Research Areas and Guidelines

Priority Area Identification and Thematic Areas

Based on guidelines and priorities set by the Senate or the Research and Community Services Vice President’s Office, Colleges, Institutes, Schools and Departments shall set priorities of research within their respective spheres. In determining their research priorities and setting thematic areas, departments, schools, institutes and colleges shall take into account:

• The needs and priorities of the country;
• The availability of resources including skilled work force, time and money; and
• The strategic plan of the respective department, college, faculty, school and the University.

In tandem with the current needs of the country, the research priority of the university will be in the following nine (9) areas, yet, these priorities may be subject to revision:

Theme I. Sustainability of Eco-hydrology

            Subtheme 1. Resilience of climate and Environment

            Subtheme 2. Conservation of Biodiversity and its management

            Subtheme 3. Sustainability of Water Resource and Infrastructure

            Subtheme 4. Climate smart agriculture and natural resource management

Theme II. Culture, Art and Indigenous Knowledge

            Subtheme 1. Indigenous knowledge and social development

            Subtheme 2.  Local languages, Culture, Folklore and literature

Subtheme 3. Heritage Management, Tourism and Hospitality industry

Subtheme 4. Traditional medicine

Theme III.  Business leadership, Management and Development

            Subtheme 1. Entrepreneurship and development

            Subtheme 2. Corporate finance and contemporary accounting

            Subtheme 3. Marketing and E-commerce

            Subtheme 4. Economic policy and development

Theme IV. Energy, Engineering, Communication and Emerging Technologies

Subtheme 1. Digitalization platform, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Adaptive security

Subtheme 2. Green, Renewable, Efficient Energy, Power System and Nanotechnology

Subtheme 3. Sustainability of Construction Development, Urban planning and Technologies

Subtheme 4. Textile and Leather Processing Technologies

Subtheme 5. Biomedical Imaging, signal processing, Integrated Device Communication and Sensor Technologies

Theme V. Improvement of Agriculture productivity

Subtheme 1. Mechanization of Agriculture

Subtheme 2. Animal improvement, production and health

Subtheme 3. Plant improvement, protection and production

Subtheme 4. Agricultural economics, Rural development and farm management

Subtheme 5. Poverty, Livelihood, Food and nutrition security

Theme VI. Health and human well-being

Subtheme 1. Drug resistance

Subtheme 2. Environmental and occupational health

Subtheme 3. Global digital health and Health informatics

Subtheme 4. One Health system and health extension service

Subtheme 5. Non-communicable diseases and mental health

Subtheme 6. Tropical and infectious diseases (Zoonotic and emerging diseases)

Theme VII. Life Science for sustainable Development

            Subtheme 1. Chemical and Mathematical engineering and Technology

            Subtheme 2. Biotechnology

            Subtheme 3. Basic Sciences

            Subtheme 4. Waste management

Theme VIII. Humanities and development

            Subtheme 1. Human right, rule of law, governance and development

Subtheme 2. Migration, Resettlement, population dynamics, trans-nationalism, urbanization mobility and development

Subtheme 3. Peace, development and justice education

Subtheme 4. Mass media and Communication         

Theme IX. Education and Human psychology

Subtheme 1. Quality of Education and quality assurance

Subtheme 2. Human Psychology

Subtheme 3. Inclusion

Subtheme 4. Educational Leadership and management

Subtheme 5. STEM education 

Research Planning and Administration

The research administration process in the University will have three phases:

• pre-award,
• post-award administration, and
• termination phase.

The pre-award phase include identification of funding opportunities; preparation of research proposal; submission of a proposal for review; approval of research award; and singing of project contract for WU sponsored and externally funded projects (for externally funded projects, a contract agreement will be prepared and singed based on mutual consent.)

The post-award administration starts with the registration of the research project at the University research and publication directorate office. The directorate office will officially register the project and submit the necessary documents of new project to the office of Vice president for Research and Community Service. After this, the VPRCS office will inform in writing all the relevant bodies in the University to facilitate the execution of the research activities in compliance with the project documents and agreements. The principal investigators is responsible to report the progress and completion of the project to the directorate office.

The last phase (termination phase) in the research process involves preparation of completed report; an exit workshop for all stakeholders; dissemination of research outputs; handing over of project properties as per the agreement, and possibilities for continuation of outputs and sustainability of projects activities.