OGR supports staff of KNUST under four (4) departments. The departments are as follows:

The functions of the four (4) Departments are as follows:

The Pre- and Post-award Department will be responsible for supporting all grant sourcing and management processes. Their functions will include to provide:

The Capacity Development Department will identify individual and institutional research capacity gaps and take measures to address these gaps to advance the University’s research performance. Their functions will include to:

The Research Performance & Visibility Department will be responsible for ensuring research and grant compliance, monitoring research outputs and performance, and promoting visibility of the University’s research outputs. Their functions will include to:

The Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Department will ensure that staff, students and visitors of the University are granted the right type of protection for their inventions and creations. The Department will promote innovative research and enhance university-industry collaboration and wealth creation through technology transfer. Their functions will include to:

The Finance Department will oversee the deployment of grant financial services across the entire grant cycle and ensure institutional and funder compliance. Their functions will include to:

1. Pre and Post Award (PPA)

   • Pre-award services including sourcing and disseminating funding opportunities, developing proposal requirements checklist, supporting the development, reviewing, and submission of proposals including budgets, and ensuring proposal compliance with institutional and funder requirements
   • Award services including developing, reviewing, negotiating, and processing of awards and subawards, providing just-in-time funder requirements, interpreting award terms and conditions, and ensuring University interests are protected in research projects and grant awards
   • Post-award services including ensuring compliance of research and grant activities with institutional and funder policies and guidelines, processing of annual grant amendments, responding to funder queries and requirements, and supporting project management, reporting and close-out of grants
   • Initiation and maintenance of KNUST institutional profiles and certification in funder systems
   • dministration of consultancy support services

2. Capacity Development (CD)

   • Coordinate the award and implementation processes of the KNUST Research Fund (KREF)
   • Identify training needs of researchers, research managers, accountants, and other research support staff
   • Organise training for researchers and faculty in proposal development, grant management, compliance, intellectual property, and other research and grant related areas
   • Organise tailored training and other capacity development programmes for research managers, accountants, and other research support staff
   • Organise training for graduate students in identified research and grant related areas
   • Develop and implement initiatives aimed at enhancing institutional research capacity
   • Coordinate stakeholder engagements and facilitate internal and external collaborations towards strengthening research activities

3. Research Performance & Visibility (RPV)

   • Develop and review research-related policies and guidelines
   • Coordinate research ethics oversight activities including providing administrative support to the University Research Ethics Board and the Review Committees; streamlining the processes and procedures of the Review Committees; developing periodic reports on the activities of the Committees; coordinating training activities for the Ethics Committees, staff and students; maintaining registrations and certifications of the Committees with the relevant regulatory bodies and systems; and administering any research misconduct processes
   • Ensure institutional compliance with research governance requirements
   • Production of the Annual KNUST Research Report
   • Organisation of the KNUST Research Week
   • Develop and implement innovative research dissemination strategies including the use of publications such as research reports and newsletters, and other research communication platforms such as websites and social media
   • Provide support to researchers on communicating and disseminating research outputs
   • Ensure training needs on how to effectively disseminate or communicate research findings and increase visibility for researchers are met
   • Monitor and evaluate institutional progress on research dissemination and visibility
   • Collaborate with relevant Units generate institutional research performance data based on relevant metrics
   • Collaborate with relevant Units to collate and validate relevant research performance data for internal and external uses including submission for world university ranking exercises.
   • Collaborate with JUST, URO, Library and other units to enhance the use and reach of the KNUST journal
   • Facilitate the creation of more KNUST journals to communicate specific and targeted research findings and enhance KNUST’s research visibility
   • Facilitate the use of and access to the institutional research performance tool (TekScholar)

4. Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer

   • Create awareness on intellectual property and technology transfer
   • Formulate and review IP related policies and procedures
   • Provide training on copyright and industrial property rights
   • Take inventory of the University’s IP assets and ensure proper documentation
   • Facilitate the transfer of technology from the University to industry
   • Assist staff and students in IP application preparation, filing and protection, and all other IP related matters
   • Conduct IP audit, valuation, and exploitation of IP assets
   • Ensure invention disclosure, evaluation, and market assessment of IP assets
   • Review and negotiate IP contract, licensing, and approval
   • Assist in resolving IP related disputes among students, staff of the University
   • Review and monitor IP obligations on research projects
   • Evaluate the commercial prospects of research outputs
   • Promote academia-industry collaboration to address societal challenges

5. Finance

   • Coordinate the development and implementation of systems and processes that enhance financial management of grants across the University
   • Assist Principal Investigators in preparation of budgets guided by the University’s interest
   • Prepare combined annual audited accounts of externally funded projects
   • Provide sound financial management advice and engage with researchers and partners for the smooth running of grant activities
   • Coordinate with the Director in monitoring and evaluation of projects implementation and to provide advice on the financial health of research funds/grants
   • Ensure that all project budgets are captured into Grant Account Management System
   • Liaise with system developers at UITS to ensure that the system aligns with current trends of managerial accounting
   • Ensure the creation and management of Project Asset Registers in the University
   • Manage the financial processes of the KReF award scheme
   • Maintain appropriate financial management systems and processes at the Office of Grants and Research including preparation of payment vouchers in accordance with the accounting policies and procedures, and preparation of monthly bank reconciliation statements
   • Preparation of budget and budgetary controls to aid the Office’s decision-making processes
   • Ensure that annual roll over of budgets are implemented at the end of each project year
   • Ensure that indirect costs from across the University are paid to the Central Administration
   • Submit periodic (monthly, quarterly, half year, and annual) reports on indirect cost accruing to the University to Central Administration
   • Prepare quarterly and annual financial reports on grants and OGR operations to the Director and the University Management.

TEAM

There are about 17 Staff who function differently as per their portfolio.