University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Mamun Ahmed has urged evaluators to assess research proposals solely on the basis of their relevance and quality, without considering any influence, pressure or intervention.
He made the call as the chief guest at a discussion titled “Introduction to Evaluation Criteria for Sub-projects” under the Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) Project at the National Science and Technology Complex on Wednesday. Evaluators of research sub-projects under the HEAT Project attended the event.
Mamun Ahmed said proposal submitters often try to contact evaluators after they are assigned the responsibility of reviewing research proposals to explain their projects.
Sharing his experience, he said such attempts are more common when evaluators are informed about their assignments only two or three days before the assessment begins.
He said multiple stages have been followed in selecting evaluators to ensure neutrality and transparency in research project selection. At the same time, evaluators are kept unaware of their specific assignments before the assessment process begins, reducing the possibility of undue influence or unwanted communication.
“Evaluate project proposals only on the basis of their relevance — nothing more and nothing less,” the UGC chairman told evaluators, stressing that merit, quality, relevance and potential outcomes of projects should be given priority.
He said the UGC has taken various initiatives to make the research proposal evaluation process more merit-based and credible. Any incident of influence, pressure or intervention during the evaluation process would be taken seriously, he added.
The chairman said the commission aims to build a transparent, impartial and merit-based research system at universities with the cooperation of evaluators.
Describing research as a key foundation of higher education, Mamun said research management and research practices must be made credible. It is essential to ensure that allocated funds are used properly and that research outcomes contribute to the welfare of the country, society and the state, he added.
He said the UGC and the government are jointly working to establish an effective and sustainable research ecosystem in the country. Alongside improving research quality, attention should be given to making research outcomes visible and usable, he added.
The UGC chairman said the progress of sub-projects being implemented under the HEAT Project is being closely monitored.
“If any delay, irregularity or serious problem is found in implementing a sub-project, necessary strict measures will be taken,” he said.
He urged researchers to complete project activities within the stipulated timeframe and ensure that research outcomes become visible.
“Research is the lifeblood of universities. Priority should be given to research areas that benefit the people of the country. The outcomes of research conducted under the HEAT Project must also be made visible so that people develop a positive perception about research and the benefits of public investment in this sector become clear,” he said.
UGC member Professor Mohammad Aslam Hossain and HEAT Project Director Asaduzzaman also spoke at the event.
Officials from the UGC and the HEAT Project attended the meeting.
