By Mustapha Salisu
The Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria (MAAUN) has called for the establishment and strengthening of Funded Research Offices (FROs) in universities to improve research funding, innovation and partnerships.
The university said the initiative is aimed at building stronger research ecosystems capable of translating academic research into practical solutions and real-world impact.
According to MAAUN, a Funded Research Office can help universities identify national and international funding opportunities, strengthen researchers’ proposal and grant-writing skills, and facilitate strategic partnerships with academia, industry, government and development partners.
The university also said the offices would support professional grant management, compliance and quality assurance while promoting the uptake, application and commercialisation of research findings.
MAAUN identified the development of a sustainable, university-wide system for research funding and support as another key objective of the initiative.
It explained that its Funded Research Development and Impact Pipeline is designed to take research from identifying opportunities and developing concepts to proposal writing, funding, implementation, results, evidence and eventual scale-up.
The process, it said, would create a continuous cycle of learning, impact and growth within university research systems.
MAAUN therefore invited universities and relevant stakeholders to partner in strengthening research ecosystems, mobilising funding and delivering research with practical impact.
The university said interested institutions seeking to establish or strengthen a Funded Research Office can access more information and register their interest through its online platform. https://forms.gle/Vq64VKad1jHjV6Ns5
