Background Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) across Africa face significant health challenges and yet there is vast disparity in where research happens across the globe. Nurses, midwives, and community health workers are the predominant healthcare provider in most care settings and so should be supported, trained and enabled to undertake research that can deliver evidence to improve health outcomes in their communities.

Methods Global Research Nurses, part of The Global Health Network, is teaming up with the Nursing Now Challenge and other partners worldwide to utilize research as a leadership opportunity for nurses, midwives, and community health workers in LMICs. The goal of this collaboration is to register 1,000 research studies led by these healthcare professionals and provide them with the necessary skills and opportunities to generate new evidence that can improve health outcomes in low resource settings, supporting Health for All. Each study will deliver new skills and opportunities within the workplace, whilst generating missing data, supporting Health for All. The Global Health Network, a WHO collaborating centre and vast community of practice will provide the scaled support and mechanisms for the studies to be designed, operated, and reported. The Nursing Now Challenge campaign aims to improve health globally by creating leadership development opportunities for nurses and midwives.

Results The initiative will empower nurses and midwives to lead and innovate in healthcare and enhancing their professional development by delivering research leadership skills in the workplace. The program will provide lasting research capacity, achievable leadership and career development opportunities, and a comprehensive plan to ensure that it can work and leave strong, lasting impact.

Conclusion By increasing the capacity for nursing, midwifery and community health workers’ research, this challenge will help to elevate these professions and demonstrate their crucial role in addressing African and global health challenges.