The Cape Coast Technical University (CCTU), through its Directorate of Research, Innovation and Consultancy (DRIC), has held a two-day workshop on the theme "Training and Capacity-Building for Staff on Grant-Making, Research and Scientific Publication."

The capacity-building workshop, held from Tuesday, March 31, 2026, to Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at the Library Conference Room, CCTU, brought together Management and staff of the University, and external resource persons to deliberate on Scientific Writing, Research Visibility, Academic Writing, and Grant-Making.

The event began with an opening ceremony, during which Professor Richard Osae, the Director of DRIC, CCTU, gave a brief welcome address and acknowledged attendees for their participation. Prof. Osae stated that the workshop was not only for learning but also for building collaboration among staff, adding that it was expected to have a positive impact on CCTU, the country, and the world.

The Vice-Chancellor and Chairperson for the event,  Prof. Kwaku Adutwum Ayim Boakye, in his remarks, emphasised the importance of knowledge in national development, stating, “ We are in an era where knowledge drives development.” Prof. Boakye reiterated Management's desire for CCTU to be ranked among the best universities in the world this year, and hence its decision to support staff with the sum of One Million Ghana cedis to conduct more research.

The Special Guest of Honour, Dr. Daniel Anang, a Senior Lecturer of Food Science at the University of Chester (UoC), England, highlighted that “Grants are the lifeline of research, " stressing that great ideas alone were not enough but required resources, such as financial, technical and infrastructural. He encouraged staff to master the art of winning competitive grants and building strong research teams.

Prof. Peter Appiah Obeng, the Dean, School of Sustainable Engineering, University of Cape Coast (UCC), introduced participants to the concepts of Scientific Writing, Journal Indexing, and Quality Metrics. Prof. Obeng described Scientific Writing as both an art and a science, remarking that it was not limited to persons in the sciences; anyone could engage in it with the right approach.

The speaker added that Journal Indexing was basically about the inclusion of academic journals in searchable databases. Prof. Obeng also touched on Quality Metrics, noting that Scopus, like other citation databases, tracked how often books and research articles were cited.

Prof. Francis Annor, DRIC, UCC, also took the attendees through Research Visibility and Quality Ranking, stating, “excellence is never an accident.” Prof. Annor stressed that university and researcher visibility depended on the quality of education, research output, and societal impact. He noted that rankings such as the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings (WUR) and the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) considered publication quantity, relevance, research impact, and student attraction.

He added that achieving visibility required shaping policy, participating in workshops, securing funding, opting for open-access publications, and avoiding predatory journals. Consistent affiliation and adherence to publishing standards further enhanced credibility and global recognition, Prof. Francis Annor hinted.

Prof. Anokye Mohammed Adams, the Provost of the College of Distance Education (CoDE), addressed the participants on Academic Writing. He stated that, “An academic who does not publish is like a farmer who never harvests. Research must be shared to have impact. Reading widely and writing consistently are essential habits that help academics grow”. Publishing in respectable journals ensured that the work reached the right audience and gained recognition, Prof. Adams added.

He also emphasised that a well-structured research paper typically cosnsisted of an abstract, introduction, methodology, data analysis, results, discussion, and keywords. He mentioned that while research was rarely a linear process, clarity in presenting ideas and methods was key, stating that details such as the publication date and Digital Object Identifier (DOI) were important for referencing and accessibility.

Answers were given to the questions asked by the participants, and day one of the event ended successfully after a prayer was said.

The second day of the Research Workshop began with Dr. Alex Boadi Dankyi, Research Fellow at UCC, who took participants through Grant-Making. He explained that “a strong financial proposal requires a clear understanding of both the project and the funder’s requirements". He explained that a well-defined budget should prioritise the main project impact, align with the field of work, and account for only allowable and necessary costs, avoiding inflated supplies and equipment, and unjustifiable expenses. Acquiring funds to execute a project required not only technical knowledge but also creativity and strategy, he added.

Dr. Alex Dankyi highlighted that grants were important because they supported research activities and helped bring ideas into reality. He further explained why grant-making could be seen as a science, as it involved structured processes, careful planning, and evidence-based proposals. He said it was also described as an art because it required persuasive writing, innovation, and the ability to present ideas in compelling ways.

Dr. Isaac Quaye, Lecturer, Procurement and Supply Chain Management, CCTU expressed gratitude to Management, participants, facilitators, and organisers for their contributions to the workshop.

The Pro-Vice Chancellor of CCTU, Prof. Emmanuel Kwaw, thanked participants and resource persons for the insightful presentations, active engagement, and smooth coordination, which made the programme successful and valuable. Staff were encouraged to write more and publish regularly to enhance the Institution’s visibility and impact.

Questions were answered, prayers were said, and photographs were captured to bring the Two-day Research and Grant-making Workshop to a successful end.

The seminar was seen as a positive step toward advancing CCTU’s goals, particularly regarding the University’s ranking.

Source: Directorate of Public Affairs