The Systematic Reviews Network (SRN)

What The Systematic Reviews Network (SRN) does

The Systematic Reviews Network (SRN) is a registered charity founded in December 2022 that builds methodological capacity for systematic reviews and meta-analyses across low- and middle-income countries. Originally launched as the African Community for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (ACSRM) through the University of Rwanda and the University of Lagos, the organization rebranded to SRN as training demand spread to South Asia and Latin America. SRN offers a portfolio of structured programmes including the four-week Beginner Academy (₦25,000), the two-day Advanced Meta-Analysis Workshop (₦50,000), the three-day in-person Practical Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis Workshop in Lagos (₦75,000), a six-month one-to-one Mentorship Programme, free Webinars, and bespoke Institutional Training with train-the-trainer options. The SRN Academy provides a self-paced, six-module Systematic Review Methodology course with quizzes, a marked assignment, and certification. All programmes are complemented by a free Open Resources Library containing templates for search strategies, data extraction, and PRISMA flow diagrams.

SRN monetizes primarily through course and workshop fees, institutional training contracts, and donations/sponsorships, with payments processed via Paystack. The underlying technology stack is operational rather than proprietary: Supabase powers the database and storage layer, Paystack handles payments, and Resend manages email communications; the organization is not a technology company but a training and mentorship network. Free webinars, hybrid workshops (such as the Rwanda session), and donation tiers (₦5,000–₦50,000+) serve as funnel mechanisms for paid offerings. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, relying on university partnerships (University of Rwanda, University of Lagos, Makerere University, Cochrane Kenya), newsletters, partner referral, and alumni who become mentors and facilitators.

The organization is led by Executive Director Fortune Effiong and Research & Scientific Director Roseline Dzekem Dine, supported by a Scientific & Advisory Committee and country leads in Nigeria, Uganda, and Brazil. Since founding, SRN has trained 1,000+ researchers across eight countries (Brazil, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, and Uganda), delivered 30+ workshops and webinars, and built a roster of more than 10 partner institutions. Revenue and headcount growth signals point to active scaling, though detailed financials are not publicly disclosed.

Name

The Systematic Reviews Network (SRN)

Legal name

Systematic Reviews Network

Website

https://systematicreviewsnetwork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Systematic Reviews Network (SRN) is a registered charity founded in 2022 that builds capacity for systematic reviews and meta-analyses across low- and middle-income countries, serving researchers, universities, funders, and NGOs through cohort courses, workshops, mentorship, and free open resources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Calabar, Cross River State

HQ country

Nigeria

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Course and Workshop Fees: SRN charges registration fees for hands-on courses and workshops. Pricing varies by programme type: Beginner Academy at ₦25,000, Advanced Meta-Analysis Workshop at ₦50,000, and Practical Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis Workshop in Lagos at ₦75,000. Webinars are typically free.
2. Institutional Training: Bespoke training programmes scoped to institutional needs, delivered on-site or online for universities, research institutes, and funders building synthesis capacity.
3. Donations and Sponsorships: SRN accepts donations of any size to support training, sponsor researcher places, and extend reach. Donations are processed via Paystack. Corporate partners, foundations, and individuals can fund full cohorts or individual places.
4. Mentorship Programme: Paired mentorship programme pairing researchers with experienced reviewers through live reviews for up to 6 months. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SRN is a registered charity that builds capacity for systematic reviews and meta-analyses across low- and middle-income countries. It delivers structured cohort courses, intensive workshops, one-to-one mentorship through live reviews, ongoing webinars, and bespoke institutional training, complemented by a freely accessible library of templates, tool guides, and recorded sessions.

