The University of Ghana’s Research and Innovation Directorate (RID), in collaboration with the School of Graduate Studies (SGS), has held a stakeholder consultative meeting to review and strengthen the implementation of the University of Ghana Graduate Research Fund (UGGRF).
The meeting, held on 16th April 2026 at the Conference Room of the School of Graduate Studies, brought together key administrators from both RID and SGS to reflect on lessons from the initial rollout of the fund and to streamline processes ahead of the next call for applications.
In his opening remarks, the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, Prof. Patrick Asamoah Sakyi, noted that although approval for the UGGRF was granted in 2023, its rollout in 2024 encountered challenges, particularly with timelines and proposal management. He emphasized the need to refine the process to enhance delivery and improve the overall experience for postgraduate students. He also introduced members of the Graduate School team present at the meeting.
Representing RID, the Deputy Director, Prof. Nancy Quashie, underscored the importance of the engagement, noting that the meeting was convened in response to lessons learned from the first rollout, as well as renewed institutional interest in the fund. She highlighted the University’s commitment to improving postgraduate student support, referencing recent enquiries from University Management regarding the UGGRF.
A presentation by Sylvia Antwiwaah Sarbah from the UGGRF office provided an overview of the fund’s structure and implementation. She explained that the UGGRF, developed under the leadership of the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Development and approved in 2023, is designed to provide partial funding to support graduate thesis fieldwork and data collection.
According to the presentation, the fund has a seed allocation of GHS 500,000, with award values of up to GHS 7,000 for Master’s students and GHS 15,000 for PhD candidates. A total of 104 applications were received during the first call, out of which 41 were complete and 63 incomplete, highlighting challenges with application compliance and timelines.
The meeting also addressed key operational issues, including technical challenges with the online application portal, eligibility concerns—particularly regarding MPhil students—and the need to exclude applicants already benefiting from other scholarships. Participants proposed adjustments to the application timeline, including shifting the call announcement to June or extending deadlines to the end of July to better align with academic schedules.
Discussions further focused on strengthening the proposal review process. Stakeholders recommended expanding the review panel to include representatives from the Graduate School and aligning reviewer selection with the University’s priority research areas rather than strictly by college representation.
Additional recommendations included introducing multi-level verification mechanisms to identify applicants with prior funding, allowing Heads of Department or course advisors to sign support letters in the absence of substantive supervisors, and exploring collaborative grant opportunities between SGS and RID to expand funding for the scheme.
In her closing remarks, Prof. Quashie described the meeting as productive and reaffirmed RID’s commitment to addressing the identified gaps ahead of the next rollout. She called for continued collaboration with SGS to ensure the success of the programme.
Prof. Sakyi also expressed appreciation to participants, noting that the discussions had highlighted critical areas requiring attention. He emphasized that addressing these issues would be essential to ensuring a smoother and more effective implementation of the next UGGRF call.
The UGGRF remains a key initiative of the University of Ghana aimed at supporting graduate research and enhancing the quality and impact of postgraduate training.