Maseno University Holds Grant Proposal Writing and Research Workshop
Maseno University held a grant proposal writing and research workshop on 13 March 2026 at the University boardroom, bringing together academic staff, postgraduate students and early-career researchers for a practical session on strengthening research funding applications.
The workshop was facilitated by Prof. Collins Ouma, Director of the Directorate of Research and Innovations, together with visiting scholar Prof. Yannis from Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Hong Kong.
Opening the session, Prof. Collins Ouma welcomed participants and emphasized the importance of building strong research proposals that can attract competitive funding and support impactful research.
Prof. Yannis led the main training sessions beginning with a discussion on how to develop competitive research concepts. Through an interactive presentation, he guided participants on how to transform research ideas into strong concepts that respond to real-world challenges. The audience actively engaged in the discussion, sharing ideas and asking questions which he addressed throughout the session.
He also took participants through the key sections of writing a technical research proposal, highlighting the value of teamwork and interdisciplinary collaboration. According to him, strong proposals often emerge when researchers combine expertise from different fields while ensuring that their ideas align with donor priorities and national development needs.
In the final session, Prof. Yannis focused on proposal budgeting and competitiveness, pointing out common budgeting mistakes made by researchers and offering practical tips on how to prepare realistic and well-structured budgets.
The workshop concluded with closing remarks from Prof. Collins Ouma, who thanked the facilitator and participants for their active engagement. He noted that the training is part of ongoing efforts by the University to strengthen research capacity and increase success in securing research grants. The workshop will continue next week with additional sessions.