Engagement during development of the Te Niwha research platform indicated a gap of understanding in the landscape of infectious diseases research actors, funding and critical issues that need to be addressed to ensure a successful (and sufficiently informed) grounding.
This Landscape Mapping project consists of three parts:
- Part 1: Develop a database of key actors (such as agencies, funders, key stakeholders, research groups) within infectious diseases research, including instruments for engagement and data collection (survey).
- Part 2. Identify currently funded research on infectious diseases in Aotearoa New Zealand. This involves extracting information from government funding bodies, internal funding (such as from universities and Crown Research Institutes) and identifying and approaching NGOs and private sector funders.
- Part 3. Prepare a discussion paper setting out a range of questions and novel approaches.
The mahi was done by researchers in partnership with a 12-person expert reference group (peer nominated). As a result of the reference group input, the project evolved to include creation of a ‘Burden of Disease Index’ that includes direct costs, indirect costs, health outcomes, disease attributes, social determinants and equity for 25 notifiable diseases.
Critical questions to be answered by the project:
- Who are all the traditionally defined infectious diseases research actors? What areas of infectious diseases research (biomedical/public health) are prominent? And what are the capability gaps that exist across infectious diseases research fields?
- What has been the research investment from Crown and private resources into infectious diseases research within the previous 5 years?
- What are the variables (criteria) that would be most effective when appropriately and accurately attempting to reflect and describe the burden of disease across pathologies in Aotearoa New Zealand?
