The Kumasi Technical University has launched a research and innovation fund to enhance the research capacity of staff and students of the institution.

The fund is geared towards fulfilling the aspirations of the university through solving local and national issues.

Some of the benefits include strategic faculty collaboration with other universities, increased extramural research funding, and improved institutions’ ranking positions.

The University has instituted ¢50,000 budgetary allocations to support the initiative.

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.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Osei-Wusu Achaw, says there are plans to increase the funds with growing interest.

“As we regularize the use of the fund and as staff show interest to effectively use the fund, it is planned to increase the institutional support of the fund,” he emphasized.

As part of efforts to strengthen the ideals of the initiative, the university recently established the University Grants Office to operate under the Office of the Vice-chancellor.

“The regulatory framework and requisite resources for the operation of the fund are already in place.

“What this means is that right after this ceremony, any staff of the university needing funding to undertake research or pursue innovation can apply through the requisite protocols to access funding,” he said.

He urged the staff to augment the fund by attracting international funds.

“Our ultimate goal, however, is that staff and indeed the university will seek support from the myriad of grant sources scattered around the globe to beef up the fund,” he said.

Director of the Institute of Research, Innovation and Development, Dr Julius Cudjoe Ahiekpor, supported the Vice-Chancellor.

“The university, of course cannot do it all. We, the researchers, have a lot to do to mobilize extra funds to support our research activities,” he promised