MERU UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (MUST)

6^TH INTERNAL RESEARCH CALL FOR PROPOSALS – 2018/2019

1.0 Introduction

Meru University of Science and Technology (MUST) is launching the 6^th internal call for research proposals as part of its mandate. The proposed research work must be conducted in Kenya and must have an application components and potential impact on the beneficiaries.

1.1 Objectives of the Call

1. Improve research output in forms of information, products and services that address national needs for socio-economic development.
2. Increase the roles of scientific research and technological innovation in contributing to achievement of national and international goals.
3. Promote collaborative and multi-disciplinary solution-based research with tangible outcomes

2.0 Categories of Fundable Research Proposals

This call consists of two (2) types of research proposals and their funding limit is as indicated.

1. Multi-disciplinary research 2,000,000
2. Individual project                        500,000

3.0 Thematic Areas

All research proposals should address at least one of the following thematic areas

1. Any of the 17 SDGs with specific deliverables
2. Any of the 3 pillars of the Kenya Vision 2030 with specific deliverables
3. Any of the Big Four Agenda with specific deliverables

This call emphasizes on establishment of a strong link between the academic rigor and practical knowledge product that is useful for local, national and international consumption.    The applicants are required to demonstrate tangible and short-term research outputs that will have significant outcomes on the beneficiaries.

4.0 Eligible Applicants

Individuals and groups eligible to apply for the research project funding are,

1. Full time staff of the University
2. Current postgraduate student in the University

The following individuals and/or groups are not eligible to apply,

1. Members of the University Management Board
2. Members of research committee
3. Beneficiaries of previous calls whose funded project is incomplete

Postgraduate students should submit their research proposals with their supervisors as principal investigators because of overall project management and contractual obligations.

4.1 Eligible Cost

1. The research fund shall cover costs of research permit, data collection, analysis of results, publication, conference registration fees, conference participation costs and facilitation for the researcher and collaborators.
2. Applicants should not commit more than 15% of the total budget to monitoring and evaluation
3. Subsistence allowances during the research period should not exceed 20% of the total amount awarded.

The research fund shall not support any other costs outside those identified in (a). After completion of the project, all capital items bought by the research fund will revert to the University.

5.0 Plagiarism

1. All research proposals shall be subjected to plagiarism test at the University library
2. Proposals with plagiarism levels above 20% will not be accepted

6.0 Deliverables

All successful grantees are expected to deliver as follows,

1. Submit mid-term progress report that is six (6) months after receiving the grant.
2. Publish at least one (1) paper from the research project in a peer reviewed journal.
3. Acknowledge financial support from Meru University of Science and Technology in their publication(s).
4. Submit a soft copy of the published paper to the Directorate of Research Development and Extension.
5. Make a seminar presentation at the end of the research project.
6. Co-register between the University and the grantees any patent(s) made out of the research finding.

7.0 Research Proposal Format

The proposal should not exceed fifteen (15) pages in Times New Roman, font size 12, and spacing of 1.5. It must contain the following sections: (i) Title of the project; (ii) Summary; (iii) Statement of problem (iv) Research question/hypothesis(s); (v) Specific study objective(s); (vi) Justification of the study (vii) Up-to-date literature review; (viii) Methodology (ix) Expected outputs and outcomes; (xi) References; (xii) Itemized budget; (xiii) Work plan  (xiv) Monitoring and Evaluation log-frame.

8.0 Schedule for Proposal Processing

Following schedules will guide the processing of the research proposals

8.1 Duration of Research  

The duration of the research is one (1) calendar year

9.0 Proposal Review Method

Each research proposal will be reviewed by an independent internal and external reviewer. Decision to award an applicant or not will depend on an average score arrived at from the independent scores given by the internal and external reviewers as well as pass mark determined by the research committee guided by the available financial resources. The proposals will also be subjected to ethical review where necessary. Each successful grantee will be required to sign research grant contract form obtained from RDE.

10.0 Monitoring and Evaluation

The Directorate of RDE will monitor research projects based on the indicators outlined in the project monitoring and evaluation log-frame.

11.0 Application Procedure

Applicants are required to submit a hard copy and a soft copy (signed electronically) of the proposal through: research@must.ac.ke within the deadline provided.

For enquiries, contact the Directorate on research@must.ac.ke