Page 29 - The lraternational Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand.indd

The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand
Volume XV-2023

A Research Support Model for Research Capacity Building on
Health Science: A Case Study in Lao PDR

Sasithon Pukrittayakamee 1,2,3 , Mayfong Mayxay 4,5,6 , Elizabeth Ashley ,
5,6
Kesinee Chotivanich 1,2,3 , Sysavanh Phommachanh , Alexo Esperato 7
4

Abstract

A 2020-2024 project to enhance the research capacity of the University of
Health Sciences (UHS), Lao PDR is currently under implementation. The project

receives financial support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), as part of a
technical assistance project in collaboration with the Lao Ministry of Public Health
and Mahidol University. The project has provided 300,000 USD to 44 research
grant winners, which belong to 11 UHS departments and institutions. Research
grants have been awarded to young (n=30) and middle-career (n=14) researchers.

The grants have been awarded through a competitive research fund (CRF), which
has complemented research grants with capacity building through workshops, as well
as mentoring by CRF Committee members. The present article describes the characteristics

of the awarded research projects and their potential impact on health services in Lao PDR.
All grant recipients were successful in terms of their mid-term research outputs by June
2023. The data evaluated suggest that, when combined with capacity building, competitive
research funds are a viable option to strengthen research capacity in developing countries.

Keywords: research support model; research capacity building; health science;
Lao PDR; Asian Development Bank

1 Royal Society of Thailand. Sanam Sua Pa, Dusit, Bangkok 10300 Thailand.
2 Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok,
Thailand.
3 Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University,
Bangkok, Thailand.
4 Institute of Research and Education Development (IRED), University of Health Sciences, Vientiane,
Lao PDR.
5 Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit (LOMWRU), Vientiane, Lao PDR
6 Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of
Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
Correspondence to
Sasithon Pukrittayakamee (DPhil), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Rajvithi
Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand. E-mail: Sasithon.puk@mahidol.ac.th
Alexo Esperato (PhD), 6 ADB Ave., Mandaluyong City 1150, Metro Manila, Philippines.
Email: aesperato@adb.org

Sasithon Pukrittayakamee et al. 21