The Pre-Award Services team supports faculty, research staff and teams across the University in the preparation and submission of competitive funding proposals. These services streamline the front-end of the research grants lifecycle by providing administrative, technical and strategic support so that proposals meet funder requirements, institutional expectations and best practice standards.
Key Services
Funding Opportunity Identification & Dissemination
Monitor, identify and circulate funding calls (internal and external) relevant to UG researchers and teams. Assist researchers in determining alignment between funding opportunities and the University’s research focus and strategic priorities.
Proposal Development Support
Provide guidance on the development of research proposals including concept clarity, methodology, budget justification, work plan and team composition. Assist in securing institutional letters of support, endorsements and other required supporting documents.
Registration & Compliance Facilitation
Facilitate the registration of researchers and the University with external funding agencies or portals as required for submission eligibility. Provide advice on sponsor due‑diligence, institutional compliance issues, and foundational administrative checks required before submission.
Budgeting & Institutional Sign‑Offs
Support budgeting processes—ensuring cost realism, funder allowable costs, institutional overheads and internal approvals. Facilitate internal approvals and institutional sign‑offs (e.g., Head of Department, Faculty/School, University) ahead of submission deadlines.
Submission Tracking & Administrative Support
Track submitted proposals, manage submission deadlines, ensure that all required documentation is complete and properly archived. Engage the satellite offices (e.g., research support units at colleges / institutes) to provide decentralised access and support across the University community.
Why This Matters
By decentralizing pre‑award functions, RID ensures that researchers at the University of Ghana have access to professionalised support services that increase the competitiveness of proposals, reduce administrative bottlenecks, and ensure institutional readiness for managing grants. In recent years, the University has seen significant growth in external awards processed through its research support structure.
Getting Started
To access pre‑award support, researchers are encouraged to contact the Pre‑Award Services team as early as the concept stage of a funding opportunity. Early engagement enables the team to assist with linking the call to UG’s institutional priorities, identifying collaborators, shaping budgets an