DRID-UEW Concludes Three-Part Workshop on Grant Proposal Writing and Budgeting
The Directorate of Research, Innovation and Development (DRID) of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) has successfully held the third and final session of its two-day hands-on training workshop on grant proposal development and budgeting, reinforcing the University’s drive to strengthen staff capacity in competitive grantsmanship.
The final session of the workshop took place at the North Campus Mini-Conference Room on Wednesday, 28th and Thursday, 29th January, 2026, following two earlier sessions held in December 2025 at the Students Centre Seminar Room III. The phased approach was designed to provide participants with sustained, in-depth engagement in both the theory and practice of grant proposal development.
The training programme was structured to equip participants with contemporary skills required to navigate the evolving global grantsmanship landscape. Day one featured thought-provoking presentations on grantsmanship, grant sourcing, conceptualisation of ideas and objectives, theory of change and indicators as well as gender and inclusivity, scalability, sustainability and budgeting. Participants were also taken through practical sessions on developing theories of change, gender and inclusivity plans and sustainable project concepts.
Day two focused on hands-on group work with participants engaging in group writing exercises on theory of change, gender, inclusivity and scalability. The session also featured presentations on budgeting, critical reviews of sample budgets and reflections on participants’ experiences and challenges encountered during the writing process.
Opening the final session, Prof. Enoch F. Sam, the Director of DRID, emphasised the holistic nature of the training, urging participants to fully commit their “mind, body and soul” to the learning process to maximise its impact. He explained that the workshop formed part of DRID’s broader strategy to reposition UEW as a competitive and attractive destination for research grants and consultancies.
According to Prof. Sam, DRID’s work is guided by three key focus areas: capacity building, institutional visibility and reputation and internationalisation. He noted that building staff capacity in grantsmanship directly enhances the University’s visibility and reputation, which in turn supports its internationalisation agenda.
“The grantsmanship landscape is changing and we need to reposition ourselves to take advantage of emerging trends,” he stated, adding that DRID’s sustained engagement with staff reflects its commitment to ensuring UEW’s competitiveness in securing external funding.
Prof. Sam further disclosed that DRID recently undertook a strategic retreat which resulted in a detailed operational action plan to guide its activities for the year. He indicated that the workshop formed part of several planned capacity-building initiatives with more activities scheduled in the coming weeks including a major programme slated for mid-February.
He explained that the training was deliberately designed to be practical and intensive, stressing that grantsmanship like academic publishing, requires persistence and resilience. “Once you venture and you fail and then you are shaking, you won’t get anywhere,” he advised participants, encouraging them to remain committed despite possible setbacks in proposal submissions.
Prof. Sam also reiterated DRID’s readiness to support staff throughout the proposal development process. He reminded participants of a recent memo outlining DRID’s structured support system which begins with staff notifying the Directorate of funding calls they wish to pursue after which DRID guides them to enhance the proposals’ competitiveness.
The workshop brought together facilitators with extensive experience in grantsmanship, whose practical insights demystified proposal development and budgeting while building participants’ confidence to respond to funding opportunities.
The training forms part of UEW’s broader agenda to strengthen research capacity, attract external funding and enhance its global image and ranking through impactful research and project implementation.
