FUDMA Trains Provosts, Deans on Attracting Funding For Research, Conferences

FUDMA Trains Provosts, Deans on Attracting Funding For Research, Conferences

By Attah Abubakar Mohammed

The Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA) has conducted a seminar for Provosts, Deans and Academic Directors of the University on procedures for accessing funds for research, local and international conferences from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mohammed Khalid Othman, who declared the seminar open, said funding was critical to knowledge optimisation. As such, the seminar was to equip the participants with skills to attract assorted interventions by TETFund

He said that TetFund intervention was necessary for career progression, professional development, and innovative research capable of proffering solutions to lingering societal problems.

Prof. Othman, who was represented by the Provost, College of Postgraduate Studies, Prof. Jamilu Shehu said “universities cannot flourish without organizing seminars to enrich the knowledge of their teeming academic staff, being the imparters of knowledge to students.”

He said that TetFund, as an intervention agency, has the capacity to support research and other needs of staff while continuing with its structural development of tertiary institutions in the country.

“TETFund has redefined local research by transitioning academic work from mere theory into tangible, real-world community solutions. We are indebted to express our appreciation to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for forecasting the establishment of TETFund,” the Vice-Chancellor said.

Prof. Aminu Dalhat Kankia

Earlier, the university’s Director of Research, Innovation and Development (RI&D), Prof. Aminu Dalhat Kankia cautioned against falling prey to fraudulent conferences organized by revenue-seeking companies and individuals to exploit researchers.

Prof Kankia, who presented a paper entitled ‘Guidelines for Accessing TETFund Conference Attendance (CA) Fund, said TetFund has clear criteria for funding conference attendance.

He said that through the conference attendance intervention, TetFund to grant academic and non-academic staff members the opportunity to attend local and international conferences.

He however said that such conferences must be organized by reputable professional bodies with a view to offering participants, first-hand and rich experiences and exposure in their disciplines.

“TetFund Conference Attendance Fund is a strategic intervention designed to enhance the professional development of academic and non-academic staff in Nigerian tertiary institutions.

“By supporting participation in relevant local and international conferences, the scheme promotes research dissemination, knowledge exchange, innovation, and institutional visibility and competitiveness.

“For a staff to be qualified for participation in a conference under the TetFund Conference Attendance intervention, the following shall be justified by been a confirmed staff, served the University for at least 5 years, a non-teaching staff must be recommended by his head of department, conference should be at national or international level, conference date should be at least 3 months in advance and the staff should have not benefited in the last 2 or 3 years ”, Prof. Kankia said.

He added papers for presentation must be scholarly, qualitative and innovative, while the rank of staff should be at least Assistant Lecturer or its equivalent, and the Academic Conference must be organized by academic institutions, learned society or reputable professional bodies.

He also said conferences organized by a third party should not be recommended to TetFund.

The director stated that the registration fee for local conferences should not exceed N100,000 and $500 for conferences abroad and should not exceed five days.

He cautioned against falling prey to what he termed as “fraudulent conferences, scam conferences and predatory conferences organized by revenue-seeking companies and individuals to exploit researchers, especially from the third world”.

Another paper titled ‘Guidelines for Accessing Academic Research Journal (ARJ) was presented by the Deputy Director, Research, Innovation and Development, Ibrahim Muhammad.

In a vote of thanks, the Director of Gender Studies, Dr. Rabi Dalhat Adamu applauded the University Management for organizing the seminar to educate staff on procedures to secure TETFund’s interventions.

She thanked the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Development for coordinating the event and the participants for their patience throughout the exercise.