Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) through the Directorate of Postgraduate studies, Research, Technology transfer and Consultancy prepared a 4 days workshop entitled “Capacity Building Training Workshop on writing Grant Winning Proposals.” The participants are learning different aspects of developing competent proposals in the course of the four days.
Today the participants had an opportunity to learn from Prof. Susan Nchimbi from the Department of Crop Science and Horticulture. Prof Nchimbi spoke on various issues including work plan, budget, dissemination and communication, ethical issues in research and Intellectual property rights.
The work plan is a road map for your scientific proposal as it tells the funders what you will be doing and it will also guide you. It should include the expected activities to be done, responsible persons as well as timeline. The participants had an opportunity to learn on how to prepare budget for proposals and the important aspects of it including the dos and don’ts
“I have learned important aspects in preparing work plan and budget, I understood that if I fail to plan clearly in the beginning then even project implementation will have serious challenges or even fail” ~ Emanuel Nkuwi, Assistant Lecturer DCSH
Dissemination and Communication of the Research findings was not left out, Prof Nchimbi stressed on the importance of planning a strategy for it. She stated that:
“Even if you are experienced, you cannot know everything, there is always a room for improvement that’s why it is important to disseminate the findings from your work. You can use peer reviewed scientific journals, conferences, mass media, radio, newspapers, newsletters, research repository and nowadays with the increased usage of social media, you can also use that.”
She also insisted on the importance of preparing clear materials to be disseminated and have clear means of disseminating based on your audience, these can be papers, posters, demonstration plots, songs, campaigns, or artists. This is very important and a researcher should be flexible because if they fail to choose the method then the intended message might not be delivered as expected.
Another pressing issue was on the Ethical Issues in Research. The aspects were explained in details to ensure that the participants clearly understand them. Some of the aspects include, honesty, objectivity, integrity, competence, openness, confidentiality, carefulness and their importance include, promoting the aims of research, promote values essential for collaboration, ensuring the accountability of researchers, promoting moral and social values such as human rights, animal welfare, social responsibility, public health and safety
“I have understood what to consider when selecting results dissemination method, Ethical issues and the importance of observing them during research. The best part with the training was hearing and learning from Prof. Nchimbi experiences through her own projects.” ~ Aziza A. Said, Assistant Lecturer Department of Biosciences
