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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

Research chair into Higher Education gets boost for five more years

2017-11-21

Prof Melanie Walker, Director of the Centre for Research on
Higher Education and Development (CRHED).
Photo: Supplied

The research Chair in Higher Education and Human Development within the Centre for Research on Higher Education and Development (CRHED) at the University of the Free State has secured funding for another five years. It follows a favourable evaluation by the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) of the research project at the UFS.

The Director of the Centre, Prof Melanie Walker, says she is delighted by the recognition of the Chair's hard work and significant productivity. “This new round of funding secures the centre and its activities for the next five years.”

Under the auspices of the Chair, research is conducted on higher education, inequalities and social justice, and how or if universities foster the human capabilities and aspirations of students. In essence, the research studies whether higher education makes a difference to the lives of students, their families and communities. Prof Walker says the Chair's projects look at issues of access, participation and transitions into work, as well as gender, race and social class. The research uses quantitative and qualitative methods and includes a strand of participatory research projects with students.

Prof Walker says through the Chair research project, and the Centre, researchers have developed extensive international links and produced international quality research and publications. “We foster high-quality PhD graduates as a new generation of social science academics.” The Chair has in the first five years produced 10 PhDs and four master’s students.

The project in the next five years will continue with its focus on higher education and human development research. Prof Walker says all the research efforts seek to contribute to more justice in society and universities and to contribute to debates, policy and practices in higher education and a scholarly knowledge base.

The Research Chairs Initiative aims to improve the research capacity at public universities to produce high-quality postgraduate students, research and innovative outputs. The assessors looked at features such as the number of students the research entity had trained and how many publications the research team had produced.

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