St Monica's College Tutors Build Grant Writing Skills as Colleges of Education Embrace Research Culture

Nearly 60 tutors from St Monica's College of Education in Asante-Mampong have taken part in a two-day academic retreat designed to sharpen their skills in grant writing, research proposal development and scholarly publication. The programme, organised by the college's Social Sciences Department, also drew participants from Mampong Technical College of Education and selected senior high schools in the area.

Why Grant Writing Matters for Tutors

Professor Razak Gyasi, a researcher affiliated with the African Population and Health Research Centre in Nairobi and Southern Cross University in Australia, served as one of the lead facilitators. He stressed that conducting academic research demands significant financial resources and that tutors must learn to secure external funding. "Research is very expensive and sometimes it is difficult to dip your hand into your pocket to fund the research that we conduct," Prof Gyasi said. He noted that the first day concentrated on manuscript structure and journal publication standards, while the second day shifted to proposal writing and grant acquisition strategies.

"Publish or Perish" Pressure Drives Initiative

Akosua Baah, Head of the Social Sciences Department and convener of the retreat, explained that the event was a direct response to the evolving expectations placed on colleges of education as they transition fully into the tertiary education space. "People say 'publish or perish', and since we do not want to perish, we need to learn the nitty-gritties when it comes to publication," she said. Ms Baah added that the retreat also forms part of the college's 95th anniversary celebrations and enjoyed the backing of institutional leadership.

Research Clusters and Follow-Up Plans

To sustain momentum beyond the retreat, Prof Gyasi proposed the formation of research clusters — groups of tutors sharing similar academic interests who can collaborate on joint publications and grant applications. He indicated that facilitators intend to return within a year to assess progress, particularly whether participants have submitted papers to journals or developed successful funding proposals.

Aligned with the College's Strategic Direction

The college's Registrar, Emmanuel Amankwah, confirmed that the initiative is rooted in a strategic plan developed roughly three years ago, which identified grant writing and publication as priorities for staff development. "As a tertiary institution, teachers and learners must always stay in touch with research, global developments and 21st-century skills," he said. The Principal of Mampong Technical College of Education, Professor Ebenezer Agyemang Badu, echoed this sentiment, noting that research capacity and the ability to attract grants are increasingly central to how academic institutions are judged.