Vice Chancellor’s Research Grant Guidelines

1.0 Background Information

Murang’a University of Technology (MUT) was established in September 2011 via Murang’a University College order legal notice No. 129 of September 2011 as a constituent College of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agficulture and Technology. MUT is the successor of Murang’a College of Technology. The University currently operates under the provision of

the Universities Act 2012 CAP 210 B of the laws of Kenya. On 7 October 2016, Murang’a University of Technology was fledged as a fully chartered University in Kenya.

The University mandate is to contribute to the Kenya’s Development Agenda Vision 2030, “The Big Four Agenda” and the Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which are anchored on three key pillars: Economic, Social and Political. To achieve this, MUT has to invest in development of new knowledge, inventions and innovations through collaborative research.

Therefore, the Vice-Chancellor has set funds to encourage research and innovation culture at MUT through the Vice-Chancellor’s Research Grant. The grant has been tailored to target researchers within the University who would be mentored by the senior researchers and professors.

The Research Grant is to enhance research culture in the University, nurture young researchers who will be mentored by senior Professors/researchers, encourage multi- disciplinary research across all schools, increase number of proposal application for external funding and dissemination of research findings.

2.0 Objectives of the Vice Chancellor’s Research Grant

The mission of MUT is to provide quality teaching, training, scholarship, entrepreneurship, research, and consultancy services. The Vice-Chancellor’s Research Grant general objective is to strengthen research culture in Murang’a University of Technology.

The Specific Objectives are:

a ) To promote Research Culture and Research uptake in the University.

b.) To develop research capacity among middle career members of the academic staff. c.) To develop and increase Grant Research Proposal writing and its success rate in

Competitive research calls.

d.) To promote the utilization of research finding for economic and societal development

3.0 Eligibility

To be eligible for the Vice-Chancellor’s Research Grant you need to meet the following minimum criteria;

1. The applicant must be a full-time member of academic staff/faculty/researcher at
2. Full Professors and Associate Professors are not eligible for this
3. Staffs working in the Directorate of Research , Innovation and Consultancy are not eligible
4. The Grant will fund up to a maximum of 400,000.
5. The applicant must have no research ethics disciplinary
6. The project must be within the University’s Strategic and Vision Plan, The Big Four Agenda, Kenya’s Vision 2030 and within the grant thematic
7. A researcher is eligible to make only one application for funding at any given
8. Researchers or collaborators with previous research fund from the Vice Chancellor’s Research Grant are not
9. Person(s) applying should have relevant qualifications and competence in the subject area of the proposed project.
10. Applications must be received on or before the deadline.

4.0 General Guidelines to Grant Applicañons

a.) The University shall award grants for interdisciplinary/interschool research projects to encourage collaboration. This will be determined by availability of funds and will be higher than individual Research Proposals.

b.) The University shall also award‘grants annually for individual proposals subject to availability of funds but the limit would be lower than interdisciplinary/interschool research projects.

c.) Applicants who have received funds from other sources for the same proposal must justify their application for the Vice-Chancellor’s Research Grant

d.) All members of a research team must sign the research proposal before submission for consideration to signify their consent to participate in the research project.

5.0 Specific Guidelines

i.) Proposal
The proposal should not be more than 10 pages, single-spaced, Time New Roman: 12 pt font size, 1-inch margins, consisting of
• Project Title and Details of the Applicant(s).
• Abstract/Summary (max lS0words).
• Introduction which include; (Research objectives, Research questions, research hypothesis significance to knowledge).
• Literature review highlighting which include (Previous Research, secondary data etc).
• Research Design and Methodology which include (Approach, Data collection techniques, Analytical techniques, work-plan, log-frame, Budget etc).
ii.) Budget
• Approved Projects will be eligible for funding for the specified time-frame only.
• Funding for continuing projects will be subject to satisfactory progress and financial reporting.
• Funds will be disbursed upon achievement of specific milestones as will be outlined in the contractual agreement and on satisfactory progress and accounting of the earlier amount
• Personal emoluments should not take more than 25% of the total Budget.
• The budget should be clearly iteml2ed and justified, drawn up using the allowable costs in Kenyan shillings in the following budget lines:
a) Consumables/Expendable supplies
b) Equipment
c) Documentation 3

d) Travel
e) Extra personnel
f) Dissemination of Results and other outputs
g) Other Costs

