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How libraries and information officers are strengthening Nepal’s research environment

Nepal’s research landscape faces significant challenges, from limited funding and inadequate research infrastructure to poor access to high-quality academic resources. A 2024 study on Nepal’s research environment, published in SpringerNature, found that over 50% of Nepal-based researchers consider the research environment unfavourable, citing lack of funding, weak research culture, and limited institutional support as major barriers. Despite these obstacles, institutions like the Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC) are actively working to bridge these gaps, making research materials more accessible and offering essential training to researchers. At the forefront of these efforts is Chandra Bhushan Yadav, NHRC’s Library & Information Officer, who has played a key role in promoting Research4Life (R4L) resources to strengthen Nepal’s research ecosystem. Chandra says:

“Access to research is just the first step. Without proper training many researchers struggle to fully utilize these resources. My goal is to ensure that researchers not only have access to knowledge but also the skills to apply it effectively.”

Chandra Bhushan Yadav

For many researchers in Nepal, access to high-quality journals and academic resources remains a major hurdle. A Kathmandu Post (2024) article highlighted that most Nepalese universities do not subscribe to the leading academic journals, limiting the ability of researchers to publish in top-tier journals. Additionally, the Study on Nepal’s Research Environment found that Nepalese researchers often rely on self-funded international grants to access essential materials, as domestic funding remains scarce. It is in this area that Research4Life is making a difference. Nepal is classified under Group A by Research4Life, meaning its institutions and their users have free access to a vast collection of academic resources. Since 2008, Chandra has been instrumental in helping researchers, students, and faculty at NHRC effectively access and utilize Research4Life resources to support their work. One of Nepal’s biggest challenges is the lack of formal research training. The Kathmandu Post (2024) reports that many professionals view research as a data-gathering exercise rather than a process of scientific discovery. The study on Nepal’s research environment (2024) further highlights that faculty are often overloaded with teaching and administrative tasks, leaving little time to mentor and to train researchers. To address this need, Chandra has conducted over 100 physical and virtual Research4Life training sessions since 2008, equipping more than 2,000 students, researchers, faculty members, and fellow librarians with essential skills to effectively navigate and utilize Research4Life resources. These courses have focused on:

• Teaching researchers how to conduct systematic literature reviews
• Improving academic writing skills for high-impact journal publications
• Enhancing awareness of open-access platforms and data analysis tools
• Guiding researchers in research methodologies and ethical publishing

He says:

“Many researchers in Nepal have the passion but lack the training to conduct rigorous scientific studies. Our Research4Life workshops provide the skills they need to write, publish, and engage with global research.”

Despite NHRC’s efforts, Nepal still lags behind in institutional support for research. Government investment in research and development remains critically low at just 0.03% of GDP, one of the lowest levels globally (Kathmandu Post 2024). And the study on Nepal’s research environment (2024) found that only 28% of researchers have access to lab space, and most rely on international funding rather than domestic support. However, funding alone is not enough to transform Nepal’s research landscape. As highlighted in the same study, coordinated effort is needed—one that combines financial investment with strong policies, institutional reforms, and a cultural shift toward valuing rigorous scientific inquiry. The work of libraries and information officers like Chandra is key in this transformation helping to shift the research culture and fostering research excellence. And access to world-class research materials and training programs via Research4Life is helping NHRC lay the foundation for a more research-driven future.