Welcome to the first issue of the World RePORT newsletter World RePORT helps foster and facilitate funding analysis and visualization of biomedical research around the world. Originally launched to coordinate international efforts to support research in sub-Saharan Africa, World RePORT has grown in geographical coverage and use. The initial applications in gap analysis, funder coordination, and strategic planning have expanded as World RePORT users deploy this freely-available resource for topical analysis, research capacity strengthening, potential partner identification, field site selection, grant seeking, and more. In this inaugural issue, we share the latest about our new data partners and developments within NIH. These new partnerships and resources will strengthen World RePORT functionality for our users. The first things users will notice is that we have been able to improve the timeliness of data through application of AI-based tools. We have redefined and expanded our data fields to harmonize data among members and remove potential ambiguity. Lastly, see how World RePORT is being used by ESSENCE on Health Research at TDR, the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, at the World Health Organization to assess health research capacity.
August 2021 | ISSUE 01 In this issue: Data refresh and new partners New data fields in World RePORT World RePORT move to OPA complete Get in touch with us Partners
Cover image: Global connection concept from Web Vectors by Vecteezy Welcome to the first issue of the World RePORT newsletter World RePORT helps foster and facilitate funding analysis and visualization of biomedical research around the world. Originally launched to coordinate international efforts to support research in sub-Saharan Africa, World RePORT has grown in geographical coverage and use. The initial applications in gap analysis, funder coordination, and strategic planning have expanded as World RePORT users deploy this freely-available resource for topical analysis, research capacity strengthening, potential partner identification, field site selection, grant seeking, and more. In this inaugural issue, we share the latest about our new data partners and developments within NIH. These new partnerships and resources will strengthen World RePORT functionality for our users. The first things users will notice is that we have been able to improve the timeliness of data through application of AI-based tools. We have redefined and expanded our data fields to harmonize data among members and remove potential ambiguity. Lastly, see how World RePORT is being used by ESSENCE on Health Research at TDR, the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, at the World Health Organization to assess health research capacity. Data refresh and new partners World RePORT data is updated annually. Records indicate a start and end date for each research activity, from which an active year is determined. With 14 members and almost as many fiscal years in use, this is an essential activity. There are some differences in what each partner is able to report, so users are advised to consult the About World Report page and the Release Notes for clarifying details.
In keeping with our rolling release policy – updates when we have a critical mass of changes ready – WR underwent a major data refresh this summer. Two new data providers joined WR – the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD) – adding over 2,300 records. USAID data includes biomedical research and health product development activities that were ongoing as of January 2020 but does not include implementation science and health-systems research. Future releases may capture additional investments relevant to WR users.
The inclusion of GACD data raised a new issue for WR: how to maintain the integrity of the GACD portfolio (and allow users to interact with this data as a unified set) while accounting for individual institutions, some of which were already reporting investments through WR. The solution was to list GACD as a funder while using a button in the results bar to Filter by IC/Member. We may revisit this solution in the development of our next generation platform and, as always, welcome your comments. Some users may have also noticed the archiving of data from 2012-2015. As the geographic coverage of WR expanded beyond the initial focus on sub-Saharan Africa, it became challenging for users to undertake sound longitudinal analyses. To avoid any misleading conclusions derived in part from a gradual expansion of geographic coverage, we have archived the data from 2012–2015. Interested users may request a download of the archived data, which will come with a prominent explanation of data limitations. World RePORT Numbers 2 New Funding Partners 14 Funders Sharing Data 184 Countries with Records 21,000+ Research Oganizations 523,011 Records
World RePORT in Use WR is playing a valuable role in the ESSENCE on Health Research effort examining health research capacity globally. Data from WR has been combined with metrics on publications, clinical trials, and health education facilities to create a synthetic framework for assessing research capacity. One result that stood out was the plot of burden of disease against research capacity. From the perspective of a funding agency looking to optimize investment in low-resource settings, this plot can be used to identify geographies of significant burden and high research capacity. However, a development agency may use this plot to identify areas of significant burden and low research capacity. The final report of the ESSENCE consult is available for download here, and the working group is now considering options for expanding and refining their analysis. New data fields in World RePORT With the addition of new data partner institutions, we have taken another look at the data definitions and headers used in WR with three goals in mind: Clarify definitions to remove ambiguity and to better reflect the end-use of the data Align data more closely among different partner institutions Refine the data architecture to create placeholders for future functionality We recognize this is a continuous process and that not all partners will be able to populate all data fields. To this end, we have created a minimum standard for data inclusion in WR – adding an Essential Data value to certain categories of information. As always, we are happy to work with our partners on all WR data reporting issues. World RePORT move to OPA complete The Fogarty International Center (FIC) has executed a memorandum of understanding with the NIH Office of Portfolio Analysis (OPA) to transfer the operation, management, and further development of World RePORT from the Office of Extramural Research to OPA. While FIC continues to lead the data partners steering committee, WR and its staff are now housed at OPA. Both OPA and WR are committed to providing tools that enable data-driven insights about research investments. WR will join the suite of iTools developed by OPA, thereby benefiting from the expertise of project managers, data scientists, software developers, quality assurance engineers, user experience experts, and communications experts. The OPA Director, Dr. George Santangelo, has agreed to co-chair a data partner expansion committee with Dr. Glass with the goal of significantly growing the community of funding institutions. We welcome your thoughts on individuals and organizations who could accelerate this expansion.
We need your input How do you search for information about biomedical topics? OPA is seeking input on the research databases or tools you use and what functionalities you find most helpful. Your feedback will help advance the fundamental understanding of how scientific data sources and tools are used. The request for information takes 5-10 minutes to complete and will close on 10/15/21.
Get in touch with us
It’s time for our annual partners meeting. Keep an eye out for possible dates in November/December 2021. Have questions about World RePORT? Please contact Michael Cheetham: michael.cheetham@nih.gov . Want to give feedback about the next generation World RePORT? Please email: isearch@od.nih.gov . Partners
More Information World RePORT is a partnership of 14 funders of biomedical research that maps global research investments. It is hosted by the NIH. World RePORT is an analysis tool, a unique resource that maps direct awards as well as global research collaborations. It should not be used as a definitive inventory of all biomedical research but rather as a starting point for interacting with the data. Wherever possible, World RePORT records link to the individual funding organization’s official record of grants (e.g., Gateway to Research, NIH RePORTER). Users are strongly advised to consult the additional documentation available in the About page and Release Notes.
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