Growing Data science Research in Africa to Stimulate Progress (GRASP) program: Rationale and overview

Brain health is pivotal to achieving overall health and all current sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, a dedicated training program in brain health research to unravel its complex determinants, especially genetic, sociodemographic and lifestyle factors is lacking in Africa. The Growing Data-science Research in Africa to Stimulate Progress (GRASP) is a three-year program designed to harness innovation potential to build sustainable data science (DS) research capacity among qualified African scholars through innovative partnerships and collaborations. This is aimed at promoting a learning environment for boosting knowledge, managing expectations, building support systems, and overcoming environmental barriers to create a sustainable system that will inspire innovative thinking for a remarkable transformation for producing Brain Health solutions for African and the world. Highlight of GRASP is its focus on improving the DS skills of selected scholars to explore sociodemographic determinants, dietary and lifestyle factors affecting brain health and cardiovascular risks, integrating sociodemographic data with cognitive, genomics, climate and geographical data. Ten African scholars from a cross-national/multidisciplinary postgraduate clinicians and researchers pool were selected during the 2024 cycle. Activities lined up during this program comprises of a nine-month Postgraduate Certificate program that includes six months virtual training activities, a compulsory 6-week residency at the University of Ibadan (UI), Nigeria (exclusive for five outstanding performing scholars), networking sessions at scientific meetings, annual mentor-mentee communication and research project. GRASP complements these attributes with the Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR) degree including competencies for the clinical and translational research workforce. GRASP scholars are assessed with periodic monitoring within three years after program completion based on academic positions and publications; funding for investigator-initiated research projects or career development awards. Building DS research capacity among African scholars via the GRASP program will re-orient current understanding and inspire creative solutions in Africa's approach to combating NCDs.