INTENT OF ATU RESEARCH FUND (ARIF)

As an academic institution established to promote Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) development in Ghana through cutting-edge research and linkage with industry, Accra Technical University (ATU) has been focusing its research agenda (TVET for Sustainable Development) on the development agenda of Ghana. To foster global transformation and align our research endeavours to international policy agenda, faculty and staff of ATU have to undertake/conduct research driven by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

As part of measures to realize the agenda of global visibility, international competitiveness and social impact, the Directorate of Research, Innovation, Publication and Technology Transfer (DRIPPT) and the University Management announce the second call for proposals for ARIF for the 2020-2021 academic year. ARIF aims to encourage researchers to conduct high-quality research of national and international relevance. This Call will put a premium on proposals that demonstrate strong promise regarding relevance to:

• Society;
• Industrial Linkage;
• National Development Orientation;
• Impact on ATU’s Visibility; and
• Contribution to Knowledge and Innovation.

The offering of ARIFs will provide a pathway of research evidence that will attract larger funds for the engagement in large-scale research that will yield a wider impact at both national and international levels.

ELIGIBILITY

• The 2020-2021 Call for ARIF Proposals is open to all academics, research fellows and partners associated with ATU.
• ARIF-2021 seeks to support only multidisciplinary and action-based (applied) research which focuses on engineering, applied sciences, social sciences, humanities and business.
• There shall be a lead researcher i.e. Principal Investigator (PI) in each submitted research proposal who will serve as the main correspondent and budget holder of the application.
• A submitted application should involve a very experienced academic/researcher (evident in his/her CV) as part of the research team.
• Research teams which involve members from industry in and out of Ghana are highly encouraged.
• Applicants should have relevant qualifications and competence in the subject area of the proposed project.
• The roles which will be played by each contributor/investigator should be clearly stated in the proposal
• An application for ARIF-2021 should be submitted by:
• A cross-functional team from a minimum of two (2) departments in the university is encouraged to improve multidisciplinary research and joint proposal writing.
• A team of not less than three (3) academics/researchers, including a PI who is a staff of the university.

FUNDING INFORMATION

• The minimum amount of funding is Gh¢ 5,000.00 and the maximum is Gh¢ 20,000.00.
• The duration for a project is 6 to 12 months, but can be extended with enough justification.
• Industry partners are allowed to provide additional funding to the project if it becomes necessary, but such funding will not be regulated by DRIPPT.

APPLICATION DEADLINES

• Submission of ARIF Concept Notes: 1^st March, 2021 – 8^th March, 2021
• Notification of Accepted Concept Notes: 15^th March, 2021 – 19^th March, 2021
• Submission for Full ARIF Proposals: 20^th March, 2021 – 23^rd April, 2021
• Notification of Outcome of Application: 16^th June, 2021

All proposals, communications and requests for clarifications should be submitted via e-mail at the following address riptt@atu.edu.gh. Authors of accepted proposals will be informed by 26^th April, 2021 and subsequently invited to defend their respective proposals through a PowerPoint Presentation. Template for Concept Notes and ARIF Proposal will be sent via email to staff from the Public Relations Directorate and will also be made available on the Research Directorate page of the ATU Website (www.atu.edu.gh) for staff members to download.   

• Click here to download the ATU ARIF Application Form
• Click here to download the ARIF-Concept Notes Template

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