The Office of Grants and Research (OGR) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, celebrated its 10th Anniversary as part of the KNUST Research Week. The day was marked by a symposium held under the theme: 'The Path to Research Impact: Grantsmanship and Commercialisation.'
Opening the symposium, Professor Philip Antwi-Agyei, the Director of the Office of Grants and Research, emphasised the need for interdisciplinary research to address complex developmental challenges such as climate change, food security, infectious diseases, globalisation, and environmental pollution. He noted that KNUST has received research funding worldwide, reflecting its status as a Centre of Excellence. He added that between 2019 and 2023, the University attracted over One Hundred and Sixty-Two Million Dollars ($162,000,000) in grants.
Professor Antwi-Agyei commended KNUST researchers for their significant increase in scholarly output, with over Six Thousand (6,000) publications in indexed journals across various disciplines. He emphasised that research is central to the University's mission and urged academic staff to integrate their research findings into teaching and community engagements, which would contribute to career progression and promotion.
However, the Director acknowledged the challenges faced by faculty members in accessing research funding, particularly, in the competitive landscape created by the COVID-19 pandemic. To address these challenges, he assured that the OGR would continue to enhance researchers' capacity in proposal development, grants management, research methodology, data analysis, scientific writing, and research communication.
Professor Solomon Fiifi Ofori-Acquah, the Director of the West African Genetic Medicine Centre, delivered the keynote address on the ‘Opportunities and Challenges of Conducting Transformative Research in Africa.’ He highlighted the multifaceted challenges faced in Africa at international, national, institutional, and individual levels, with funding being a major barrier across all levels. He stressed the need for universities to prioritise lobbying the government for research funds to mitigate some of these challenges. He also mentioned the establishment of a unique biorepository for genomics and gene therapy studies in Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), including the assessment of patient immunogenicity to gene therapy viral constructs. In addition, he mentioned efforts to educate corporate and sectoral stakeholders as well as traditional leaders on the importance of integrating genetics into healthcare in Ghana.
A panel discussion on Grantsmanship and Commercialism was held, featuring Professor Solomon Fiifi Ofori-Acquah, Dr. Lena Dzifa Mensah, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Mechanical Engineering; Dr. Eric Owusu Mensah, Lecturer of Food Science and Technology, Dr. Laud Anthony Wihibeturo Basing, the Founder and CEO of Incas diagnostics and a Lecturer at the Department of Medical Diagnostics. They provided insights and guidance to researchers and aspiring entrepreneurs on leveraging grantsmanship and commercialisation to advance their scientific endeavours, while also considering economic viability and societal impact. They also shared their experiences, successes, challenges, and lessons in winning research grants and commercialising their outputs.
