Strengthening climate adaptation research capacity in African universities
CO-CAT (Climate Adaptation Research-Focused Organisational Capacity Assessment Tool) is a research and capacity-strengthening initiative funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and co-funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) through the CLARE (Climate Adaptation and Resilience) programme.
The project supports African universities in assessing and enhancing their institutional capacity to conduct impactful, inclusive, and locally-relevant climate adaptation research.
The project is delivered in partnership by the Association of African Universities (AAU), the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), the Centre for Capacity Research (CCR) at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, and the University of Nottingham.
The 24-month project runs from January 2025 to December 2026.
A strategic response to institutional climate research gaps
The continent of Africa is highly vulnerable to the escalating impacts of climate change. While there is strong commitment to research across the continent, many universities and research institutions face systemic constraints. These include fragmented systems, limited and inconsistent funding, and underdeveloped governance, technical, and research infrastructure. These limit institutions' ability to deliver long-term and locally grounded climate adaptation solutions.
CO-CAT responds to this gap by providing space, guidance, and leadership for institutions to co-create a structured, evidence-informed tool that enables 20 universities across Central, East, North, South, and West Africa to:
- Diagnose institutional strengths and challenges
- Co-develop targeted capacity-strengthening strategies
- Foster inclusive and gender-responsive research systems
- Align institutional priorities with national and global climate adaptation goals
A “living lab” approach to collaborative research strengthening
CO-CAT is developed and implemented using a “virtual living lab” approach — a participatory, peer-learning process that brings together universities, policymakers, funders, and civil society to co-create a framework and pilot institutional solutions.
These living labs operate as open innovation ecosystems grounded in real institutional contexts, using iterative feedback loops, peer-to-peer learning, and inclusive co-design processes. Through structured engagement, CO-CAT brings together researchers, university leaders, and policy stakeholders to collaboratively assess, test, and refine strategies that strengthen research systems and enable sustainable, locally rooted impact.
The project has five core stages:
- Co-creation: literature reviews and stakeholder consultations shape the CO-CAT framework.
- Living lab: collaborative peer exchanges support framework development.
- Self-assessment: institutions use CO-CAT to identify research capacity gaps.
- Solutions and leadership: strategies centred on gender equity are co-developed and piloted, with training in research leadership.
- Refinement and scaling: final tools are improved and shared as open-access resources to support long-term institutional transformation.
The tool is being piloted with participating institutions, then brought back into the living lab for reflection and refinement before being finalised for open-access use. In doing so, CO-CAT aims to create a context-responsive, scalable tool that strengthens research systems not only within the project cohort, but across Africa, and beyond.
Expected outcomes
- Strengthened institutional systems to support climate adaptation research
- A scalable and open-access assessment tool for long-term use
- Increased participation and leadership of women and underrepresented researchers
- Enhanced alignment with national policies and global approaches to tackling climate change
CO-CAT and the ACU
CO-CAT reflects the ACU’s longstanding commitment to strengthening research capacity across the Commonwealth and supporting universities to contribute meaningfully to sustainable development.
By equipping African universities with the tools and collaborative space to assess and enhance their capacity for climate adaptation research, CO-CAT improves resilience, inclusion, and innovation in higher education.
The initiative offers ACU members:
- A practical framework to understand and strengthen research systems in support of climate action and institutional sustainability
- Opportunities for cross-regional collaboration, peer learning, and leadership development across diverse institutional contexts
- Focus on inclusivity and on enhancing the participation and leadership opportunities for women and underrepresented groups in climate research
- Greater visibility and strategic positioning in global research and policy dialogues on climate resilience
By fostering equitable partnerships, supporting knowledge exchange, and enabling institutional transformation, CO-CAT demonstrates the collaborative, values-led work that defines the ACU’s approach to building a more sustainable and connected higher education community.
Contact information
For more information, please contact:
Or visit the CO-CAT project page here