UTech, Jamaica 2015-16 Annual Report

Page 40 University of Technology, Jamaica ANNUAL REPORT 2015-2016 PRESIDENT’S RESEARCH INITIATIVE AWARD, 2015 RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT FUND (RDF) Internal funding support for research continues to be provided through the Research Development Fund (RDF), managed by the SGSRE. During the period under review, counterpart funding to complement a grant from the Development Bank of Jamaica was provided for the project “ ICT-Assisted Learning Tool for Teaching English Language to Hearing- Impaired Students in Jamaica .” In addition, funding support was provided for Research Capacity Building activities and the payment of fees associated with the publication of peer-reviewed research papers, books, and/or book chapters by staff members. RESEARCH & CAPACITY-BUILDING GRANT PROJECTS The University’s involvement in six (6) European Union co-funded projects - one as project leader, and five as a partner - continued during the period under review. The areas covered by these projects include intellectual property management, innovation, entrepreneurship, knowledge transfer, renewable energy, and climate change. The UTech, Jamaica-led project “The Application of Solar-Powered Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) Electrolysers for the Sustainable Production of Hydrogen Gas as Fuel for Domestic Cooking” was successfully completed, with the highlight being an international conference at UTech, Jamaica from November 3-4, 2015, on Hydrogen as a sustainable energy diversification option for the Caribbean. Conference Proceedings have been published. Project partners and associates on the six projects include higher education institutions (HEIs) and other organizations from Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Suriname, Belgium, Finland, Germany; Denmark, Austria, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago. Major project deliverables that were achieved during AY 2015-2016 included: Bench-marking surveys on intellectual property and knowledge transfer practices in Caribbean HEIs and research organizations; comparative macro-level study of intellectual property policy frameworks in the Caribbean; regional renewable energy innovation competition; national and regional multi-stakeholder forums and roundtables; and capacity-building workshops. CARIBBEAN RESEARCH & INNOVATION MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (CabRIMA) CabRIMA is the professional body for research and innovation management practitioners in the Caribbean region. The SGSRE continues to be the Secretariat for the Association. During the period under review, CabRIMA members participated in capacity building workshops hosted by UTech, Jamaica covering topics such as intellectual capital reporting, intellectual property management, innovation, knowledge transfer, and academic entrepreneurship . STAFF PUBLISHING Members of staff of the University made conference presentations and published papers in peer-reviewed journals during the period under review. Furthermore, a significant number of staff members have placed their publications to ResearchGate, a social networking site of more than one million users where scientists and researchers share papers, ask and answer questions, Dr Paul Golding, Dean of the College of Business and Management, was the 2015 winner of the President’s Research Initiative Award (PRIA) presented at the University Awards Ceremony in May 2015. The PRIA is the University’s most prestigious award in recognition of individual initiative aimed at promoting research excellence in the University. Dr Golding, a productive researcher in the fields of ICT and Business was a second time winner, having first won the Award in 2010 while attached to the School of Computing and Information Technology (SCIT).