Research Report 2014/2015
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ORIDOffice of Research, Innovation & Development UNIVERSITY OF GHANA RESEARCH REPORT 2014/2015 University of Ghana Research Report 2014/2015 1 CONTENT 2 University of Ghana Research Report 2014/2015 CONTENT 3 FOREWORD 75 MAJOR RESEARCH INITIATIVES 4 VICE CHANCELLOR, PROFESSOR ERNEST 75 UG Four Research Centres of Excellence ARYEETEY’S MESSAGE 79 University of Ghana Readers Series 5 PRO-VICE CHANCELLOR, PROFESSOR JOHN GYAPONG’S MESSAGE 81 RESEARCH ACTIVITIES WITHIN INSTITUTES AND CENTRES 6 UG RESEARCH SNAPSHOT 81 Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research 10 OFFICE OF RESEARCH, INNOVATION AND (NMIMR) DEVELOPMENT (ORID) 91 West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious 11 Research and Grant Management Services Pathogens (WACCBIP) 32 Capacity Building 92 West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) 46 Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer 94 Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research 49 Ethics and Research Dissemination (ISSER) 51 External Funds 102 Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST) 105 Institute of African Studies (IAS) 54 INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH AND PLANNING OFFICE 106 Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies (IESS) 54 Policy and Planning Analysis 108 Regional Institute for Population Studies (RIPS) 55 Institutional Research 113 Centre for Migration Studies (CMS) 55 Institutional Assessment 116 Centre for Social Policy Studies (CSPS) 119 Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy 56 FELLOWSHIPS (LECIAD) 56 Post-Doctoral Fellowships 119 Centre for Tropical Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics 65 Mid-Career Fellowships (CTCPT) 65 Other Fellowships 125 Language Centre 125 Biotechnology Centre 66 AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS 127 Centre for Gender Studies and Advocacy (CEGENSA) 66 Awards 69 Achievements 128 RESEARCH ACTIVITIES WITHIN COLLEGES 128 College of Basic and Applied Sciences 72 PUBLIC LECTURES 151 College of Education 72 Inaugural Lectures 157 College of Health Science 74 Aggrey-Fraser-Guggisberg Memorial Lectures 179 College of Humanities 74 Alumni Lecture 74 Vice-Chancellor’s Occasional Lectures 197 SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES 202 THE BALME LIBRARY University of Ghana Research Report 2014/2015 3 The University of Ghana was founded in 1948 as the University College of Gold Coast. Between 1948 and 1961, the University entered into a special relationship with the University of London to offer limited programmes of study. By an Act of Parliament on 1st October 1961, the University attained sovereign status with the authority to offer more comprehensive programmes and award its own degrees. The sovereign status together with the aspirations of the new independent state of Ghana formed a catalyst for its rapid growth in the 1960’s and the emergence of its distinctive identity as a world-class centre of academic excellence and a leader in career training and professional development. Over the last sixty-five years, the University of Ghana has evolved into one of Africa’s leading universities, recognized worldwide for the academic and research excellence of its faculty, student body and for the professional success of its alumni. Our Vision Our vision is to become a “World Class research intensive University” over the next decade. Our Mission We will create an enabling environment that makes University of Ghana increasingly relevant to national and global development through cutting-edge research as well as high quality teaching and learning. UNIVERSITY GHANA OF 4 University of Ghana Research Report 2014/2015 KOFI ANNAN Chancellor Foreword This third edition of the University of Ghana’s Research Report represents the continuous effort of the University to bring its research activities to a global audience esearch is key to sustainable development - research conducted by Higher Educational RInstitutions makes these institutions relevant to the development agenda of a nation. In our quest to become a “research-intensive” University, “create a vibrant intellectual climate that research has been identified as one of nine strategic priority stimulates relevant cutting edge research areas of the University of Ghana where we seek to create and community engagement” a vibrant intellectual climate that stimulates relevant cutting edge research and community engagement. It is in light of the above, that the University has made a lot of investment into the acquisition of new equipment and other research tools including databases to strengthen research impact and improve the visibility of the University’s research output across the globe. This report showcases the University’s research output by highlighting key research activities of the University to its