In Celebrating Excellence in Research and Innovation Management in Southern Africa, SARIMA (Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association), the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), was honored with the 2024 SARIMA Research Excellence Award under two categories: the “Organizational growth in research management” and the “Early career excellence in research management”. The award ceremony took place on September 04, 2024, at the 2024 SARIMA Conference, which was held in Maputo, Mozambique.
This award recognizes the research management structures and systems that BIUST has implemented in the last five years, despite limited capacity in the research management human resources. The award confirms that BIUST, through the Directorate of Research and Innovation, has done more with less, and the details of the award criteria are as follows:
- Organizational Growth Award in Research Management
The award recognizes newly established or low-resourced organizations that have fulfilled two main criteria:
- They have shown growth in establishing certain research or innovation management activities and capacity within their organizations during 2023 and
- have either established their research or innovation function in the last ten (10) years or have 3 or fewer full-time staff members dedicated to it.
Performance Highlights:
- Developed several initiatives to achieve Commercialisation and Business growth, Institutional Revenue generation drive, Impactful research, Upscaling strategic partnerships and collaboration,
- Facilitated interdisciplinary team’s proposal writing for external funding calls and formation of the research units
- Increase in the 3rd stream of institutional income
- Good Financial Grant Practice (GFGP) certification
- University Ranked 20th on the Sub-Saharan Ranking and 1201- 1300 Band on the World University Ranking via the Times Higher Education Ranking (THE)
- Integration of the Research Grant Management Module with the Oracle Financial System
Early Career Excellence Award in Research Management
Ms. Neo Joel, the Grant Executive in the Directorate of Research and Innovation, won the award for early career excellence in research management. The award recognizes newcomers to the Research Management or Innovation Management professions with less than five years of experience in any core elements that make up a Research Management or Innovation Management function. The nominees must have, during 2023:
- Demonstrated achievement within their own current/previous organisation/s (with a limit of 5 years)
- Have contributed to improvements in processes/systems related to their role within their organization
- Have contributed to the standing of the research or innovation support function at their organization
- Have demonstrated active engagement in the broader R&I Management community by participating in relevant workshops, courses, and conferences.
Performance Highlights:
- Initiated GFGP practices at BIUST in 2023
- Proposed research and costing strategy at the University to identify costs and pricing margins
- Achieved professional certificate in Research Management
- Implemented inception meetings on new projects
- Assisted with the operationalisation of PRE-RIMS system preceding integration with finance systems
- Focal liaison between academics and research office
- Compiles quarterly department performance reports
- Poster presentation – INORMS 2023 Durban – Paper presentation-SRIM I| 2023 Gaborone