{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]],"date-time":"2026-08-17T08:24:09Z","timestamp":1786955049493,"version":"build-2736575974"},"update-to":[{"DOI":"10.12688\/f1000research.183310.1","type":"new_version","label":"New version","source":"publisher","updated":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,11]],"date-time":"2026-08-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786406400000}}],"reference-count":45,"publisher":"F1000 Research Ltd","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,11]],"date-time":"2026-08-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786406400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["f1000research.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["F1000Res"],"abstract":"<ns5:p>Background Research capacity in Ugandan universities remains underdeveloped, reflecting a wider African challenge where the continent contributes barely 1% of global research output. Despite this, limited studies evaluate existing research capacity enhancement frameworks and models that focus on Ugandan universities. Therefore, this systematic review addressed the overarching question: how do research capacity enhancement models or frameworks integrate strategic research leadership to foster a sustainable and locally grounded research environment in Ugandan universities? To achieve this goal, we specifically examined the scope of such frameworks or models, their conceptualisation of strategic research leadership (SRL), the mechanisms through which they link leadership practices to measurable research outcomes, and the limitations in their application. Methodology A systematic review was conducted using PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Studies were identified through Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, and ProQuest. Of 432 records screened, only nine met the inclusion criteria. Risk of bias was minimised through independent dual review, consensus, and arbitration by a third reviewer. Thematic analysis was used to synthesise findings. Results and Discussion The review highlights a scarcity of context-specific frameworks, with most focusing on public universities, faculty-led research, and health sciences, while neglecting private universities, students, and humanities\u2019 disciplines such as education. Integration of SRL constructs was limited, particularly in vision, policy, and culture. Leadership practices such as mentorship and collaboration enhanced measurable research outcomes, yet models faced sustainability, resource, and monitoring gaps. These findings underscore the need for comprehensive, inclusive frameworks that fully integrate SRL and support equity across institutions and disciplines. The review also lays the foundation for empirically developing and validating a context-specific SRL model to strengthen educational research capacity among students in Ugandan private universities, as these remain the most neglected categories in existing models and frameworks. Registration This review was not registered in PROSPERO, as the database only accepts reviews addressing direct human health-related outcomes.<\/ns5:p>","DOI":"10.12688\/f1000research.183310.2","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]],"date-time":"2026-08-17T07:29:09Z","timestamp":1786951749000},"page":"902","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.12688\/f1000research.crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Strategic research leadership and research capacity enhancement in Ugandan universities: a systematic review"],"prefix":"10.12688","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-2984-8574","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jerald","family":"Kule","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Education Ibanda Uganda 35 Ibanda University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Prashant Bhimsen","family":"Pagare","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Education Aurangabad Maharashtra 431004 Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2560","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"316-330","DOI":"10.1080\/03075079.2013.773222","article-title":"Advancing the national and global knowledge economy: the role of research universities in developing countries.","volume":"38","author":"P Altbach","year":"2013","journal-title":"Studies in Higher Education."},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e012626","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjgh-2023-012626","article-title":"Factors affecting African postdoctoral researcher capacity development within \u2018learn-by-doing\u2019 international research partnerships: Findings from the Partnership for Increasing the Impact of Vector Control (PIIVeC).","volume":"8","author":"J Amegee Quach","year":"2023","journal-title":"BMJ Global Health."},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"958840","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2022.958840","article-title":"Building perinatal pathology research capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa.","volume":"9","author":"L Bebell","year":"2022","journal-title":"Frontiers in Medicine."},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e008059","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjgh-2021-008059","article-title":"Strengthening research capacity: a systematic review of manuscript writing and publishing interventions for researchers in low-income and middle-income countries.","volume":"7","author":"C Busse","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMJ Glob Health."},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.47622\/9781920677855","author":"N Cloete","year":"2015","journal-title":"Knowledge production and contradictory functions in African higher education."