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The Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, (UCC) Professor Domwini Dambire Kuupole has encouraged university lecturers and professors to develop the interest to conduct quality research that would impact positively on the livelihoods of people living around the university community. 

The Vice Chancellor underscored the importance of research work to the development and growth of the individual and the university, noting that apart from improving upon the living conditions of the people living around campus it would also market and give the university an international recognition.

Prof Kuupole said this at the maiden Research Awards and Grants (RAG) ceremony, organised by the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Consultancy (DRIC) at UCC, on Tuesday.

He said it was important for the lecturers to engage in research work, which would influence  policy-making and implementation and also enhance the development of the people they served and the nation, in general.

A total of seven people were honoured with citations and certificates of participation, in addition to cash awards, between GHC5,000 and GHC20,000.

Five people from three colleges received awards in the Research Grant category, while two were awarded, in the Research Award category. There was, however, no recipient for the outstanding research award. There was one award in the Best Evolving Research Award.

The five recipients in the Research Grant Award Category include, Professor Elvis Asare Bediako who researched on the “Incidence of Viral Disease of Okra in the three Agro-ecological zones of the Central Region; and in identifying Resistant/Tolerant Varieties”; and Dr Samuel Acquah, who  researched on “Insulin Resistance in Rat Malaria”.

Dr Patrick Osei–Kufour worked on “Mapping of Civil Society Organisations involved in Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution work in Ghana”, while Dr Simon Mariwah worked on, “What Has Poverty Got to Do With It? Asset-Based Approach to Household Access to Improved Sanitation”.

Dr Baah Sefa-Ntiri researched on “Application of Nanotechnology to Underground Water Treatment, Assisted by Laser Light Techniques”

The two in the Research Award category are Dr David Teye Doku, who received the Best Evolved Research Award, researched on “Measuring Adolescents’ Socioeconomic Status in Health Inequality Research in Developing Countries: The  Development of Material Affluence Scale” .  

Dr Hope Pius Nudzor, the winner of the Best Evolving Research Award worked on “Unmasking Complexities Involved In Operationalising Universal Primary Education Policy Initiative: Using the “fCUBE” Policy Implementation in Ghana as an Exemplar”.

Prof Kuupole congratulated the awardees and urged them not to hide their talents and research results; but to make it public and conduct many more researches in future to give UCC a better ranking on the University League Table.

He lauded the colleges of Humanities and Legal Studies, Health and Allied Sciences and College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences (CANs) for participating in the awards programme and encouraged the remaining two colleges to participate next year.

He tasked DRIC to source more funding so that in the next awards ceremony much appreciable cash awards would be given to the awardees.

The Deputy Director of DRIC, Dr Samuel Kobina Anim, in an overview, said the award ceremony was part of the UCC's 2012-2017 strategic plan, which required the university to develop an integrated research policy towards the socio-economic development of Ghana.

He explained that the ceremony was to provide a platform for the two categories of beneficiaries - the Grantees and Awardees to share their research findings to instigate and influence public discourse, inform national policy and engender the conduct of wide –scoping and multidisciplinary research to help address challenges confronting the world.

He said it was also expected that the platform would bring to the fore novel ideas, robust strategies and sustainable solutions for policymakers, industries and the public to make use of the findings, recommendations and experiences of the researchers for national socio-economic transformation and development .