Our team members are participating in a six-month online training programme on systems thinking and modelling, in collaboration with the NIHR Global Health Research Group on Community Food for Human Nutrition and Planetary Health in Small Islands (Global CFaH) and supported by the NIHR GHR CADA.
Through the NIHR Global Health Research Cohort Academic Development Award (GHR CADA) scheme, early-career researchers (ECRs) from the COHESION-I Project are taking part in a six-month online training programme designed to strengthen their skills in systems thinking and modelling.
Our team members were invited to collaborate in a successfully funded GHR CADA proposal submitted by the NIHR Global Health Research Group on Community Food for Human Nutrition and Planetary Health in Small Islands (Global CFaH). The application was awarded to the Western Philippines University and The University of The West Indies.
The GHR CADA scheme provides funding for academic training and career development activities across NIHR Global Health Research programmes, supporting capacity-building efforts in low- and middle-income countries. Through this GHR CADA collaboration with Global CFaH, eight team members from the COHESION-I Project are benefiting from training opportunities, including three members from India, two from Nepal, and three from Peru. The training aims to strengthen participants’ research capacity, equipping them with innovative approaches to address complex challenges in food and health systems.
The training programme is structured into four phases over six months, from July 2025 to February 2026. The first phase provides an introduction to systems thinking and modelling through a self-paced online course. Participants are required to select between two training options: the introductory stream of the System Dynamics Summer School or Human Centered Systems Thinking, offered by IDEO U. Our team members are currently at this stage of the training.
The second phase consists of three guided online workshops led by faculty and specialists from the University of Leuven, the University of the West Indies, and the University of Cambridge. The workshops cover systems mapping through group model building, textual data-based systems mapping, and the development of quantitative simulation models from qualitative systems maps.
Guided by the expertise of mentors, the third phase comprises virtual writing retreats that provide a supportive environment for participants to review the available literature on applications of systems thinking within their chosen areas of interest.
The training will culminate with an online conference, providing a platform for participants from six countries to share insights and key lessons learned throughout the programme.
We are grateful to Global CFaH for inviting us to collaborate in this CADA Award. This initiative reflects the COHESION-I Project’s ongoing activities to improve the skills of our team members, including innovation-driven approaches for health research. We sincerely thank the NIHR GHR CADA for providing this invaluable opportunity, enabling ECRs to expand their expertise and foster their professional growth.
Two of our participating team members share their insights on their experience with the training:
