Understanding what researchers need to advance their work is essential to providing effective research support. Through a series of research-group orientation sessions, the Research Support Unit (RSU)is gaining a clearer picture of researchers’ interests, their awareness of available services and the challenges they encounter in conducting research.
The orientation sessions were introduced to increase awareness of RSU services among research groups, strengthen engagement between the Unit and researchers, and establish a clearer pathway for accessing research support
So far, 23 research groups have participated in the sessions. Through the engagements, the RSU has gained insights into researchers’ interests, their awareness of available support and the challenges they face in advancing their research.
“Through the sessions, we have learned that research groups had limited information about the services offered by the RSU and the funding opportunities available to them. However, we have also found that they are very keen to conduct research,” said Mr. George Sinjani, Research Support Officer.
Discussions with the groups have highlighted several areas where researchers require support, including developing research ideas, preparing proposals, identifying suitable funders and implementing research projects. These needs point to the importance of support that extends across different stages of the research process, from developing initial ideas to securing funding and carrying out projects.
The information gathered during the orientations will help the RSU document action points and develop structured follow-up plans to guide their implementation. This process is expected to help the Unit identify priority areas for support and determine how best to respond to the needs raised by individual research groups.
” Ultimately, the RSU hopes the orientations will contribute to increased research funding proposals, stronger collaboration and improved research capacity within groups,” said Sinjani
The orientations are ongoing, and the RSU continues to encourage research groups that have not yet registered to come forward and engage with the Unit to learn more about the available support.
Through these continued engagements, the RSU aims to strengthen its relationship with research groups and support their efforts to develop research ideas, pursue funding opportunities and implement research projects.