The Kumasi Technical University led by the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Ing Professor Osei-Wusu Achaw has launched a research and innovation fund at a brief ceremony held at the University to enhance the research capacity of staff of the Institution.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, the purpose of the fund is to equip staff to get involved in cutting-edge research in the University and also gear towards fulfilling the aspirations of the University through solving local and national issues. Ultimately, some of the benefits of the fund will include strategic faculty collaboration with other universities, increased external research funding, and improved institutional ranking. The University has instituted ¢50,000 financial allocations as seed money to support the Research and Innovation Fund.
The Vice-Chancellor said, there are plans to increase the fund when there is growing interest. As part of efforts to support the ideals of the initiative, he indicated that the University recently established the University Grants Office which is to operate under the Office of the Vice-Chancellor. In addition, he indicated that the regulatory framework and the necessary resources for the operation of the fund were already in place. In such a situation according to the VC, if any staff of the University needed funding to undertake research or pursue any innovation, the fellow could apply through the requisite protocols to access funding.
The Director of the Institute of Research, Innovation and Development (IRID), Dr Julius Cudjoe Ahiekpor, on his part, said “there are three types of grants: early-career grants which would not normally exceed ¢7,000, mid-career grants which would not exceed ¢15,000 and collaborative grants that would not normally exceed ¢50,000”.
According to the IRID Director, “the University, cannot do it all. We, the researchers, have a lot to do to mobilize extra funds to support our research activities,” he advised. He further urged the staff of the University to take advantage of this dedicated fund in promoting a culture of research beyond individual accomplishments and further impact society and contribute to the development and growth of KsTU to attain the envisaged world-class status. He thanked the Vice-Chancellor together with his team who worked in establishing the Fund.