title: Establishing a Cancer Research Consortium in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Challenges Faced and Lessons Learned.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is an increasing effort in the global public health community to strengthen research capacity in low- and middle-income countries, but there is no consensus on how best to approach such endeavors. Successful consortia that perform research on HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases exist, but few papers have been published detailing the challenges faced and lessons learned in setting up and running a successful research consortium.
  
  
  METHODS
  Members of the African Research Group for Oncology (ARGO) participated in generating lessons learned regarding the foundation and maintenance of a cancer research consortium in Nigeria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Drawing on our experience of founding ARGO, we describe steps and key factors needed to establish a successful collaborative consortium between researchers from both high- and low-income countries. In addition, we present challenges we encountered in building our consortium, and how we managed those challenges. Although our research group is focused primarily on cancer, many of our lessons learned can be applied more widely in biomedical or public health research in low-income countries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As the need for cancer care in LMICs continues to grow, the ability to create sustainable, innovative, collaborative research groups will become vital. Assessing the successes and failures that occur in creating and sustaining research consortia in LMICs is important for expansion of research and training capacity in LMICs.
authors.affiliation: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Sara E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.|Surgeons Overseas, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Olusegun I
authors.initials: OI
authors.lastname: Alatise
authors.affiliation: Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Akinwunmi O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Komolafe
authors.affiliation: Federal Medical Center, Owo, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Aba I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Katung
authors.affiliation: Federal Medical Center, Owo, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Adedeji A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Egberongbe
authors.affiliation: University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Samuel A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Olatoke
authors.affiliation: University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Olayide S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Agodirin
authors.affiliation: Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Oladapo A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Kolawole
authors.affiliation: Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Olaejerinde O
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Olaofe
authors.affiliation: University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Omobolaji O
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Ayandipo
authors.affiliation: St. James University Hospital, Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: Olorunda
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rotimi
authors.affiliation: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Murray F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.affiliation: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA. kinghamt@mskcc.org.|Surgeons Overseas, New York, NY, USA. kinghamt@mskcc.org.
authors.forename: T Peter
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Kingham
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D057191:Capacity Building; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003906:Developing Countries; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D009369:Neoplasms; D009549:Nigeria; D009938:Organizations / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016730:Program Development; D000078329:Workforce