Research4Life Country Connectors in 2024: Expansion and Impact
In support of the Research4Life 2030 strategic plan, aiming to foster an inclusive, diverse and equitable scholarly environment, for the past two years Research4Life has initiated a Country Connectors network project — funded in part by the Elsevier Foundation, Springer Nature and the American Chemical Society.
The current Research4Life Strategic Plan envisions a pivot from delivering and supporting access to information to a holistic approach supporting our community of users as both consumers and producers of research. Our Country Connectors are a key part of this transformation.
What is a Country Connector?
A Research4Life Country Connector is part focal point, part champion, part mentor, part listening post, part role-model, and part cheerleader. All these and more form the two-way connections within a country and with the Research4Life partner community as a whole. Research4Life has been delivering access to information (and much more) in low- and middle income countries for more than two decades, and the Country Connectors project exists to enable deeper knowledge sharing, strengthened relationships and open more avenues for collaborations.
Expansion of the program in 2023
At the country level, Country Connectors activities show a growing understanding of the nuances in each region, enabling more customized approaches to drive awareness and usage of Research4Life. The Country Connectors started implementation in 2022 with six countries and expanded in 2023 to eleven countries, with another which was engaged for full onboarding in January 2024. The following countries participated in the program in 2023: United Republic of Tanzania, Bhutan, Ghana, Liberia, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Republic of Moldova, El Salvador, and Ukraine.
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