ESIC announces the new Regional and Sectoral Hubs, and HubLAC becomes the regional hub for Latin America and the Caribbean
The Evidence Synthesis Infrastructure Collaborative (ESIC) has officially announced the new elements of the global infrastructure intended to transform the synthesis and use of evidence in public policy and sustainable development, with the support of Wellcome Trust.
Among these announcements, our Latin America and Caribbean Evidence Hub (HubLAC) has been designated as the regional hub for Latin America and the Caribbean.
This designation represents a fundamental milestone for our region: it reaffirms HubLAC as an articulating bridge between local evidence ecosystems and global initiatives, allowing us to lead evidence intermediation, strengthen regional capacities and integrate advanced tools (such as AI-enabled evidence synthesis) adapted to our realities.
“This is an exciting moment for Latin America and the Caribbean! This investment paves the way for dynamic Global South leadership, bold new partnerships, and transformative opportunities to strengthen our regional evidence ecosystem and ultimately, how evidence informs decisions. I am particularly excited about what this means for the Caribbean—not simply having a seat at the table, but helping to shape the agenda, drive innovation, and bring our unique perspectives, experiences, and priorities to the forefront.” (Shelly-Ann Hunte, codirector of Hub LAC)
“The fact that Hub LAC is now the regional hub for Latin America and the Caribbean means we can bring together all the groups that are in some way interested in promoting the use of scientific evidence to inform public policy across different social sectors—groups that had always worked in isolation, where there was a great deal of duplication of effort, and where not everyone was aligned in addressing the world’s most pressing needs. We were able to bring these groups together and secure funding to build an infrastructure that could work in sync to address the world’s most critical challenges.” (Daniel F. Patiño-Lugo, codirector of Hub LAC)
The new components of the ESIC global infrastructure 🌎🤝🌍
- 5 Global Sectoral Hubs:
- Economic growth: CHANGES team, led by Gabriela Benatti (Veredas Institute, Brazil).
- Food systems: HARvEST team, led by Aditi Mukherji (International Livestock Research Institute, Kenya).
- Humanitarian assistance: SIRAJ team, led by Fadi El-Jardali (American University of Beirut, Lebanon).
- Peace and effective institutions: Equipment EQUIP, led by Suchi Kapoor Malhotra (Global Development Network | Campbell South Asia, India).
- Social protection: R4E team, led by Ashrita Saran (Global Development Network, India).
- Data mechanisms and global impact:
- PACE (through the Global South Tech Alliance) will assume the leadership of the Global South for the open data system for evidence synthesis (ODS).
- The UN Secretary-General Scientific Advisory Board will use ESIC as an evidence channel for the United Nations system.
Our collaboration in the sectoral call
This achievement is the continuation of a process in which the HubLAC community played a decisive role. Between March and April 2026, we promoted a regional strategy to mobilize and connect actors in the region for the Wellcome Trust’s call for sectoral hubs:
- Live mapping and connections: We received over 70 responses and facilitated connections for proposals across the 5 sectors, connecting 43 organizations and individuals from Latin America and the Caribbean with global partners. (Access the Full registration table here).
- Dissemination and training: We conducted two webinars in Spanish and English, and participated in the regular meeting of the Brazilian Coalition for Evidence to answer any questions in Portuguese.
- Guiding document: We developed a guide on the relationship between sectoral and regional hubs to support applicants.
- Support for regional proposals: As a result of this collaborative work, HubLAC awarded letters of support to all proposals that had co-leadership from Latin America and the Caribbean, with 4 sectoral hubs selected worldwide endorsed by HubLAC.
Soon we will share more details about the formal start of operations as the Regional Hub for Latin America and the Caribbean and the new ways for our community to participate.