National Research Fund (NRF) CEO Prof. Dickson Andala has told researchers in universities that impactful research requires strategic resource mobilization, effective proposal writing, and strong project management skills.
Speaking during the opening session of a three-day workshop on capacity-building on Resource Mobilization and Grant Proposal Writing to MMU lecturers and researchers at Little Daughters of St. Joseph in Karen, Prof. Andala said universities must adopt a more strategic approach in resource mobilization if they are to win grants and conduct impactful research.
National Research Fund CEO Prof. Dickson Andala during the opening session of a three-day workshop on Capacity-Building on Resource Mobilization and Grant Proposal Writing to MMU lecturers and researchers at Little Daughters of St. Joseph Retreat Centre in Karen, Nairobi on Monday, May 26, 2025.
“As many of you know, impactful research requires more than ideas and intent—it demands strategic resource mobilization, effective proposal writing, and strong project management skills. These are exactly the skills we aim to sharpen in this workshop, particularly for our academic staff at the PhD level who are at the forefront of knowledge generation and application,” said Prof. Andala.
Prof. Andala said that through deliberate collaboration and resource mobilization frameworks like those being put in place by MMU, a shift toward renewed motivation, resilience, and a deeper institutional commitment to research excellence can be realized.
“Through deliberate collaboration and frameworks now being put in place, I am confident that a shift toward research excellence is underway. At NRF, we are fully committed to walking this journey with you—not just in principle, but in practice, said Prof. Andala.
MMU Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs Research and Innovation Prof. Livingstone Ngoo during the opening session of a three-day workshop on Capacity-Building on Resource Mobilization and Grant Proposal Writing to MMU lecturers and researchers at Little Daughters of St. Joseph Retreat Centre in Karen, Nairobi on Monday, May 26, 2025.
In his opening remarks MMU Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs Research and Innovation Prof. Livingstone Ngoo said that he is confident that the workshop will mark the beginning of a transformative journey—not just for individual researchers, but for the broader MMU research ecosystem.
“Let us approach it with curiosity, collaboration, and commitment. The knowledge and connections we build over the next few days can open new doors, attract new partnerships, and enable more groundbreaking research,” said Prof. Ngoo.
MMU Director of Research and Innovation Dr. David Wekesa during the opening session of a three-day workshop on Capacity-Building on Resource Mobilization and Grant Proposal Writing to MMU lecturers and researchers at Little Daughters of St. Joseph Retreat Centre in Karen, Nairobi on Monday, May 26, 2025.
MMU Director of Research and Innovation Dr. David Wekesa said that while research and development has traditionally followed a linear path, where experts would identify a problem, develop a solution in isolation, and then deliver it to the public or market, today’s world of increasing complexity, interconnected challenges, and diverse stakeholders, has rendered that approach ineffective.
He pointed out that innovation is no longer just about invention, but inclusion and recognizing that best solutions emerge not from a single mind, but from many voices working together.
“Let us move from isolated expertise to shared intelligence—from rigid hierarchies to collaborative networks. Let us embrace co-design, co-production, and co-creation as essential to the way we do research and development,” urged Dr. Wekesa.