To equip newly appointed academic staff with research and grant writing skills, the Office of Grants and Research (OGR) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has organised a Seminar on Research and Grantsmanship at the Gardiner Conference Room on Thursday, 10th February, 2022.
The Pro-Vice Chancellor, Professor Ellis Owusu-Dabo announced that KNUST has retained its position as the 12th best University in Africa and the best in Ghana, according to the US News and World Report. This feat, he asserted was achieved because of the research conducted by the University and encouraged the staff to keep up the good work.
He emphasised that their appointment as lecturers is mainly to discover certain niches in research that will help promote the socio-economic development of the country. The University also seeks to tap into the research conducted, build on it and share knowledge through teaching and serving the communities, he added.
To climb the academic ladder, the Pro-Vice Chancellor emphasised the need to add to knowledge through research in specific areas or expertise. This, he believes would create ‘research citizenship’ of individuals with certain expertise to offer help when the need arises. He further urged the participants never to forget this, lest they lose their jobs or remain stagnant in their ranks.
Professor Owusu-Dabo indicated that research would promote institutional capacity and help in the University’s visibility and ranking. He then inspired the participants not to relent but work assiduously to improve themselves and ensure the growth of the University and the globe at large.
The Director of OGR, Professor Phillip Antwi-Agyei in his opening remarks stated that as new staff of the University, they are expected to teach, research, and engage in community outreach. He stressed that research plays a central role and thus advocated that their teaching and community engagements should be informed by their research findings. H stressed that research is a relevant tool for building knowledge for learning, understanding various issues, as well as increasing public awareness on various issues. However, ethical issues in scientific research are inevitable, he, therefore cited instances of ethical issues and highlighted the various structures and committees put together to address such concerns.
Professor Antwi-Agyei took participants through how they could build their research portfolios. He highlighted the need to seek opportunities to network and collaborate with other researchers as much as possible. He also emphasised the need to be committed, dedicated and be resolute in the face of failures in their applications for grants. He also took participants through the benefits of sponsored research, funding sources and the current status of grantsmanship at KNUST and how to improve it.
Participants were also given a Principal Investigator's Handbook for grants and research, and some successful early career researchers shared their experiences with them.