Abstract

In recent times, the term “sustainability” has come to gain significant popularity in policy-oriented research and has become part of our everyday lexis in higher education research. Yet, in an attempt to deal with the issue of sustainability planning in research project proposals, the term has been conceptualized to refer solely to financial sustainability as if to say other types of sustainability either do not exist or do not matter. This chapter addresses this issue of sustainability planning in higher education research. In the process, financial sustainability is elucidated, and through that two other categories/types of sustainability are identified and discussed crisply for rumination. Following up on this, steps to sustainability planning are outlined to set in context the contention of the chapter that sustainability planning in research project management requires long term planning to facilitate diverse donor engagements and for improving institutional capacity of target populations. Thereafter, and using an example of a research proposal which responds to Open Call for project proposals for funding from a renowned multilateral funding agency, the chapter exemplifies how sustainability planning in research project proposals can be addressed to help strengthen the proposals to attract research funding from potential donors.

Highlights

  • In recent times, the term “sustainability,” a word frequently used across several disciplines, has gained significant popularity in policy-oriented research and other social sectors of development, and has become part of our everyday lexis in higher education research

  • The issue of sustainability planning in research project proposal development has been addressed

  • In the process the various categories/types of sustainability vis-à-vis the steps to sustainability planning in research project management have been identified and explored, crisply

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Summary

Introduction

The term “sustainability,” a word frequently used across several disciplines, has gained significant popularity in policy-oriented research and other social sectors of development, and has become part of our everyday lexis in higher education research. This makes sustainability planning a key feature of project management practice In this sense, typically, research project sustainability implies the continuation of the research project activities and sustenance of research project outcomes after the initial/primary grant expires. In practice, the preponderance of available research evidence, from Development and Project Management literature, identifies lack of sustainability planning as one major challenge that has plagued (and continues to plague) research project implementation and management efforts of countries, those in sub-Saharan Africa In many of these countries, new policy initiatives are not adopted nationwide and sustained after donor-funded projects end. The chapter argues that sustainability planning in higher education research is important in as it prepares higher education institutions to deliver positive outcomes in the absence of primary funding

Addressing financial sustainability in research project management
Steps in sustainability planning
Step one: understanding your organization
Step two: getting the organization ready for sustainability
Step three: planning for sustainability
Step four: implementing the sustainability plan
Addressing sustainability planning in research project proposals: an exemplar
Information about the open call for proposals
Identifying and addressing the development challenge and impact of proposed ACE-ELTT
Outlining the sustainability plan for the proposed ACE-ELTT project
Concluding thoughts
Full Text
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