For the 2015-2016 academic year, the School for Graduate Studies and Research continued its focus on the strategic initiatives identified in the current Strategic Plan 2012-2017, with a view to improving the overall student experience as well as the research environment at The UWI. Effective October 2015, the research portfolio of the School was merged with graduate studies and the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Graduate Studies assumed responsibility for Research. Important initiatives undertaken in this regard include operationalisation of the research clusters identified in the strategic plan, as well as the alignment of the work of the centre-funded research institutes and centres with these clusters to meet the needs of the region. The completion of a UWI research database was identified as being critical to these initiatives, and work is continuing to develop and populate the database.
For the 2015-2016 academic year, the School for Graduate Studies and Research continued its focus on the strategic initiatives identified in the current Strategic Plan 2012-2017, with a view to improving the overall student experience as well as the research environment at The UWI. Effective October 2015, the research portfolio of the School was merged with graduate studies and the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Graduate Studies assumed responsibility for Research.
Important initiatives undertaken in this regard include operationalisation of the research clusters identified in the strategic plan, as well as the alignment of the work of the centre-funded research institutes and centres with these clusters to meet the needs of the region. The completion of a UWI research database was identified as being critical to these initiatives, and work is continuing to develop and populate the database.
The Office of Research also undertook a number of activities to maintain and develop The UWI's competitiveness in winning externally-funded research grants, and influencing future funding opportunities. While the past decade records a positive trend in income generated from international research grants, the sums won in 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 were lower than in 2013-2014; reflecting a period of transition in international funding programmes.
