Community engagement and involvement in Sri Lanka: a knowledge mobilisation case study

This paper provides a narrative case study of how Community Involvement and Engagement was introduced and embedded within the Sri Lanka research system between 2018 and 2025. Using stakeholder engagement activities, workshop outputs, and programme documentation coordinated by the Institute for Research and Development in Health and Social Care (IRD), the study explores the methodologies, processes, and institutional strategies that supported sustained CEI development in a lower middle-income country (LMIC). The paper demonstrates that successful CEI requires addressing structural inequalities and fostering deep community engagement. Embedding CEI requires alignment between ethical governance, institutional leadership, and culturally adapted engagement practices, underpinned by knowledge mobilisation. The findings highlight the potential for bidirectional benefits between lower- and higher-income countries, which may contribute to evolving and improving the the research culture in LMICs. These efforts have laid a robust foundation for CEI in Sri Lanka, serving as a model for other LMICs. Sustaining this momentum will require continued innovation, strategic partnerships, and integration of CEI into national research policies.