6.0 Assessment Criteria

Each proposal shall undergo a blind review and shall be assessed independently by a minimum of 2 subject specialists (peers) selected from within MUT and their reports submitted to the University Board of Research, Innovation and Consultancy (RIC) for consideration within two (2) months from the date of proposal submission deadline. (RIC) board shall rank the proposals on the basis of the reports from reviewers and submit its recommendations to the University Management through the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (ARSA). The reviewers shall be paid a token honoraria determined by the University Management.

The (RIC) board shall give guidelines to be used for reviewing and scoring by the reviewers.

7.0)  Specific Guidelines for Grant Recipients

a.) The grant shall not be transferable to any other person or institution.

b.) In the event that Principal Investigator (PI) resigns from the employment of the University, the research team shall nominate a qualified member of the team to serve as the PM.

c.) Funds received through Vice-Chancellor’s Research Grant shall not be used to purchase items such as Laptops, Printers, Cameras, Scanners, Photocopiers and Vehicles etc.

d.) Researchers shall expend the funds to undertake research activities and adhere to the work-plan, as set out in the approved research proposal without any amendments except where there is written approval for variations by the Vice- Chancellor.

e.) The Grant shall be released only after the grant contract has been dully signed by the researcher and the University.

f.) Researchers will be obligated to participate in activities related to dissemination of the research findings as may be deemed necessary.

g.) Grant recipients shall not be eligible to apply for the VC’s Research Grant until one

• year after the submission and approval of both the technical and financial reports of the previous

8.0 Contract Expiration and Termination

All projects will end on the date specified in the Grant Contract and will not be extended or renewed unless under special circumstances and with approval of the University Management

9.0 Termination of the Grant Contract or Funding

a.) The Grant Contract may be terminated by either party by giving a 30-days’ written notice to the other party, as specified in the grant agreement contract

b.) Funding may be suspended or terminated if the researcher fails to comply with the terms and conditions of the Grant Agreement

c.) In the event of termination of funding for technical reasons, the researcher(s) may be required to refund moneys if the need project is established.

10.0 Publication and Dissemination

To maximize the benefits from the research and as broadly as possible allow access by other researchers and the wider community, the Vice-Chancellor’s Research Grant beneficiaries shall be required to publish at least one (1) and disseminate their findings in refereed journal or peer attended forum. The grantee shall submit copies of any publications arising from research activities funded by the Vice-Chancellors Research Grant to the office of DVC (ARSA) through the Directorate of Research Innovation and Consultancy. All papers published and conference presentations made must acknowledge the Vice-Chancellors Research Grant and Murang’a University of Technology.

11.0 Monitoring and, Evaluation and Reporting

a.) The Directorate of Research, Innovation and Consultancy shall carry out monitoring and evaluation of all funded projects and report to the University Management through the (R lC) board.

b.) Researchers will undertake to adhere to the following reporting and monitoring

mechanisms

c.) Submit technical, financial and ethics reports (where applicable) to the office of the DVC (ARSA) through the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Consultancy before disbursement of any subsequent research funds

d.) Submit final technical and financial report at the end of the project in both hard and electronic copies to the University Management through the (RIC) board.

e.) The Structure of final technical report should follow internationally accepted format for presentation of technical and scientific works. The report should have the following rormat/components;

• Table of contents
• Introduction
• Methodology
• Results and Discussion
• Conclusion
• Recommendation
• Financial Statement
• References
• Key outputs
• Appendices