Over the years, early career researchers in the global south have been struggling to excel in research and ultimately contributing to the various societal challenges. For Africa, the quest for research excellence is critical as the continent strives to strengthen its research and innovation capabilities and leadership in a world that is increasingly becoming competitive. Yet, many aspiring and early career researchers in Africa and the wider global south, who are expected to take up research leadership roles struggle with making strategic research choices towards becoming excellent researchers with valuable contributions to society.  As part of addressing this challenge, the Africa Research and Impact Network (ARIN) (www.arin-africa.org) invites you to a motivational dialogue session under the title Research as a Life-Long Career Path: Basics of Making Informed Choice. The session will involve a motivational speech delivered by Dr. JPR Ochieng Odero, an Expert in Research Strategy and Mentorship and a former Team Leader at DFID East Africa Research Fund, with vast experience in providing strategic direction to national and international research initiatives. Participants will have a chance to pose questions about their personal research careers, which will then be addressed by the speaker. The motivational dialogue session is part of ARIN’s expert mentor program aimed at linking talented early career researchers to international mentors and opportunities.

About the speaker

1. P. Ochieng’-Odero (JPR) is a scientist with a keen interest in the place of science, technology, and innovation (ST&I) in economic development, and the role of learning and knowledge sharing in capacity strengthening, especially in the Global South. He is an ardent lobbyist for the increased use of scientific research evidence to inform policy, programming, and practice. He is currently an Associate Research Scientist affiliated with the Data, Measurement, and Evaluation Unit of the African population and Health Research Center (APHRC). JPR worked with several organizations in Africa in research and resource mobilization.  As the Project Team Leader of the East Africa Research Fund (EARF eastafricaresearchfund.org) JPR managed funding facility by PwC on behalf of the then Department of International Development (DFID), now merged to be Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). EARF was part of the East Africa Research and Innovation Hub (EARIH). The Fund supported FCDO country offices in eastern Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan) to use evidence to drive development impact and value for money, linking with UK’s wider science and research agenda in the region. He led in the commissioning and oversaw the implementation of a total of 38 socio-economic research projects (17 regional-specific and 21 country-specific). Most of these projects generated research evidence outputs that informed both policy and practice within the eastern Africa region. As Deputy Director & Head of Scientific Programmes of the Consortium for National Health Research funded by Wellcome Trust, DFID, and IDRC, which was a Kenyan-based health research grant-making organization. In this capacity, he has built experience in the design, development, and implementation of several competitive research grant schemes targeting research leaders, as well as research and teaching institutions.

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