Imagine being a professor at the University of Dhaka embarking on a new research endeavor. To conduct your study successfully, you require fieldwork, access to data, laboratory facilities, specialized equipment, and opportunities to engage with peers at conferences. Your goal is to produce valuable research that enhances knowledge and elevates the reputation of your academic institution.
With an annual research budget of Tk 1 lakh per faculty member at the University of Dhaka, the institution’s previous budget allocated Tk 21.57 crore for research among over 2,000 teachers, averaging Tk 1 lakh per researcher. While this year’s university-level budget details are not yet public, the proposed national budget indicates a shift towards consolidating Tk 200 crore of university research funds into a unified UGC fund. However, centralizing the fund does not alter the distribution process, merely changing the administration of the funds. This allocation may cover basic research expenses but falls short of fostering sustained, collaborative research efforts that universities aim to achieve.
Roughly Tk 11.5 crore, slightly over half of the budget, could support ten structured international doctoral partnerships, each costing between Tk 1.1 to Tk 1.2 crore, covering tuition and living expenses for three years. The University of Dhaka, like many public universities in Bangladesh, often hires lecturers without doctoral degrees, who pursue their doctorate later during a study leave abroad. This funding initiative targets this group, aiming to keep them connected to Bangladesh throughout their Ph.D. by maintaining ties with local academic institutions, publishing research with Bangladeshi affiliations, and making regular visits back home.
The remaining Tk 10 crore could establish a competitive internal research grant program centered around a unique qualification not yet available in Bangladesh: the Master of Research (MRes). Positioned between a coursework master’s and a Ph.D., the MRes focuses on cultivating early-career researchers through a year of supervised original research, equipping students with essential research skills and experiences.
In this proposed model for Bangladesh, faculty members with Ph.D. degrees would compete for internal research grants ranging from Tk 5 lakh to Tk 30 lakh annually, depending on project requirements. An external selection committee would assess and choose up to 75 projects university-wide, with each winning supervisor recruiting an MRes student through a competitive process. These students would receive full research scholarships, living stipends, and project funding, with centralized administration and research training and departmental supervision.
Implementing this model across public universities in Bangladesh could result in 75 new research projects, 75 MRes graduates with tangible outcomes, and 75 faculty members experienced in developing and delivering competitive grant proposals in a single academic year. Graduates could further their studies or pursue research roles, with the MRes qualification signaling their readiness for research-intensive positions. This strategy underscores the importance of targeted research investments over broad allocations to maximize research impact and outcomes in Bangladesh’s academic landscape.
