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. 2024 Jun 30;62(275):485-493.
doi: 10.31729/jnma.8640.

Status of Research Funding in Nepal: A Scoping Review

Mohan Raj Sharma  1 , Sugat Rana Tuladhar  2 , Abhishek Adhikari  3 , Akriti Khadga  4 , Shreejana Singh  5 , Namita Ghimire  6
Affiliations

Status of Research Funding in Nepal: A Scoping Review

Mohan Raj Sharma et al. JNMA J Nepal Med Assoc. .

Abstract

With the rapid advancement of health delivery, there has been a renewed interest in conducting research among healthcare professionals in Nepal. However, concern is there regarding availability of funds and mechanisms of awarding. The purpose of this scoping review is to map the available evidence regarding the evolution and current status of health research funding in Nepal and to highlight gaps and areas for future research. We searched three databases for empirical papers and several gray literature. Our search, conducted between March and April 2024 yielded 76 documents of which 30 that met the selection criteria were included in the scoping review. Almost all studies identified lack of funding as a deterrent to research. We found a paucity of research focusing on the role of researchers in funding decision-making. Our findings revealed that there are 12 national and four international organizations providing funds for research. University Grant Commission is the largest funder from Nepal whereas the Research Council of Norway is the biggest international funder. There were certain barriers and facilitators for obtaining funds identified by this scoping review. Further efforts are needed to increase the amount and availability of funds in Nepal to enable high-quality research.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author declared no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. PRISMA diagram depicting the document selection process for the scoping review.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Line graph showing the incremental growth of the research budget from 2016 to 2021 (figures in Nepalese rupees in thousands).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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