Designing Research with Scale in Mind”: Lessons from Practice
- Dr. Edmund Ukwuru
- Jul 3
- 2 min read
Designing for impact doesn’t happen by accident. From the start, your research needs to ask: Will this work beyond my pilot? Can this scale sustainably? It’s time to go beyond isolated findings—and start creating research with scalability baked in.
The Problem
Too much research is optimized for publication—not for proliferation. Small sample sizes, overly technical solutions, and rigid designs make it hard for research to grow beyond a grant-funded pilot.
The issue isn’t lack of innovation. It’s lack of design for scale.
Scalable research requires simplicity, adaptability, affordability, and clarity in value. Most importantly, it requires researchers to consider scale from day one—not as an afterthought.
The Possibility
Take Dr. Sara Khoury, whose research on mental health interventions among adolescents in conflict zones became a modular, low-cost curriculum now used by over 300 schools across the Middle East. Or Dr. Abasi Ene-Obong, founder of 54gene, who used genomics research to scale precision medicine across Africa—securing millions in investment and global partnerships.
They succeeded because they designed for scale. They made decisions early on—about format, delivery, licensing, and language—that allowed their work to grow.
Being a “Tesla” isn’t enough. You must also think like “Edison”—with systems, markets, and delivery in mind.
The Solution
The Translational Research Forum offers practical frameworks to enable you to scale your research in diverse sectors like health, education, agriculture, and social technology.
Join us for:
“Scale-Ready Research: From Pilot to Platform”
“Packaging Your Findings for Broad Adoption”
“Funding and Framing Research for Growth”
You’ll meet entrepreneurs, funders, and social innovators who’ve scaled research-based solutions using business models, licensing, and distribution partnerships. You’ll learn how to choose the right vehicle—SMEs, NGOs, digital platforms—to match your mission.
If your research matters, it deserves to scale
Understanding Scalability
Call to Action
Think beyond the lab. Build with scale in mind. Be a builder, not just a thinker.
👉 Register for the Translational Research Forum and learn how to design your research for the next level—so your ideas don’t just reach reviewers, but reach people.
Comments