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Boosting third-income aspirations: Visiting Fellow offers grant-writing expertise

21 June 2024 | Story Precious Shamase | Photo Suplied

The University of the Free State (UFS) welcomes Prof Jesse Lutabingwa, a visiting Fellow from the Appalachian State University (AppState) in the United States. Prof Lutabingwa arrives under the prestigious Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Programme (CADFP), bringing a wealth of experience to support the university's ‘third-income aspirations.’

Prof Lutabingwa’s long-standing connection with the UFS began in 2009 when he played a pivotal role in establishing a collaborative partnership between the two institutions. At the time, he was serving as Associate Vice-Chancellor for International Education and Development at AppState. Now, he returns not as an administrator, but as a faculty member eager to share his expertise and deepen this valuable connection.

"I have always wanted to participate in CADFP to give back to the African continent," Prof Lutabingwa explains. "This fellowship allows me to engage with the UFS community on different issues and contribute to the professional and individual growth of faculty, staff, and students, ultimately serving our communities better."

Empowering through grant writing

A key aspect of Prof Lutabingwa’s fellowship is a series of grant-writing workshops designed to empower UFS faculty, researchers, and postgraduate students, particularly on the Qwaqwa Campus.

"Many find the idea of proposing research grants daunting," Prof Lutabingwa says. "My goal is to elucidate the process. With more than 33 years of experience and more than 65% success rate, I am here to share the knowledge I have gained as a grant writer and reviewer."

These workshops will equip participants with the skills and strategies needed to craft compelling proposals, significantly increasing their chances of securing funding. Access to grants is crucial, Prof Lutabingwa emphasises, as it allows researchers to pursue innovative work that benefits society while offering valuable training opportunities for students.

Collaboration for research impact

Prof Lutabingwa’s contributions extend beyond workshops. He will collaborate with Dr Grey Magaiza, Director of the Centre for Gender and Africa Studies, and other faculty members on co-authoring two research articles. This collaboration aims to strengthen the UFS' research profile and contribute to a more impactful research landscape.

Dr Magaiza highlights the significance of Prof Lutabingwa’s visit: "Jesse is at the heart of the UFS-AppState partnership. Now, as a Carnegie Africa Diaspora fellow, he can engage with us in a new way, pouring his expertise back into this space. His grant-writing workshops and collaborative research efforts will be instrumental in achieving our third-stream aspirations."

Excited about the future

The fellow’s enthusiasm for this fellowship is noticeable when he speaks and engages with colleagues on campus. "Words cannot express my excitement," he shares. "I am grateful for this opportunity to collaborate, engage in research, and connect with various individuals on campus."

The UFS community warmly welcomes Prof Lutabingwa and anticipates a fruitful fellowship that will empower faculty, strengthen research, and propel the UFS – particularly the Qwaqwa Campus – towards achieving its third-income aspirations.

News Archive

Young researchers are equipped to participate in projects relevant in global context

2017-09-05

This group of early career researchers received bioinformatics
training in Worcester in the UK from Dr Diane Saunders of the
John Innes Centre in the UK.
Photo: Supplied

The interdisciplinary field that develops methods and software tools to understand biological data is known as bioinformatics. According to Dr Renée Prins, a research fellow in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of the Free State, there are few tertiary institutions in South Africa that offer a postgraduate degree in Bioinformatics.

“Most institutions focus either on humans, human diseases, forest trees and their pathogens. They usually do not have spare capacity to assist researchers, for instance, those working on crops in the agricultural sector,” Dr Prins said.

Big data sets need significant skills
With the advancements made in genomics such as high throughput DNA marker platforms and next-generation sequencing technologies, the data sets biologists have to deal with have grown massively big and cannot be dealt with unless you have significant computer skills.

Dr Prins believes that all young researchers need some level of training in this field to be effective in future. The British Council Researcher Links, being run by the Newton Fund, gives early career researchers across selected partner countries the opportunity to form international connections through fully funded workshops and travel grants. Dr Prins made use of this opportunity and with the assistance of the Department of Research Development at the UFS, she arranged for Dr Diane Saunders of the John Innes Centre in the UK, a bioinformatician of note, to present training to a group of 20 early career researchers in Worcester in the UK.

Providing training with Dr Saunders were two other bioinformaticians from the UK, Dr Burkhard Steuernagel (John Innes Centre) and Dr Robert Davey (Earlham Institute). From the UFS side, Eleanor van der Westhuizen and Dr Henriëtte van den Berg (former UFS academic) acted as mentors, providing guidance on funding opportunities and career development skills.

Participating in projects in a global context
The researchers attending the training came from research institutions or academia, and they work involving plants (predominantly wheat) or plant pathogens. A limited number of participants from the commercial sector, including private South African companies focusing on plant breeding and molecular genetics lab work on agriculturally important crops also benefited from the training.

“Tertiary institutions in South Africa have the obligation to ensure that young scientists are equipped with bioinformatics skills. If they are not equipped with the necessary skills, they will not be able to participate in research projects that are relevant in a global context,” said Dr Prins.

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