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By Jane Meza
Mombasa, Kenya: Africa has cemented its role as a leader in global research governance with the official launch of the Good Research Management Practice (GRMP) Standard, the world’s first framework of its kind.
The ARS 1024:2025 GRMP Standard, a transformative milestone developed jointly by the Science for Africa Foundation (SFA Foundation) and the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO), was formally launched by Prof Shaukat Abdulrazak, Principal Secretary, State Department for Science, Research and Innovation, Republic of Kenya, in Nairobi.
First published in June 2025, the Standard codifies, for the first time, a unified and contextually relevant framework for the governance, ethics, infrastructure, and accountability of research across the continent.
Developed over seven years through consensus among more than 150 experts from over 25 countries, the GRMP Standard outlines a holistic, eight-component model.
This model addresses governance, leadership, infrastructure, finance, training, monitoring, compliance, and ethics, aiming to inject transparency and professionalism into research management areas long hindered by fragmented systems.
Prof. Tom Kariuki, CEO of the SFA Foundation, hailed the achievement: “The GRMP Standard is a strategic asset that strengthens the foundations of our research systems and ensures that African institutions not only meet international benchmarks but set them.”
The Standard is viewed as a crucial step toward shifting Africa’s role from a recipient of external frameworks to a shaper of global research policy.
Dr. Evelyn Gitau, Chief Scientific Officer at the SFA Foundation, stated, “For too long, Africa has been a recipient of frameworks defined elsewhere. The GRMP Standard turns that narrative on its head. It is a benchmark of excellence defined by us, for us, and now, for the world.”
Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak reinforced this, urging African governments and councils to adopt the Standard swiftly. He linked its success to the African Union’s Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy (STISA-2024) and called for sustained commitment to allocating at least 1% of GDP to research and innovation, underpinned by robust accountability systems.
Development partners have strongly welcomed the framework. Dr. Jordan Kyongo of the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) noted it gives funders confidence that institutions are ready to manage resources effectively, speaking to “value for money, trust, and the promise of impact.”
Philip Okungu of ARSO celebrated the feat of reaching consensus across such a diverse group, confirming the GRMP is the world’s first research management standard built from African expertise that is fit for purpose.
The SFA Foundation announced that adoption will be accelerated through a suite of tools, including a GRMP Implementation Guide, a tailored Training Programme, a self-assessment portal, and a Certification Scheme designed to strengthen institutional trust and reduce audit burdens.
