A Global Health Reciprocal Innovation grant programme: 5-year review with lessons learnt.

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Translational Science
• Health Equity Research

Background:

• Unilateral global health initiatives can be reframed as "reciprocal innovation" (RI), fostering equitable collaboration between low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs).
• A 30-year partnership between Indiana University (IU) and Moi University (Kenya) informed the development of an RI grants program at the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI) and IU Center for Global Health Equity since 2018.
• This program leverages knowledge sharing, transformational learning, and translational innovations to address mutual health challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the evolution and implementation of an RI grants program.
• To share successes and encourage further funding for RI-grounded innovations.
• To offer future directions based on five years of RI-focused research experience.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of an RI grants program based on core RI elements.
• Documenting challenges and lessons learned from program implementation.
• Gathering perspectives from RI investigators funded by the program.

Main Results:

• Three key lessons emerged: dedicating resources for cross-setting collaboration, establishing local investigator linkages, and addressing global health research inequities.
• Development of educational materials and an online resource library to support RI projects.
• Successful application of an RI-focused approach over a five-year period.

Conclusions:

• Reciprocal innovation offers a framework for equitable, collaborative international research.
• Addressing longstanding health inequities requires dedicated resources and local partnerships.
• Continued growth in understanding and implementing RI can significantly advance global health research and outcomes.