Background: Health research capacity strengthening (HRCS) has been
deemed as a complex, multifaceted, and dynamic activity. Despite this,
most studies that assess the effectiveness of health research capacity
strengthening programmes have not employed complexity-aware
approaches and therefore, evidence on how and why such programmes
work across different contexts is underdeveloped. This realist study seeks
to elicit the initial programme theories (IPTs) that describe how and why
the ‘Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training and Science Africa’
(DELTAS Africa) programme – one of the flagship research capacity
strengthening programmes in Africa – works to generate research
capacity outcomes specifically in the participating African universities.

Methods and Analysis: A realist review of the DELTAS Africa
programme documents, and relevant published papers that report on
similar research capacity interventions will be carried out. This will help to
both identify the outcome pathways and underlying assumptions of the
DELTAS Africa programme, as well as tacit theories as postulated by
other researchers. The review evidence will inform the drafting of the
initial programme theories (IPTs). Interviews with the DELTAS Africa
programme designing team will be conducted using a realist interviewing
technique to unearth ontologically deeper insights on context,
mechanism, and outcomes. Using the realist context-mechanismoutcome configurational maps, we will identify how contexts (i.e., within
the African universities) shape mechanisms (the processes, reasoning, or
behaviours triggered by the HRCS activities) through which the
programme brings about an outcome at institutional level. Conclusion:
The initial programme theories will describe how and why health research
capacity strengthening works, for whom and under what circumstances
across the participating African universities. The programme theories will
provide policy-relevant insights on the generative causal mechanisms of
HRCS; evidence that is critically needed to inform the design,
implementation, and evaluation of HRCS initiatives.