Product overview

The Systematic Reviews Network (SRN) is a registered charity that builds capacity for systematic reviews and meta-analyses across low- and middle-income countries. Formerly known as the African Community for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (ACSRM), SRN offers a portfolio of structured training and support programmes: the Beginner Academy (4-week online course), Practical Course (3-day intensive workshop), Mentorship Programme (up to 6 months one-to-one guidance), Webinar Series (free ongoing sessions), and Institutional Training (bespoke departmental training). The SRN Academy provides a formal six-module Systematic Review Methodology course with certification. These programmes are complemented by a freely accessible Open Resources Library containing templates (Search Strategy Builder, Data Extraction, PRISMA Flow Diagram), beginner guides, and tool guides. All resources and training are designed to build researchers' capacity to produce trustworthy, reproducible systematic reviews independently.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Beginner Academy A 4-week online cohort course designed for students and early-career researchers taking on their first systematic review. Participants move from a vague idea to a registered protocol and a working search strategy through structured modules and hands-on exercises. Priced at ₦25,000 per participant.
• Practical Course A 3-day intensive hands-on workshop for active review teams that already have a protocol and review in progress. Covers methods that determine whether a review holds up to scrutiny. Includes an in-person offering in Lagos at ₦75,000 per participant and an online Advanced Meta-Analysis Workshop at ₦50,000 per participant.
• Mentorship Programme Pairs researchers with experienced reviewers for up to 6 months through a live review, providing guidance on methodological choices from framing the question to manuscript submission. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
• Webinar Series Open sessions on method and evidence, free to attend, covering focused topics on specific methods and tools. Recordings are added to the open resources library. Webinars are typically free and serve as a top-of-funnel awareness activity.
• Institutional Training Bespoke training scoped to institutional needs, delivered on-site, online, or hybrid. Designed to build lasting capacity across departments or faculties, with train-the-trainer options available for sustained impact beyond the engagement.
• Systematic Review Methodology (SRN Academy Course) A six-module introductory online course within the SRN Academy, covering how to plan, run, and report a systematic review. Delivered over six weeks at approximately four hours per week, with quizzes and a marked assignment required for certification.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,000+ researchers trained
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• AuthorAIDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting SRN's launch. AuthorAID connects researchers in LMICs with mentors and training resources for research writing and publication.
• University of RwandacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of two founding institutions alongside University of Lagos. SRN launched in December 2022 through these two universities. The partnership has shaped SRN's approach to building lasting capacity rather than one-off training.
• University of LagoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of two founding institutions alongside University of Rwanda. SRN launched in December 2022 through these two universities. Lagos continues to host workshops and training.
• Makerere University (Uganda)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCountry-level partnership in Uganda with Makerere University collaboration supporting systematic review training and capacity building.
• Cochrane KenyasecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Cochrane Kenya supporting evidence synthesis training and expanding systematic review capacity in Kenya.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Centre for Evidence-Based Health Care (Stellenbosch University): African-based systematic review training and methodology centre affiliated with Stellenbosch University. Regional peer with overlapping LMIC systematic review training mission.
• African Academy of Sciences: Pan-African science academy that funds and builds researcher capacity across the continent. Regional peer for African research capacity building with comparable target audience.
• Africa Evidence Network: African-focused evidence-use and synthesis community serving policymakers and researchers. Regional peer operating in the same LMIC evidence-synthesis ecosystem as SRN's Africa operations.

Direct peers

• Cochrane: Global leader in systematic reviews and evidence synthesis with established training programmes. Cochrane is the most established peer in the same evidence synthesis training space, and already collaborates with SRN via Cochrane Kenya.
• INASP: Supports research communication and capacity in LMICs through training, partnerships, and grants. SRN's other launch funder and a directly comparable peer for LMIC research systems strengthening.
• 3ie (International Initiative for Impact Evaluation): Produces and funds systematic reviews and evidence synthesis for international development. Highly comparable mission and methodology, with overlapping LMIC development funder base.
• Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI): Evidence-based healthcare organization providing systematic review training and methodology tools globally. Comparable focus on teaching systematic review methods to researchers and clinicians.
• AuthorAID: Connects LMIC researchers with mentors and training for research writing and publication. SRN's launch partner and a directly comparable peer for LMIC researcher capacity building.
• EPPI-Centre (UCL): Research centre at UCL specializing in systematic review methods, software (EPPI-Reviewer), and training. A directly comparable methods-and-training peer for evidence synthesis.
• Campbell Collaboration: Produces and supports systematic reviews on social science and policy topics, with training and methods support analogous to SRN's mandate. Highly comparable mission and methodology focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thesrn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Systematic Reviews Network (SRN)