The Directorate is a statutory body of the University and was established in 2015 within the Division of Academic, Research and Student Affairs (AR&SA). The Directorate is mandated to coordinate the research, extension and publication (DREP) activities of the University. The Directorate manages internal research funds, research proposal evaluation, processing, mobilizing external research funding. The directorate is also charged with monitoring and evaluating university research and innovations activities and ensuring that researchers are provided with the requisite competences for successful research engagement through training workshops and seminars on research proposal development, intellectual property rights, research project development and management skills.
The Directorate achieves its objectives through receiving, reviewing and approving research proposals submitted for internal research funds (IRFs) award by the university monitoring internally funded projects implementation through progress reports and site visits. The Directorate further empowers the university by training researchers on writing fundable proposals through responding to external research calls, and coordinates the University’s yearly International Research Conferences and publication through the University online open access Journal of Environmental Sustainability Advanced Research (JESAR).
In addition, the directorate coordinates university extension activities. As a higher institution of learning, novel ideas that benefit the society are passed to stakeholders in various fields such as agriculture, environment and natural resources, industry and education through different forums including field visits, demonstrations, on campus trainings, and study visits to the University. The directorate organizes a triannual open research, innovations and careers week where researchers, innovators, exhibitors and the community interact and share knowledge. Further, under extension activities the Directorate supports the formation of linkages, partnerships and collaboration with other institutions and other interested parties.
The University Science Park at Chuka University houses the University innovations incubation hub which assists new graduates, youth and other researchers to develop novel ideas, from conceptualization, development, patenting and commercialization for employment creation and generating practical solutions to societal challenges.
The Directorate encourages multidisciplinary research and collaboration. With the changing global fortunes due to climate change, both applied and basic research towards food security, environmental conservation, resilience and sustainability involving multiple disciplinary research activities undertaken by the University contributes towards cushioning humanity from the ever increasing challenges facing mankind and the environment.