Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), yesterday created two committees to assist her in the screening and selection process for interventions. MARTIN PAUL was there.
Th ere is no disputing the facts that there have been several fundamental changes in the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) in the past one year, since the present Executive Secretary, Dr. Abdullahi Baff a had assumed offi ce. One remarkable change very noticeable is the introduction of “Access Clinic”, a forum created for institutions to present their cases leading to inability to access their intervention funds as at when due.
Th e Fund opens its doors to institutions for a diagnosed of their ailments and at the same time, provides curatives to it through understanding and collective, but gentleman agreement. Suffice to say that as at now, every university manager in applauding the Fund for making it possible for them to access their intervention fund, because the Access Clinic has provided a leeway by relaxing some rules, though there were not too stringent.
While these tertiary institution managers are still basking in the euphoria of happiness brought about by Access Clinic, Baffa’sled TETFund has come up with another formula that would totally ensure eff ective implementation and monitoring of research funds intervention. Th is time it is called National Research Fund Screening and Monitoring Committee (NRF&MC) and the Technical Advisory Group on Book Development. While the National Research Fund Screening and Monitoring Committee is headed by former Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Professor Jegede Bamiro, the Technical Advisory Committee is headed by the Vice-Chancellor, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Professor Abdalla Adamu.
In pursuance of the mandate of TETFunf, Baff a said: “Th e Fund has put in place 14 intervention lines, two of which are the National Research Fund intervention and the National Book Development intervention. “These committees are, therefore, put in place to assist the Fund in the screening and selection process for the purpose of administering the intervention. National Research Fund Committee In explaining the vision of the NRF, TETFund executive secretary said it was established to promote the evolution of a knowledge-based, globally-competitive, research and development-driven socioeconomic development process of the country.
Baff a disclosed that the introduction of the NRF intervention fund was to assist in resuscitating research activities in tertiary institutions so as to support scholars to meet their requirements in teaching, research and community service. “Conducting quality research in our public tertiary institutions will ot only engender national growth, but will also raise the standard and the global competitiveness of Nigeria’s education system”, he said Th e National Research Fund, which came to be in 2009, after a protracted nationwide strike embarked upon by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to press home its demand for eff ective funding of universities in the country, has since its birth, gulped N1.72 billion of the N3billion earmarked for it.
However, Baff a said besides the balance, another N1billion was added last year to beef the amount on ground, adding that “one of key concerns of TETFund, in respect of the implementation of this intervention is quality of research proposals that are being submitted by applicants”. Sequel to this, the ES added that “in carrying out the research proposal screening activities, the Fund has divided all critical disciplines into three categories with 20 TETFund: Ensuring eff ective monitoring of intervention funds thematic areas.
Category 1: Humanities and Social sciences Th is would involve national integration, national security and peace studies; education and training; economic development; social welfare and population studies as well as tourism. Category 11: Science and Technology and Innovation Th is would comprise of agriculture, food security and food technology processes; health, transport, power and energy, ICT and telecommunication, engineering – construction and building technology, space science and technology, geological science. Category 111: Cross cutting The committee would also screen proposals on entrepreneurship and wealth creation, environment, housing and urban development, climate change, resource and technology management and sport and creation development. In order to facilitate effective implementation of the NRF, TETFund decided to streamline the terms of reference and number of committee members from hitherto 80 down to 21 and give a clear structure of composition. Baff a said six vice-chancellors, one from each geo-political zone, three rectors and three provosts also one from each geo-political zone, one representative not below the rank of a director from the National Universities Commission, National Board for Technical Education and National commission for Colleges of Education. Others are, a representative from Academic Staff Union of Universities, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, a director in the offi ce of executive secretary of TETFund and a director, education support service of the Fund and a chairman of the committee.
Terms of Reference The NRF screening committee was, therefore, given the mandates of prequalifying applications to ensure that they are in compliance with approved templates for accessing NRF grant. Th ey would also categorise proposals into themes and disciplines for ease of indentifying and appointing assessors; recommend prequalifi ed and categorise proposals for external assessment and serve as a member of the NRF proposal defense panel to be created. Technical Advisory Group on higher Education Book Development Dearth of quality reading and learning materials have been a source of concern to many educationists in the country, hence the reason TETFund embarked on book development fund intervention. Th us, Baff a said as part of contributions to ameliorate the situation, and in pursuance of TETFund’s mandate of supporting research and publications, the Fund introduced intervention to support the restoration of research and academic publishing in tertiary institutions. “Th e Fund dedicated the sum of N2billion seed grant for this programme, which is being accessed by lecturers in various public tertiary institutions for the development of manuscripts into books. “In ensuring efficient and effective implementation of this intervention, the composition and responsibilities of this advisory group have been streamlined and the size of committee reduced to 15-member as against 70. As in other committee, the TAG is structured to have representatives from relevant stakeholders comprising six librarians, two from university, polytechnic and college of education. It also has representative from ASUU, ASUP and VOEASU, a director from ES’s offi ce in TETFund and a director, education support services from TETFund as well as a chairman. Terms of Reference The advisory committee would be: Harvesting doctorate theses and master’s dissertations from across the beneficiary institutions for possible conversion into books. It would screen proposals on manuscripts and theses/dissertations for development into academic textbooks and advise TETFund on fundable manuscripts/theses or dissertations. It is also expected that it would recommend reviewers for the screened manuscripts and theses/dissertations for engagement by TETFund for technical assessment of the manuscripts/theses/dissertations and advise the Fund on how to enhance and improve the production of quality academic books, journals and other academic learning materials and advise the Fund on development and sustainability of Academic Publishing Centres (APC). While expressing optimism that the two committees would, no doubt, only record better success in accelerating the country’s journey to building a strong and responsive knowledge economy, Baff a said “the chairmen and members consist of a wide range of professionals drawn from within the academia and some relevant parastatals of the federal ministry of education. “These committees are, therefore put in place to assist the Fund in the screening and selection process for the purpose of administering the interventions”.
