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:: Volume 34, Issue 3 (7-2026) ::
Journal of Ilam University of Medical Sciences 2026, 34(3): 107-125 Back to browse issues page
Mapping Iran’s Health Research Ecosystem: An Analysis of Actors and Institutional Interactions
Jahanara Mamikhani1 , Shahram Tofighi *2 , Jamil Sadeghifar3 , Hosein Effatpanah4
1- Iran Health Management Association, Tehran, Iran
2- Iran Health Management Association, Tehran, Iran & Dept of Future Studies and Theory Building, Iranian Academy of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , sh.tofighi@iau.ac.ir
3- Dept of Health Management and Economics, School of Public Health, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
4- Dept of School Health, Asadabad faculty of Medical Sciences, Asadabad, Iran
Abstract:   (150 Views)
Introduction:  The effectiveness and problem-solving orientation of health research require operating within a cohesive network of actors. In Iran, despite institutional plurality, the lack of an integrated picture of interactions has hindered macro-policymaking. Since previous studies have mainly focused on individual components, this research aimed to provide an analytical representation and typology of the ecosystem’s key actors to enhance research governance.
Materials & Methods: This exploratory qualitative study was conducted in 2024 using an “ecosystem mapping” approach. Data were collected through the analysis of high-level documents and semi structured interviews, finalized via two expert panels. Structural relationship analysis and institutional role analysis were utilized to draw the map, and its validity was confirmed through triangulation and expert verification.
Results: A total of 26 key actors were identified and classified based on their legal and functional nature into five categories: Governance & Regulation, Financing, Knowledge Production, Intermediaries & Developmental Environments, and Commercialization & Utilization. The visual mapping reveals a dense but unbalanced structure centered heavily on the Ministry of Health (MOHME) and Medical Universities. Findings indicate structural inflation in the public sector, marginalization of the private sector, and the existence of “Organizational Silos” (fragmentation without coherence) in the knowledge production layer.
Conclusion: Iran’s health research ecosystem has surpassed the infrastructure establishment phase and achieved “Anatomical Maturity”; thus, the main national challenge is no longer the “lack of institutions,” but the “Functional Disconnect” among components. Future policymaking must shift from the “quantitative expansion and structuring” approach to the “Interaction Engineering” paradigm. Focusing on bridging institutional islands and defining joint missions between universities and industry is the way forward.

 
Keywords: Health Research Ecosystem, Health Research Governance, Health Research System (HRS), Research Policymaking, Institutional Interactions, Institutional Mapping, Iran
Full-Text [PDF 949 kb]   (56 Downloads)    
Editorial Note: Research | Subject: research
Received: 2026/06/6 | Accepted: 2026/06/20 | Published: 2026/07/27
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Mamikhani J, Tofighi S, Sadeghifar J, Effatpanah H. Mapping Iran’s Health Research Ecosystem: An Analysis of Actors and Institutional Interactions. J. Ilam Uni. Med. Sci. 2026; 34 (3) :107-125
URL: http://sjimu.medilam.ac.ir/article-1-8967-en.html
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Volume 34, Issue 3 (7-2026) Back to browse issues page
مجله دانشگاه علوم پزشکی ایلام Journal of Ilam University of Medical Sciences
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