The Office of Grants and Research (OGR) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST) has held the second edition of its Research Excellence Awards Ceremony to honour members of the university community for their outstanding contributions to knowledge generation, innovation and solutions to societal challenges.
The ceremony formed part of KNUST's Research Week celebrations and brought together researchers, principal investigators, industry partners, sponsors and members of the university community to recognise excellence in research, innovation, collaboration and community impact.
Director of OGR, Professor Jerry John Kponyo, said the awards provide an opportunity to showcase the university's research achievements while appreciating the efforts of key stakeholders within the research ecosystem.
He acknowledged the contributions of principal investigators, research leaders, donors, support staff, colleges and research centres in advancing KNUST's research agenda both nationally and internationally.
"KNUST is committed to impactful research and impactful research is research that transforms communities," he said.
Professor Kponyo emphasised the need to build a stronger research ecosystem capable of driving innovation and addressing pressing societal challenges. He also thanked Vice-Chancellor Professor Mrs. Rita Akosua Dickson for her support and commitment to research development at the university.
Chairperson of the Research Excellence Awards Committee, Professor Mrs. Cynthia Amaning, said the awards scheme was developed between 2023 and 2025 to recognise excellence across multiple dimensions of research.
According to her, the awards were structured around four thematic areas: Research Excellence and Impact, Research Capacity Support, Knowledge Transfer and Innovation, and Institutional Research Excellence.
She said relevant institutional policies and documents were reviewed before the development of an objective scoring rubric to guide the evaluation process.
Professor Amaning disclosed that 42 nominations were received through self-nomination and peer-nomination processes. The evaluation involved a two-tier assessment system, beginning with college- and directorate-level reviews before progressing to university-wide competition.
She explained that nominations were assessed using indicators such as grants secured, publications in indexed journals, journal rankings, citation indices, research dissemination activities, multidisciplinary collaborations, policy impact, North-South partnerships and postgraduate student supervision.
For the first time, administrative and professional staff were included in the awards scheme, allowing staff from units such as the Registrar's Office, Finance Office, Internal Audit, University Health Services, Directorate of Student Affairs and the Directorate of Works and Physical Development to participate.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Mrs. Rita Akosua Dickson commended the organisers and the wider KNUST research community for their dedication to research excellence.
"Whatever you put value on, value goes up. Whenever we appreciate and put value on people, there is nothing to expect than to see them do more," she said.
She reaffirmed KNUST's commitment to becoming a "living laboratory" where research addresses real societal challenges.
Professor Dickson observed that the award recipients represented only a fraction of the extensive research activities taking place across the university and congratulated principal investigators for their resilience in securing grants and advancing impactful research.
"It takes calm, calculated courage to be a researcher, and we salute you," she said.
The Vice-Chancellor stressed that university management places a premium on research, describing the institution's trajectory as "excellence giving birth to eminence." She encouraged early-career researchers to actively engage in research groups and continuously build their capacities.
"Take advantage, get into a research group, and make sure you are becoming the best researcher," she said.
Declaring the university's readiness to contribute solutions to Africa's development challenges, she added:
"Let Ghana ask the questions. Let the continent ask the questions. KNUST is ready to answer."
Speaking on behalf of the award recipients, Professor Francis Kemausuor thanked the university for recognising the contributions of researchers and reaffirmed the commitment of awardees to continue pursuing impactful research.
As part of the Research Week celebrations, awards were also presented for the Scientific Conference and Exhibition.
In the Oral Presentation category, Alice Bagyireyele Lakyiere emerged winner, while Dr. Joseph Bentsil placed second. Alice Bagyireyele Lakyiere also secured third position.
For the Poster Presentation Awards, Samuel Kofi Yeboah won first place, followed by Anne Atuabea Amoako in second place and Belinda Akuamoah in third.
In the Individual Exhibition category, Dr. Bernard Akoi-Jackson of the Department of Painting and Sculpture won first place. Professor Richard Opoku of the Department of Mechanical Engineering placed second, while Dr. Benjamin Ansah secured third place.
The College of Science won the Best College Exhibition Award, followed by the College of Arts and Built Environment in second place and the College of Engineering in third.
Under the Research Excellence and Impact category, Dr. Cyril Boateng was named Best Early Career Researcher, Dr. Charles Gyamfi received the Best Mid-Career Researcher Award, while Professor Francis Kemausuor was honoured as Best Established Researcher.
In the Research Capacity Support category, Dr. Bhavana Singh won the Best Administrative and Professional Staff Research Award, while Mr. Emmanuel Kwasi Debrah was recognised as Best Research Support Staff.
Under the Knowledge Transfer and Innovation category, RAPiDVBP received both the Best Innovation Award and the Best Transdisciplinary Research Award. Professor Kwame Owusu Kwarteng received the Best Industry Collaboration Award, while Professor Daniel Ansong was honoured with the Best Community Impact Award.
For Institutional Research Excellence, the College of Engineering received the College Research Performance Award in recognition of its outstanding contribution to the university's research agenda.
Special recognition awards were also presented to resource persons for their contributions to the scientific conference. Recipients included Dr. Audrey Smock Amoah, Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission; Professor Ellis Owusu-Dabo of the School of Public Health, KNUST; Professor Jerry John Kponyo; Professor Samuel Laryea of the University of the Witwatersrand; and Dr. Faisal Nuhu of the National Vaccine Institute.
Sponsors of the event were also recognised with certificates and sponsorship awards. They included Multinec Enterprise, Xpert Vision Computers, Mardot Catering Services, Messrs Aboagye Contractor, University Printing Press, the College of Arts and Built Environment, Mirelle Enterprise, RWESCK, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, KEEP, Messrs Antarctic Limited, the College of Health Sciences, the College of Science, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the College of Engineering, GRASAG, GIZ and Messrs ASIB Limited.
