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AWARD Launches New Science Courses
Forty-three 2011 AWARD Fellows and 10 Mentors from eight countries participated in two new science-writing courses offered this month: the AWARD Research Proposal Writing Course and the AWARD Science Writing, Communication and Presentation Skills Course. The workshops included gender issues in agricultural R&D, training on the use of electronic resources, as well as communications and presentation skills.
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“The training has been very important because, working in the research community, we need to develop winning proposals so we can help ensure food security and contribute to our country’s development. I have studied proposal writing before, but it was not all put together like this. I can identify problems in the community more easily now. This training will allow me to compete at a higher level now.”
– Atsede Solomon Retta, Ethiopia
“I learned about the psychology of donor institutions. I also learned that it is important to do research that helps the community you are working with and to develop solutions for impact. Also, research should be collaborative. When you propose a topic, you need to gather expert information. This team work is important and I was reminded that you have to look for expertise in your area when you are doing a project. I also learned that you have to calculate the cost of everything so you don’t get stuck.”
– Adey Yalew, Ethiopia
“This training has been so useful regarding problem identification that I am keen to go home and share this knowledge with my colleagues. I feel more confident and will continue to update my skills as a researcher.”
– Bezaye Gorfu Tessema, Ethiopia
“I have taken science writing courses before, but I didn’t know how to turn information from my thesis into a manuscript for journal submission. I learned about publication standards, the ethics of publishing, and instructions for each journal. I am more confident than about writing and submitting, but it’s not easy. There are many things to consider and you must put care into the paper. I am going to try to publish a paper based on my thesis. At the course, I networked with journal editors and learned what they are looking for, and why a paper is accepted or rejected.”
– Janet Nabwami, Uganda
“I have a new mindset about how to write papers. My orientation has changed, and I realize that I was making mistakes. I have learned what to do so that my manuscripts are accepted. I am 100 percent more confident. By networking with other AWARD Fellows here, I have made friends from different parts of Africa and will work to keep in touch with them.”
– Bridgit Obhagiagie Bobadoye, Nigeria
“I learned so many things that I didn’t know that I thought I knew. I will be more confident in writing now and this has been good exposure for me. I will recommend to my colleagues that they apply to be AWARD Mentors. I plan also keep in touch with the people I met here.”
– Kolawole Adewumi, Mentor, Nigeria
“We got a lot of very good information and it packaged properly. It has been an eye-opener, because we knew this stuff before, but now we realize we didn’t know it properly. I [Nimmo W. Gicheru Ngatiri] have already revised my thesis manuscript three times during the training. I sent it to my supervisor and will continue to revise it as I learn more. The information here will also be useful to our institutions and we will go back and share it with them. We are also going to try and publish our theses. We met new people during this training and we’re going to keep in touch with them.”
– Nimmo W. Gicheru Ngatiri, Kenya and Elizabeth Bandason, Malawi
“This training has been wonderful and I have gained so much that I am a better person. I realize that I had so many gaps in my proposal writing, but now I know I can sit down and write a good proposal, and I expect to win. I definitely feel more confident about my skills. The most important part for me is to transfer this knowledge that I have gained to my students. The AWARD Fellows are highly privileged to get this training at this point in their careers and they must use it properly. I encourage the other AWARD Mentors here to carry this forward to their colleagues and students.”
– Gordian Obute, Mentor, Nigeria Mentor
“The sessions were well-organized and thought through, which made it easier for the participants to develop and understand research-proposal writing. The trainers were well-trained and allowed participants to use their experience. This has been a good investment of my time. Before, I would see calls for proposals and be overwhelmed by the process. Now calls for proposals won’t be as threatening, because I have the tools I need to write proposals. It has also been useful in terms of networking because, although other fellows here are not in my area of research, they can link me to others they know who are in my specialty.”
– Jacqueline Kazembe, Malawi
“This training has provided a lot of information in a short time, but it is too rushed. We needed more time during the practical sessions to see the reality of the theoretical concepts. Everyone here is at a different level here and that should be considered.”
– Olubukola Victoria Oyerinde, Nigeria
“I have gained knowledge on gender inclusiveness that I will use in my research. I now have complete information about what a proposal should be and I will try to submit a research proposal for funding.”
– Bolanle Akinwande, Nigeria
“I participated in the new AWARD Science Writing Course and I must say I have gained useful insights into the tools employed in research. I had not heard much before about gender integration into research and gender analysis. However, now I clearly understand gender and its integration into research. I didn’t know that it should form a major component in my research, but I have integrated it into my proposal. Moreover, initially I often struggle with writing a budget and always see it as a big task, but now I know where to start and how to complete a budget with ease. The AWARD Science Writing Course has greatly impacted my career as a researcher. AWARD, I am most grateful for the intervention in my life!”
– Evelyn Asante-Yeboah, Ghana
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