stakeholders. University of Ghana Research Report 2014/2015 5 Research funding contributes significantly to University RANKINGS Vice Chancellor PROFESSOR ERNEST ARYEETEY Message esearch funding contributes significantly to University edge research with collaboration from local and international rankings. At the end of the 2014/2015 academic partners. Ryear, the University had signed various research grant agreements with a total value of USD 52,524,883.11. I am proud to announce that the four Centres of Excellence established in the University have been allocated GHS 1 million The latest university rankings compiled by Thomson Reuters each, as seed money to develop research areas in Climate places the University of Ghana in the 10th position among Change Adaptation, Malaria Research, Food Production and African universities. This is the best position we have ever Processing, and Development Policy and Poverty Monitoring attained in any rankings, and it is exciting to observe that our and Evaluation, to address key developmental issues in Ghana placement in the rankings has consistently improved across all and beyond. In a developing country like Ghana, it is especially the major ranking organisations. I congratulate all colleagues, important that research activities at universities give focused students and other stakeholders of the University who have attention to research uptake. enabled us to attain this feat. I applaud the efforts of our hardworking researchers and The introduction of the Collegiate system has seen many of research administrators for a good job done in showcasing the colleges working on their individual strategic plans; primarily research accomplishments at the University. focusing on research. The Collegiate system has provided new opportunities for Schools and Institutes to carry out cutting- 6 University of Ghana Research Report 2014/2015 Pro-Vice Chancellor Research, Innovation and Development (RID) PROFESSOR JOHN GYAPONG Message n this third edition of the University of Ghana Research Our Intellectual Property Office is gradually positioning itself Report, we share with our stakeholders the outcome of to fulfill its mandate. We have initiated and strengthened Iour collective research and innovation efforts which have links with national and international Intellectual Property kept the University of Ghana progressing towards its vision organisations to provide the needed support to our of becoming a research-intensive university in the near scientists. future. The University Council has also remained committed in We continue to promote and foster strategic partnerships the allocation of funds to support research activities by and collaborations. In addition to existing funding agencies approving 5million Ghana cedis of the University’s internally we work with, our research office successfully regularised generated funds to support various research activities. the University’s registration with a number of funding We acknowledge the commitment of our researchers, and institutions such as the Wellcome Trust, the UK Research the continual support of donors and partners. Council through the Joint Electronic submission system, European Union, National Science Foundation and WIPO Re:Search of the World Intellectual Property Organisation. Additionally, internal support systems and services have We continue to promote and been streamlined to ensure proposal submissions by foster strategic partnerships and researchers are processed for institutional endorsement in collaborations a timely manner. University of Ghana Research Report 2014/2015 7 UG RESEARCH SNAPSHOT 2014/2015 UG Research Profile in Brief Research-intensive UG centres, institutes and schools*: ISSER, NMIMR, RIPS, School of Public Health, WACCBIP, WACCI. (*based on reported research budgets of at least USD 500,000 and investment in graduate and early career 6 research training) Major Donors providing funding to multiple UG units: AGRA, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, DANIDA, DFID, European Union, FAO, IDRC, Leverhulme-Royal Society, NIH, USAID, World Bank (WB), World Health Organization 12 (WHO). 8 University of Ghana Research Report 2014/2015 UG Research Snapshot Major University Partners and collaborators include: University of Cambridge, University of Cape Coast; Cornell University, University of Michigan, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology 9 (KNUST), London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, New York University, University of Sussex, Yale University. Cross-cutting research areas funded by competitive external grants: Climate Change; Food Safety and Security; Infectious Diseases/Neglected Tropical Diseases; Maternal Health; Chronic Non-communicable Diseases; Policy Research; School Age Health. 7 Countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America in which UG has a research presence through 12 multi-country collaborative