Research funding opportunities and challenges

IF 8 Q1 INFORMATION SCIENCE & LIBRARY SCIENCE

Bottom Line Pub Date : 2017-03-27 DOI:10.1108/BL-07-2016-0027

E. Baro, Gabriel Bosah, I. C. Obi

{"title":"Research funding opportunities and challenges","authors":"E. Baro, Gabriel Bosah, I. C. Obi","doi":"10.1108/BL-07-2016-0027","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Purpose \n \n \n \n \nThe purpose of this study is to investigate the extent to which academic staff members in tertiary institutions in Nigeria access research grants, and to bring to light the factors that hinder their effort to accessing research grants. \n \n \n \n \nDesign/methodology/approach \n \n \n \n \nAn online questionnaire was designed using the SurveyMonkey software to collect the qualitative data from academic staff in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. \n \n \n \n \nFindings \n \n \n \n \nThe study revealed that only a few number of academic staff members in the tertiary institutions in Nigeria have received research grants. The study also revealed that a large number of research works carried out by academic staff are funded by themselves from the meager salary they receive. It also emerged that Tertiary Education Trust Fund is the highest funding body that academic staff have received research grants from. Different research funding agencies/organizations both local and international that support studies in Nigeria were also mentioned to create awareness for others to utilize. Politics in the selection of research proposals, inadequate publicity/advertisement for research grants applications and lack of knowledge about funding agencies/organizations were identified as the most mentioned hindrances to accessing research grants in Nigeria. \n \n \n \n \nResearch limitations/implications \n \n \n \n \nA limitation of this study is the low response rate obtained, considering the number of tertiary institutions in Nigeria which does not permit generalization. The low response rate suggests that responding to an online questionnaire is not high on the agenda of academic staff members in tertiary institutions in Nigeria, and this is a major challenge for researchers undertaking evidence-based research considering the number of institutions. \n \n \n \n \nPractical/implications \n \n \n \n \nThe findings will provide academic staff with important data and insight into the various local and international research funding agencies/organizations that support research in Nigeria. \n \n \n \n \nSocial/implications \n \n \n \n \nAcademic staff members receiving research grants will enable them find a solution to societal problems through evidence-based research. The findings of this study will inform other academic staff of the various research funding agencies/organizations that support research in Nigeria. This will create awareness for them to access such grants. \n \n \n \n \nOriginality/value \n \n \n \n \nThe work is an original research work conducted by the researchers. The findings will add to the body of knowledge on the area of research funding in Nigeria.","PeriodicalId":44548,"journal":{"name":"Bottom Line","volume":"63 1","pages":"47-64"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0000,"publicationDate":"2017-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"6","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Bottom Line","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1108/BL-07-2016-0027","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"INFORMATION SCIENCE & LIBRARY SCIENCE","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 6

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the extent to which academic staff members in tertiary institutions in Nigeria access research grants, and to bring to light the factors that hinder their effort to accessing research grants. Design/methodology/approach An online questionnaire was designed using the SurveyMonkey software to collect the qualitative data from academic staff in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Findings The study revealed that only a few number of academic staff members in the tertiary institutions in Nigeria have received research grants. The study also revealed that a large number of research works carried out by academic staff are funded by themselves from the meager salary they receive. It also emerged that Tertiary Education Trust Fund is the highest funding body that academic staff have received research grants from. Different research funding agencies/organizations both local and international that support studies in Nigeria were also mentioned to create awareness for others to utilize. Politics in the selection of research proposals, inadequate publicity/advertisement for research grants applications and lack of knowledge about funding agencies/organizations were identified as the most mentioned hindrances to accessing research grants in Nigeria. Research limitations/implications A limitation of this study is the low response rate obtained, considering the number of tertiary institutions in Nigeria which does not permit generalization. The low response rate suggests that responding to an online questionnaire is not high on the agenda of academic staff members in tertiary institutions in Nigeria, and this is a major challenge for researchers undertaking evidence-based research considering the number of institutions. Practical/implications The findings will provide academic staff with important data and insight into the various local and international research funding agencies/organizations that support research in Nigeria. Social/implications Academic staff members receiving research grants will enable them find a solution to societal problems through evidence-based research. The findings of this study will inform other academic staff of the various research funding agencies/organizations that support research in Nigeria. This will create awareness for them to access such grants. Originality/value The work is an original research work conducted by the researchers. The findings will add to the body of knowledge on the area of research funding in Nigeria.

查看原文本刊更多论文

研究经费的机会和挑战

本研究的目的是调查尼日利亚高等教育机构的学术人员获得研究资助的程度，并揭示阻碍他们获得研究资助的因素。设计/方法/方法使用SurveyMonkey软件设计了一份在线问卷，从尼日利亚高等院校的学术人员那里收集定性数据。研究结果表明，尼日利亚高等教育机构中只有少数学术人员获得了研究资助。该研究还显示，学术人员进行的大量研究工作是由他们自己从微薄的工资中获得资金。此外，高等教育信托基金是学术人员获得研究经费的最高资助机构。还提到了支持尼日利亚研究的不同的地方和国际研究资助机构/组织，以提高人们的认识，供其他人利用。在尼日利亚，研究提案的选择中的政治因素、研究资助申请的宣传/广告不足以及缺乏对资助机构/组织的了解被认为是获得研究资助的最大障碍。考虑到尼日利亚高等教育机构的数量，本研究的一个局限性是获得的低回复率，这不允许推广。低回复率表明，对在线问卷的回答在尼日利亚高等教育机构的学术工作人员的议程上并不重要，考虑到机构的数量，这对从事循证研究的研究人员来说是一个重大挑战。这些发现将为学术人员提供重要的数据和洞察支持尼日利亚研究的各种地方和国际研究资助机构/组织。社会/影响获得研究资助的学术人员将能够通过循证研究找到解决社会问题的办法。这项研究的结果将通知支持尼日利亚研究的各种研究资助机构/组织的其他学术人员。这将提高他们获得此类赠款的意识。该作品是由研究者进行的原创研究工作。这些发现将增加尼日利亚研究经费领域的知识体系。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Bottom Line INFORMATION SCIENCE & LIBRARY SCIENCE-

CiteScore

9.90

自引率

12.20%

发文量

期刊介绍： Because The Bottom Line: Managing Library Finances is written and edited by well respected figures from the librarian community - you can be assured the topics covered will be particularly relevant to you and your library.