TASFUED Deepens Research Drive, Equips Scholars for Competitive Grants

The Tai Solarin Federal University of Education (TASFUED), Ijagun, has intensified its drive to expand research visibility and attract competitive funding.

The Directorate of Research and External Relations (DRER) organised the second edition of its Concept Note Writing training programme for members of the university community.

The training, tagged Concept Note Writing 2.0, was organised in line with the STARWIN Agenda of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Samuel Oladipo, and was designed to equip participants with skills required to develop compelling research concept notes and proposals capable of attracting national and international grants.

Speaking at the programme, the Director of DRER, Prof. Olufunke Ekine, said strengthening the university's research profile requires not only impactful research but also the ability to effectively communicate ideas in ways that attract funding.

She stressed that well-developed concept notes and proposals are essential to positioning the university for greater visibility and access to funding opportunities, including the National Research Fund (NRF), Institutional-Based Research Grants (IBG) and other international schemes.

For us as an institution to get visibility, we need our research out there in the open. For our research to be funded, we need to be able to write good concept notes and proposals that will attract the National Research Fund, Institutional-Based Grants, and several other international grants, she said.

Prof. Ekine, who disclosed that she had benefited from research grants on several occasions, explained that the training was aimed at transferring practical knowledge to academic and interested non-teaching staff to enable them identify funding opportunities and develop competitive applications.

Also speaking, the Director of Academic Planning, Quality Assurance and Accreditation, Prof. Jimoh Owoyele, described the training as a strategic intervention to strengthen the university's research culture and improve researchers' capacity to compete for grants.

Prof. Owoyele, who was one of the resource persons, said the training was timely given the ongoing call for applications for the National Research Fund, and that the initiative was intended to encourage wider participation in research and grant applications across the university.

We want as many participants as possible from TASFUED, he said, urging the academic community to collaborate and develop proposals capable of competing successfully for funding.

He noted that the changing nature of civilisation and emergence of new challenges make continuous research imperative, adding that research remains critical for expanding knowledge frontiers and developing solutions to societal challenges.

The training featured specialised sessions covering critical components of concept note development and grant applications. Prof. Owoyele facilitated a session on The Dos and Don'ts of Concept Note Writing, while Prof. Zubair Soluade handled Methodology, Timeline and Grant Chart. Other sessions included Budgeting, facilitated by Prof. Ekine, and Ready Sources for Funding, delivered by Dr. Oyesolape Akinsipo.

The programme attracted academic staff from the College of Science and Information Technology, College of Specialised and Professional Education, and College of Humanities.

The training further demonstrated DRER's commitment to building a research-driven academic environment at TASFUED and equipping staff with capacity to transform research ideas into fundable projects with institutional and societal impact.