No fewer than 10 students of the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) have been selected to benefit from research grants awarded by the university’s Centre for Undergraduate Research.
This was revealed on Wednesday, by the director of the Centre, Dr Taibat Adebukola Atoyebi, during the Third Undergraduate Research Day with the theme, ‘Promoting National Development Through Research’.
The researches covered thematic areas such as economic prosperity, food security, educational opportunity, quality health, climate change, environmental protection and other innovative solutions to societal issues.
She said, “The total sum of the grant for today is three million, seven hundred and seventy two thousand Naira for 10 students.
“Ten research proposals scaled through and are being presented today. Some proposals were returned for corrections and upgrades, these researches are to be considered in the buildup for the next batch. We are currently receiving applications and proposals from interested group of students for the next batch of grant.
“Three students who presented their research proposals during the 1st Undergraduate Research Day are also presenting their final results/ research findings today. A highlights of the centre’s achievements so far,” she said.
Also speaking, the Vice-Chancellor of University of Abuja, Prof. Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, said the idea was to catch students young.
Represented by the chairman of the University of Abuja Research Council, Professor Abubakar Yusuf, the Vice Chancellor commended the initiative, describing it as a memorable one.
“The programme is significant because research and development is critical to national development and what you are seeing today is presentation from students who have their supervisors as mentors and the idea is to cultivate their interest in research and development because any university that does not have the component of research and development will not be highly rated.
“So what the vice chancellor has done is when he came in 2019 was to to strengthen the research components of this university and he wants the university of Abuja to be research intensive and how to do that is to look at the senior level of research which involves professors and also the students,” the VC said.
Professor Ukertor Gabriel Moti, the Dean of the School of Post-Graduate Studies, who was the guest speaker, said research can advance the students’ knowledge and academic practice, saying that there’s a wider perspective of research impact, which brings development to the nation beyond academic.
