Strengthening Research Capacity to Drive Genome Editing Innovation

POLICY BRIEF 3

Strengthening Research Capacity to Drive Genome Editing Innovation

Target Audience: Research Institutions and National Science Councils
 

Africa’s future in gene editing depends on strong, well-resourced research ecosystems. National research institutions must be empowered to lead innovation—through infrastructure, sustained funding, talent retention, and strategic partnerships—to ensure that African science shapes the future of genome editing and shares fully in its benefits.

Gene editing (GEd) technologies such as CRISPR offer transformative potential to address food insecurity, public health challenges, and environmental threats. African scientists are actively engaging in GEd research, yet much of this work remains donor-driven, fragmented, or poorly integrated into national development priorities.

The AUDA-NEPAD Gene Editing Landscape Study, covering 16 African countries, identified critical gaps in infrastructure, research funding, and policy alignment that constrain the ability of institutions to lead. Strengthening national science systems is essential not only for advancing innovation, but also for ensuring equity and agency in the global biotechnology landscape.

Key Findings from the Landscape Study

• Constrained Capacity: While a few institutions are engaged in gene editing research, most lack the infrastructure, funding, or partnerships needed to initiate or sustain such work. This uneven distribution highlights broader systemic gaps across national research systems (see figure 1).

Figure 1: Number of funded completed and/or ongoing GEd projects in each country.

• Funding Gaps: Public investment in genome editing research is limited, and most ongoing projects are externally funded. This creates sustainability risks and limits alignment with national priorities.
• Fragmented Research Ecosystems: Collaboration across national institutions is often weak, leading to duplication of efforts and underutilized resources.
• Disconnect from Policy and Regulatory Processes: Researchers are not consistently involved in national policy dialogues, limiting their ability to inform governance frameworks or anticipate regulatory pathways.
• Limited Talent Retention and Career Pathways: Emerging researchers face challenges in securing long-term positions, mentorship, and institutional support, contributing to brain drain or inconsistent project continuity.

Opportunities for Institutional Leadership

Research institutions are well-positioned to drive innovation in gene editing and to shape how the technology is adapted to Africa’s development priorities. Strengthening institutional leadership can help ensure scientific excellence, sustainability, and policy relevance. Strategic opportunities include:

• Establishing national and regional centres of excellence to consolidate expertise, infrastructure, and mentorship in genome editing.
• Diversifying funding models by pursuing domestic, private-sector, and philanthropic partnerships to reduce dependence on external donors.
• Embedding policy and ethics engagement into research agendas to ensure that science informs governance, and that innovation aligns with societal values.
• Investing in human capital development, with a focus on training, mentoring, and retaining early-career researchers and postgraduate talent.
• Promoting south–south and pan-African collaboration to share knowledge, tools, and data, and to build collective scientific capacity across the continent.

Policy Recommendations

1. Integrate gene editing into national research and innovation strategies, with clear performance indicators and dedicated funding streams.
2. Establish and equip shared research hubs that provide biosafety-compliant laboratories, access to reagents, and supportive digital infrastructure.
3. Strengthen domestic research funding mechanisms, including government seed funds, innovation grants, and competitive research challenges.
4. Support interdisciplinary research teams that connect genome science with social science, ethics, and policy to enhance relevance and societal impact.
5. Facilitate partnerships with regulators, universities, and the private sector to ensure that research is aligned with policy priorities and pathways to application.

Call to Action

African research institutions must be the architects—not merely adopters—of gene editing solutions that respond to the continent’s needs and priorities. Strategic investments made today will position Africa to lead tomorrow as a global contributor to responsible, cutting-edge biosciences.

AUDA-NEPAD invites research leaders to co-create collaborative platforms, mobilize sustainable funding, and shape a shared African agenda for genome editing research and innovation.

Contact: AUDA-NEPAD [insert email/contact point]