},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"82","DOI":"10.1186\/s13104-026-07666-0","article-title":"Building research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa: findings from a pilot scientific writing workshop in Cameroon.","volume":"19","author":"S Dabou","year":"2026 24","journal-title":"BMC Res Notes."},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"29-38","DOI":"10.1080\/1363243042000172804","article-title":"Strategic leadership.","volume":"24","author":"B Davies","year":"2004","journal-title":"Sch Leadersh Manag."},{"key":"ref47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"241-260","DOI":"10.1080\/15700760500244819","article-title":"Strategic leadership reconsidered.","volume":"4","author":"B Davies","year":"2005","journal-title":"Leadersh Policy Sch."},{"key":"ref48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"121-139","DOI":"10.1177\/1741143206059542","article-title":"Developing a model for strategic leadership in schools.","volume":"34","author":"B Davies","year":"2006","journal-title":"Educ Manag Adm Leadersh."},{"key":"ref49","first-page":"5-21","article-title":"The nature and dimensions of strategic leadership.","volume":"38","author":"B Davies","year":"2010","journal-title":"Internat Stud Educ Admin."},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"181-199","DOI":"10.1108\/s1479-362820220000015010","author":"M Flinders","year":"2022","journal-title":"International Perspectives on Leadership in Higher Education. 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We appreciate both the positive assessment and the valuable suggestions provided. The comments have helped us to improve the clarity, interpretation and overall quality of our article. We have carefully considered each point raised, and revised the article accordingly. Below we provide responses to the specific comments:  Comment 1: \u2026a clear indication of the overarching research question.  We thank the reviewer for this helpful observation. We agree that the overarching research question was not stated explicitly enough in the previous version. Therefore, we have revised the article to clearly indicate this question in the abstract, introduction, methodology and discussion sections. However, we have also retained the four specific review questions that guided the analysis. We believe this has improved the clarity and coherence of the review.  Comment 2: \u2026strengthening our argument for the global importance of the work\u2026and adapting SRL practices for private universities and the humanities  We appreciate this valuable suggestion. We have strengthened the discussion to highlight the wider relevance of the study, especially its contribution to addressing global challenges such as climate change and quality education. The discussion also now reflects the role of private universities, the humanities, and student-led research, and how future RC enhancement models and frameworks can be better adapted to these contexts. The revised discussion also highlights their potential contribution to locally relevant and globally significant research.  Comment 3: \u2026the two important design strengths\u2026 its combination of two concepts: strategic leadership and research leadership, \u2018linking leadership practice to measurable research capacity outcomes.\u2019 And ... application of systematic review methods using PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The inclusion criterion of \u2018Focusing on Ugandan universities\u2019 makes the work narrower and manageable, with a clear and suitable scope for this innovative thinking.  We sincerely thank the reviewer for these encouraging remarks. We are pleased that the integration of strategic leadership and research leadership to link leadership practice to measurable research capacity outcomes, the use of the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, and the Uganda-specific focus of the review were recognised as strengths of the study. We appreciate this positive assessment.  Comment 4: \u2026critique the frameworks in terms of how well they might suit the humanities disciplines and private universities, how the frameworks might be adapted to better suit the humanities and research that is led by or conducted by students, and what might be gained from embracing the humanities and universities that emphasise student activities  We thank the reviewer for this insightful comment. We have expanded the discussion section to provide a more critical reflection on the suitability of existing research capacity enhancement models and frameworks for private universities, the humanities, and student-led research. We also discuss why direct transfer of models developed in research-intensive public universities may not always be appropriate. We have also highlighted the need for future models and frameworks to place greater emphasis on contextual adaptation, student-led research, interdisciplinary collaboration, community engagement, and the realities of private universities.","URL":"https:\/\/f1000research.com\/articles\/15-902\/v2#referee-comment-16842","order":2,"name":"referee-comment-16842","label":"Referee Comment","group":{"name":"article-reports","label":"Article Reports"}},{"value":"10.5256\/f1000research.207936.r492867, Nadia Tagoe, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, 17 Aug 2026, version 2, indexed","URL":"https:\/\/f1000research.com\/articles\/15-902\/v2#referee-response-492867","order":3,"name":"referee-response-492867","label":"Referee Report","group":{"name":"article-reports","label":"Article Reports"}},{"value":"The author(s) declared that no grants were involved in supporting this work","order":4,"name":"grant-information","label":"Grant Information"},{"value":"This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.","order":0,"name":"copyright-info","label":"Copyright"}]}}