The University Health Services (UHS) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has held a training workshop ahead of its maiden Research Week. The event was themed: “Advancing Excellence in Patient-Centred Care Through Data-Driven Research, Innovation and Collaboration.” The training was aimed at equipping staff with essential skills for impactful research, brought together key stakeholders including pharmacists, doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists, bioinformaticians and epidemiologists. Participants benefited from sessions on proposal writing and grantsmanship by two facilitators.
According to the Chairperson of the In-Service Training Committee, Dr Eric Oduro, impactful research is a core pillar of the hospital’s vision. To advance this vision, staff must be continuously empowered with the right knowledge and platforms. He continued that the University Hospital has put together a three-day workshop covering the fundamentals of research.
The first speaker, Dr. Daniel Boateng, highlighted the importance of well-structured research proposals. He emphasised that strong proposals are key for grant applications and research funding. Dr. Boateng explained that every section of a proposal matters, from the title to the last page. He therefore encouraged staff to avoid content mistakes and seek feedback from supervisors.
In his submission, A Research Scientist from the Department of Medical Diagnostics, Dr. Laud Anthony Basing, KNUST, stated that grants are funds given for a specific purpose, and understanding the passion and priorities of the funding agency greatly increases one’s chances of success in securing them.
Dr. Basing encouraged participants to begin with fellowship grants to build credibility before applying for larger ones. He also stressed the importance of monitoring and evaluation, institutional capacity, team expertise and sustainability when applying for research grants. According to Dr. Basing, research proposals should be simple, clear and align with review criteria.
