by Christiana Gokyo, Jos
PLATEAU STATE: A total sum of Three Hundred and Nine Million, Nine Hundred and Twenty-Four Thousand, Nine Hundred & Sixty-Eight Naira, Seventy-Two Kobo (N309,924,968.72) has been awarded to nine research teams from the University of Jos, under the 2023 National Research Fund (NRF) Intervention.
This was done by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund), which awarded each of the Research Teams the sum of between Twenty-Six Million Naira (N26m) and Forty-Six Million Naira (N46,000,000), respectively, to carry out the various research projects.
The NRF Research Grant is aimed at promoting impactful research activity in Public Tertiary Education institutions in Nigeria, in line with the TETfund mandate of promoting and supporting research activities in the country.
Our correspondent reports that the Research Grant Award Letters were conveyed to the Vice-Chancellor, University of Jos, Prof. Tanko Ishaya, by the TETfund Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono, to enable the beneficiary researchers in the University contribute meaningfully to National Development.
While each of the Research Grants has a 24-month completion timeline from the date of payment of the first tranche, the institution is expected to submit periodic progress reports of the various Researches to TETfund.
Handing over the Grant Award Letters to the Principal Research Investigators, the Vice-Chancellor congratulated them and members of their Teams for securing the Research Grants, and advised them to make judicious use of the funds in line with the Research terms.
Prof. Tanko further announced the setting-up of a Project Monitoring Committee, headed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) to monitor the progress of research activities in the University and report same to TETfund.
The Vice-Chancellor expressed delight that the University had tripled the number of TETfund Research Grants from last year, noting that the University would be among the institutions with the highest number of Acceptances this year.
He, however, noted that, it is not enough to just write a successful Grant application but the beneficiary Researchers are also expected to deliver their Research results on time and on budget.
Among the Team leaders benefitting from the NRF Research Grants are: Professors Carol Luka Domkat and Longdet Ishaya Yohanna, as well as Dr. Kutshik Richard Joseph, all from the Department of Biochemistry, while Professor Karuri Gloria Samuel is from the Department of General and Applied Psychology.
Other Team leaders are Prof. Goni Dogo Abraham, the Director, African Centre of Excellence in Phytomedicine Research Development (ACEPRD), Prof. Aguiyi John Chinyere, from the Department of Pharmacology, Prof. Alemika Taiwo of the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Professor Embu Henry Yammoh, from the Department of Anesthetics and Dr. Omale Simeon of the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology.
While speaking on the behalf of the beneficiary Research Teams, Prof. Longdet Ishaya Yohanna appreciated TETfund for providing the Research Grants and pledged that they will work hard to make the University of Jos proud by dedicating their knowledge, time and skills to deliver on their mandate.
Prof. Longdet, who is also Director of the University’s Centre for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, commended the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Tanko Ishaya, for raising the morale of Researchers in the University by organizing Seminars, Workshops and other Research Proposal Writing training programmes through the University’s Office of Research and Development (ORD), which he said is now yielding positive results.