Sharing research capacity for local research excellence: lessons from ACMA

This lessons-learned report analyses the Africa Climate Mobility Academy (ACMA) as a pilot capacity development intervention. ACMA was implemented in 2024 as a mentorship-driven, hybrid capacity development model aimed at strengthening early-career African researchers’ ability to publish policy-relevant, peer-reviewed research on climate, mobility, and peace.
The report examines ACMA’s main characteristics, identifies features of special interest, assesses how good practices in capacity development were applied or adapted, and analyses contextual, institutional, and other critical factors influencing effectiveness. It concludes with concrete, actionable lessons for future interventions of this type, as well as broader lessons for capacity development more generally.
Across all dimensions, ACMA demonstrates that long-term mentorship, hybrid delivery models, and deliberate investment in social and institutional infrastructure can significantly increase the effectiveness, equity, and sustainability of research capacity development efforts. The pilot confirms that relatively modest financial inputs, when combined with time, trust, and structured knowledge transfer, can yield disproportionately strong and durable outcomes.