NSTC to develop Online Grants Management System

By Nsama Mataka and Lenganji Sikapizye

NSTC members of staff during the Technical Assistance Visit by SARIMA and NRF of South Africa

The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) has embarked on an ambitious programme of developing an Online Grants Management System.

This has come in the wake of the Council’s realization that for research grants to be managed efficiently and effectively there is need to develop an Online Grants Management System.

It is against this background that the Southern Africa Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA) and the NRF of South Africa recently undertook a Technical Assistance Visit(TAV) to NSTC.

The three day TAV covered key areas including; mapping of the Online Grants Management System, identification of the online grant management needs specific to NSTC, costing and resource mobilization. In addition, an update on feedback from the South Africa – Mozambique – Zambia Joint Call for Research Proposals was covered during the TAV.

The sessions were facilitated by Ms June Rose Ngcobo and Mr Buti Tlhoaele from the National Research Foundation (NRF).

The session during the TAV covered the following; the Science, Technology and Innovation (ST&I) system, research management in research performing and research funding organisations. This session was aimed at providing an overview of research and grants management and set the scene for the technical visit.

The session also covered; the nature of the STI system in Zambia, as well as the nature of funding and higher education system in the Country. Strategic approach employed by government in setting funding priorities and existing funding mechanisms were highlighted.

Mr Thloaele then demonstrated how the Online Grants Management System functioned at NRF outlining the flow diagram with description of what happens in each stage. The priority areas for the NSTC’s granting system and required resources were also covered during this visit.

And delivering his remarks at the close of the TAV, NSTC Executive Secretary Dr Alfred .J. Sumani said the visit was worthwhile looking at the new direction that the Council was embarking on in terms of capacity enhancement in the area of grants management.

This is the third time that NSTC has engaged SARIMA on capacity building of NSTC and other players in the country’s STI system. SARIMA last year trained Research Administrators from various institutions in Zambia on Grants and Research management.