The Office of Grants and Research (OGR) at the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) has held a strategic meeting with Principal Investigators (PIs) at the College to deliberate on key issues relating to effective grant management.
The meeting provided a platform for both management and researchers to reflect on existing gaps in grant administration and to chart a coordinated approach towards improving research performance and accountability within the College.
The Provost of the College, Prof. Dadson Awunyo-Vitor, underscored the need to strengthen institutional systems to enhance research output and accountability.
“From my personal experience, I have observed that record-keeping in grant management remains a challenge. What we need to do is to strengthen the OGR at the College level to provide the necessary administrative and technical support,” he noted.
He further indicated that the College intends to encourage more researchers to actively apply for grants.
“We want to motivate more researchers to apply for grants. Those who have already secured projects can serve as a critical mass to inspire and mentor colleagues who are yet to secure funding,” he added.
Prof. Awunyo-Vitor emphasised that the engagement would not be a one-off event.
“This is going to be a series of meetings, not a one-day engagement. We are starting with the PIs and the OGR staff, who will share their action plan with us. We will continue to engage to ensure sustained improvement,” he stated.
The Grants and Research Manager, Mrs. Patricia Amoah Yirenkyi, explained that the meeting forms part of efforts to strengthen research capacity across the College.
“We want to build the capacity of all PIs, senior members, lecturers, and other staff who are interested in grant writing. Let us know your needs, and we will support you to grow.
We also aim to foster collaborations, not only within CANR but across other Colleges, so that we can compete for larger and more impactful grants in the future,” she said.
Mrs. Yirenkyi also highlighted some of the challenges confronting the OGR in relation to the PIs, including limited engagement with the OGR.
She presented the Office’s action plan and led an open discussion session, during which concerns raised by the PIs were deliberated upon and addressed, with practical solutions proposed to improve coordination and efficiency.
The Provost concluded by thanking the OGR team and the Principal Investigators for their commitment to strengthening research and grant management systems within the College.
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