Nine more UG research grants awarded under US$10M World Bank project

Faculty members of the University of Guyana were yesterday provided with nine research grants, totalling US$248,522, by the Ministry of Education.

The grants were provided under the World Bank-funded US$10M Science and Technology Support Project’s Education Quality Improvement Programme, which supports more applied research towards meeting the critical needs for the former government’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

Under this component of the project, 17 faculty members along with five co-researchers from overseas universities will be conducting investigations from this month until December, 2016, in various LCDS-related areas.

The local academics were drawn from a variety of faculties, including Natural Sciences, Health Sciences, Technology and Education and Humanities. They will be conducting research in areas as diverse as the determination of aflatoxins in paddy, rice and rice products in Guyana; exploration of the wind energy potential of Guyana’s coastland; the integration of environmental education in the mathematics curriculum; architectural and urban adjustment for effective harvesting of LCD benefits as well as assessment of the prehistoric diet and settlement to model a low carbon lifestyle.

Minister of Education, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine (centre) flanked by the second batch of research grant awardees and others.
Minister of Education, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine (centre) flanked by the second batch of research grant awardees and others.

This is the second year such grants were provided under this project, which is expected to fund a total of 40 grants over the next five years.

Jacob Opadeyi, Vice Chancellor of the University, noted that this year has seen a larger number of applicants. “Last year, when we did this, persons thought that it is nothing and this year we got so many applicants. I’m also proud of our rigorous evaluation system that produced these nine researchers,” he said, while congratulating the selected applicants.

Last year, eight grants were provided to faculty members to investigate, among other things, Guyana’s mangrove forest carbon storage potential, the culture and propagation of edible mushrooms on different organic substrates in Guyana, the impact of artisanal and small scale mining on biodiversity in the Mahdia mining district and the effects of educational intervention about “Bush Medicine” on the knowledge, attitudes and practices of pharmacists and physicians.

These grants, according to Opadeyi, have already yielded tangible results, with one paper leading to the possible patenting of new medication from the passion fruit.

According to Opadeyi, this paper has not yet been published as its authors are in discussion with pharmaceutical companies about the feasibility of the drug.

Minister of Education Dr Rupert Roopnaraine spoke of looking forward to the grants serving to make UG a “brain trust” to help formulate and implement evidence-based government policies.

“So much of this research work, which has been described here today, will be of inestimable value to what it is we need in Guyana to move us forward… I resent every time we have to go abroad and find some consultant to help us with this and that when a university is right here, so every sign that the university is moving forward with its research capabilities is a very positive step,” Roopnaraine said.