Reflections on inequalities in research capacity Jimmy Volmink - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Reflections on inequalities in research capacity Jimmy Volmink Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University Director, SA Cochrane Centre, Medical Research Council Fakulteit Geneeskunde en Gesondheidswetenskappe  1 Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

Understanding the nature of inequality in society The explanation for inequalities in achievement can most often be found in differences in opportunity rather than ability. Such differences in opportunity are usually determined by imbalances in wealth or power or influence, or some combination of these three. 2

Champagne glass distribution of global wealth 3

World Economic Forum, 2014 Working for the Few, Oxfam International, 2014 4

Income inequality by country 5

Income inequality in South Africa Economist 2013

So what? 7

Extreme inequality is bad for us all 1. Undermines democracy 2. Threatens social cohesion and stability 3. Damages health and well-being 4. Environmentally destructive 5. Economically inefficient 6. Unethical 8

Inequality and health in richer (OECD) countries President Barack Obama: “the defining challenge of our era.” Pope Francis: "the root of social ills.”

Inequality in research capacity and output Fakulteit Geneeskunde en Gesondheidswetenskappe  10 Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

Number of researchers per million population

Inequality in research output Africa’s output of publications indexed on Thomson Reuters Web of Science SM databases between 1999 and 2008 The continent’s output was about 27,000 articles per year of which SA produced the lion’s share “South Africa : …it is simultaneously a giant within the African Publications in 2008 context and a dwarf in the international arena.” More than 7000 Wieland Gevers Fewer than 20 Global Research Report – Africa (April 2010)

South Africa vs. Brazil Comparison of the output of South Africa as a country versus the University of Sao Paulo in 2010 % Number of Number of PhD output academic students publications numbers s with PhD’s University of Sao Paulo (Brazil) 90 000 9000 2400 98% South Africa (all institutions) 899 000 8200 1420 34% NC Gey van Pittius (2014) 13

Health research output by population group in SA ASSAf CONSENSUS REPORT ON REVITALISING CLINICAL RESEARCH IN SOUTH AFRICA NOVEMBER 2009 14

Health research output by gender in SA ASSAf CONSENSUS REPORT ON REVITALISING CLINICAL RESEARCH IN SOUTH AFRICA 15 NOVEMBER 2009

Health research output by age group in SA ASSAf CONSENSUS REPORT ON REVITALISING CLINICAL RESEARCH IN SOUTH AFRICA 16 NOVEMBER 2009

What are the reasons for these inequalities in research output? Fakulteit Geneeskunde en Gesondheidswetenskappe  17 Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

Academic staff from Professor to Junior Lecturer at SA universities, 2003-2009, by population group Generic black South Africans make up less than half of the academic staff complement (range 17-91%) 18 DoE HEMIS, 2011

Permanent academic staff in health sciences in SA, 2000-2003, by population group CREST, 2006 19

Academic staff from Professor to Junior Lecturer, 2003-2009, by gender Women comprise only 44% of the academic workforce (range 29- 51%) DoE HEMIS, 2011

Permanent academic staff in health sciences in SA, 2000-2003, by gender CREST, 2006 21

Permanent academic staff from Professor to Junior Lecturer by rank, age and gender, 2009 Women are seriously underrepresented at senior level: Prof (21%) and Assoc Prof (33%). DoE HEMIS, 2011

Doctoral graduates, 1994-2009, by gender and population group 23 DoE HEMIS, 2011

Challenges in summary SA’s research output is low compared to other BRICS 1. countries 2. The academic workforce is currently not representative of the SA population: white and male 3. Research output is driven mainly by academics who are close to retirement age 4. There are insufficient numbers of people, especially those in the under-represented groups (URG), moving through the academic and postgraduate pipelines to replace them 24

What can we do to address the current inequalities in research capacity? Begin by understanding the underlying factors Fakulteit Geneeskunde en Gesondheidswetenskappe  25 Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

1) Historical context Number of doctors graduating per year, 1966-86 Between 1968-77 production of doctors (per 100,000) inversely related to size of population group Digby, 2013 26

2) Current economic realities NDP: key challenges • Poverty • Inequality • Unemployment Consequences of economic disadvantage: • Negative effects on early childhood development • Poor health and social circumstances • Lower quality schooling (maths and science) • Lower participation rate in higher education • Higher drop out rate • Reduced likelihood of obtaining postgraduate qualifications 27

3) Institutional factors • Institutional or professional cultures may be alienating and exclusionary (patriarchal, sexist, racist, intolerant of diversity) • Work arrangements may not be attractive to women and/or younger people (Generation Y) • Lack of role models and mentors for URG • URG may be expected to spend more time on teaching, administration and committee work • Lack of funding to recruit, develop and retain URG • Non-competitive salaries • Mobility 28

Strengthening the academic pipeline Attract • Contribute to improving high school education • Raise awareness of careers in science • Early exposure to doing research • Mentoring Individuals from Independent underrepresented researcher/ groups Leader- Mentor Develop Retain • Skills • Economic and social • Protected time issues • Funding (career development awards) • Family responsibilities • Mentoring • Career progression • Mentoring

Mentorship is everything “everyone who makes it has a mentor” Harvard Business Review, 1978 30

Mentors are people who can see more in you than you see in yourself. They create a vision and development plan that take advantage of your own strengths, abilities, and potential for growth. Effective mentors are so unshakably convinced that we have greatness in us, and their vision of what is possible is so clear and powerful, that they wind up convincing us too. 31

What do we know about mentoring in the health sciences? • Prevalence of mentoring varies widely across various fields • Important influence on career choice, career progression, faculty retention and productivity, including publication and grant success • Individuals from underrepresented groups have more difficulty finding mentors • Many different mentoring models ranging from informal relationships based on shared interests and personal chemistry to formal, systematic arrangements • Usually comprises a combination of emotional and psychological support, guidance on career and professional development • Many unanswered questions 32

In closing Addressing the current inequalities in research capacity will benefit us all: • Increase research output and sustainability • Promote excellence and innovation (diversity of people, perspectives and ideas) • Improve chances of closing current gaps in health and health care • Promote social justice (allow people to develop to their full potential) • Contribute to a more inclusive and egalitarian society • Improve likelihood of SA becoming a winning nation 33