IERIS-UEW Hosts Research Capacity Building Seminar on Grantsmanship
The University of Education, Winneba (UEW) through its Institute for Educational Research and Innovation Studies (IERIS) has taken a major step towards strengthening its research output and grant acquisition capabilities by organising an intensive proposal writing seminar.
Held at the IERIS Conference Room on Tuesday, 17th June, 2025, the event brought together academic staff, researchers and other key stakeholders for a practical and thought-provoking training session led by Mr. Robin Todd, Executive Director of Transforming Teaching, Education and Learning (T-TEL). The seminar focused on equipping participants with practical strategies to develop compelling research grant proposals aligned with contemporary funding trends.
Prof. Hope Pius Nudzor, Director of IERIS, emphasised the pivotal role of the Institute as the research wing of UEW. “We are here to support researchers and propel the university to higher heights. Every research conducted in UEW must have our backing,” he declared, calling for greater internal collaboration and awareness of the institute’s mandate.
Prof. Nudzor reiterated the transformative power of well-written proposals and urged participants to integrate the lessons learned. “A brilliant technical proposal with a poor budget will not be funded,” he warned, adding that UEW must adopt robust internal quality assurance systems for all outgoing proposals.
Mr. Todd, with decades of experience in securing multimillion-dollar research grants, delivered a dynamic presentation on grant proposal development. He challenged participants to treat proposals as persuasive, sales-oriented documents rather than purely academic submissions.
“Proposal writing is not about how beautiful it sounds to academics; it is about how compelling it is to funders,” he stated. He emphasised understanding the unique needs of potential funders and tailoring proposals accordingly, adding that “you must first convince yourself that you are the best-suited person or institution for the grant before attempting to convince a funder.”
Drawing from examples of T-TEL’s successes and setbacks in securing international funding, Mr. Todd walked participants through the complexities of donor expectations, budgeting, compliance and building credibility. He also stressed the importance of strategic positioning, such as leveraging UEW’s local expertise, understanding of the Ghanaian context and capacity for innovation.
Participants were taken through trends in donor funding, from the decline of bilateral grants to the rise of private philanthropic organisations like the Mastercard and Gates Foundations. Mr. Todd urged UEW researchers to seize emerging opportunities for African-led research partnerships and consortium-based projects.
The seminar concluded with a competitive group exercise where participants were tasked with crafting brief proposals for a hypothetical grant opportunity focusing on digital technologies and inclusive education. Winners stood the chance of receiving a symbolic monetary award sponsored by Mr. Todd.
The event reaffirmed UEW’s commitment to becoming a leading hub of educational research in Ghana and Africa, capable of attracting substantial international funding and delivering impactful, contextually relevant research.
