Project Services Unit (PSU) at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST)

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The Project Services Unit (PSU) at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) has been created in 2013 to facilitate project development and management of grants across the Institution. It espouses an inter-disciplinary and multi-sectoral approach and recognises the future long term research needs to maximise impact. The Unit plays an important role in fostering cooperation across all Faculties and Centre’s to optimise effectiveness, catalyse and add value to existing research endeavours. It also provides strategic direction to maximise existing expertise and identify opportunities to leverage funds to support local and international research development activities. Strategic partnerships within and outside the Institution, keeping abreast with the relevant dynamics and trends within the research and grants management environment is key to our work in ensuring sustainable research development.

The Unit strives to provide a defined framework for the project planning, grant administration and management processes. The framework aims to ensure that key issues are identified and analysed to solicit targeted sustainable funding opportunities.

The main functions include grant identification, administration, acquisition and management within the following key developmental areas:

a) Research development: enhance and support strategic research development within the Institution and subsequently the objectives of the Namibia University of Science and  Technology and enabling the basic enablers of National Development Plans; and

b) Institutional capacity development: facilitate institutional advancement at organizational, academic and management levels relating to research and development aspects.

The Unit offers help with project funding applications and expertise in questions related to project design and implementation (i.e monitoring and evaluation). We provide support in long-term project development.

Specific details of the services include: •

Project development:

·        Promotion and motivation for staff to participate in research proposal development and implementation and subsequently applying for funding.

·        Tailoring events and training so that faculties and departments can grow their expertise.

·        Promotion of multidisciplinary research collaboration during project development and implementation stages.

Project Ideas Generation and Training:

·        Facilitation of project design and idea generation opportunities.

·        Funding program presentation

·        Grant-writing training

Project application services:

The PSU guides application process based on donor evaluation criteria and thus contributes to improvement of project proposal in terms of quality and bankability.

·        The PSU facilitates a model for the structure of administration and decision making in a project consortium. In this case the PSU facilitates combination of partners to address the call for funding adequately.

·        The PSU provides an administrative function in completion of relevant administrative forms and supporting institutional documents.

·        Support, advice and models for contracts and agreements in conjunction with the legal advisor office forms part of the project acquisition process.

Negotiation and implementation services:

·        The PSU facilitates negotiations and discussions with donors and funding organisations and help to interpret requirements from funding organisation and with other matters related to funding programs and grant agreements.

·        The PSU ensures that projects are implemented by design and therefore closely monitors project in line with donor requirements.  

The unit has 7 fulltime staff members