Research capacity strengthening (RCS) in low and middle-income countries: time for a dedicated RCS science?

International development organisations and funding bodies are increasingly investing in research capacity strengthening (RCS) initiatives in low- and middle-income countries. However, the evidence-base to inform these RCS investments is poorly developed. In this seminar, I argue a major barrier to the production of a better-quality evidence-base is the sparse, fragmented nature of the underlying research effort and detail the ‘Capacity Research Unit’s’ (LSTM) mission to advance a dedicated RCS science.