about how the teams' plans to use their grants.

Innovative approaches to reduce the burden of disease caused by onchocerciasis

Uptake activities: This project continues work to reduce the disease and social burden caused by onchocerciasis in villages affected by conflict in South Sudan. Onchocerciasis is spread by blackfly, and the team will create a simplified manual and train local volunteers to remove vegetation from blackfly breeding sites – a method known as ‘slash-and-clear’. The project will raise awareness of onchocerciasis and onchocerciasis-epilepsy through workshops with local stakeholders and through outreach with schools, developing educational modules for primary school children, and materials for teachers to help them re-integrate and care for pupils with epilepsy.

Read more about the project.

Caring for carers: A psychosocial supervision intervention for mental health practitioners

Uptake activities: The ‘Caring for Carers’ programme aimed to determine the impact of psychosocial supervision for professionals providing mental health and pyschosocial (MHPSS) services in humanitarian contexts. Following positive results in Türkiye and Syria, the team will produce and disseminate a technical training manual to support others to implement online group clinical supervision. Drawing on their existing network of supervisors, a new MHPSS supervision association will be set up to sustain supervision practice beyond the project, and advocate for the inclusion of supervision in all MHPSS programming.

Read more about the project.

Perceptions of research conducted during the 2014–15 Ebola crisis

Uptake activities: The Participants’ Research Ethics Toolbox (PRET) was developed with and for limited literacy adults following the 2014–16 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, to strengthen their capacity to navigate invitations to participate in research projects. In response to the current mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, this project will conduct two ‘train-the-trainer’ workshops to build the capacity of community leaders in using PRET and in research participants’ rights. In collaboration with the World Health Organization, the team will also deliver webinars to socialise the open-access multilingual PRET with researchers.

Read more about the project.

Health system strengthening to reduce morbidity and mortality for women and children Venezuelan migrants in Colombia

Uptake activities: Led by a local team from the University of Los Andes, this project is designed to address discrimination against the Venezuelan migrant population in the Colombian health system, and other barriers to access. The team will complete 12 workshops with healthcare workers in Bogotá and create a downloadable reference guide outlining the health rights of migrants and how to protect them, alongside strategies for effectively communicating with migrants. A targeted social media campaign will provide migrants with guidance related to accessing the Colombian health system.

Read more about the project.

Smart Discharges for refugee children: Improving hospital-to-community care transitions

Uptake activities: Smart Discharges is a digital health programme aiming to improve children’s experience of transition in care after acute infectious illnesses. Following positive initial results for the programme in Uganda, the team plan to train additional community health workers on the vulnerability of children post-discharge and on their role in providing follow-up care during the child’s recovery. The aim is to improve the sustainability of the Smart Discharges approach and to foster greater trust in the health system by caregivers and their families. 

Read more about the project.

Towards strengthening the pharmaceutical system in conflict-affected areas in Mali

Uptake activities: This work aims to strengthen the resilience of Mali’s pharmaceutical sector in conflict-affected areas by improving the availability and rational uses of medicines. The team will adapt two online training courses to for online delivery to healthcare professionals and humanitarian workers to improve:

1. The management of medicines to prevent stock-outs
2. Their rational use to minimise the risk of multi-drug resistance

They will also produce two podcast episodes to raise awareness of the risks of street medicines and self-medication with antibiotics, and work with local expert stakeholders to facilitate the distribution of medicines in conflict zones.

Read more about the project.

Increasing the effectiveness of handwashing among people affected by crisis: an evaluation of the Jengu handwashing facility

Uptake activities: This project, led by the African Population and Health Research Center, has been evaluating the Jengu handwashing unit – an open-source, durable, and locally manufacturable handwash station designed for humanitarian settings. The uptake grant activities will share the results of the evaluation through workshops with key stakeholders – including the Kenyan government, humanitarian organisations, WASH actors and local communities – to discuss feedback on the units, successes, challenges and potential improvements to the Jengu design. The team will make suggestions as to how the unit can be incorporated into existing programming and improve community awareness on best hygiene practices to achieve better health outcomes.

Read more about the project.

To follow the progress of these studies and their uptake activities, sign up to our newsletters and follow us on LinkedIn.