Scientific Research Grant Office (SRGO)

The National University of Sudan

Research is key to national development, global competitiveness, and capacity building. Researchers generate high-quality ideas but often encounter bottlenecks in opportunities discovery, competitive proposal development, budgeting, compliance, and post-award management. Hence, the centralised Scientific Research Grant Office (SRGO) would streamline the entire grant lifecycle, boost competitiveness, and strengthen accountability, aligning with national science policy and regional priority areas such as public health, sustainable agriculture, water resources, energy, and digital technologies. Furthermore, it aligns with the university’s goals for research impact, interdisciplinary collaboration, graduate training, and innovation. The Office offers strong value through increased grant income via specialised grant writing, budgeting, and compliance; enhanced research impact and visibility via more outputs, collaborations, and recognition; and capacity building by training researchers. Moreover, it supports administrators in sustaining the research ecosystem; it improves compliance and governance through standardised policies that cover ethical, legal, financial, and regulatory requirements. Also, it optimises resources through streamlined processes that shorten timelines and enhance fund utilisation.

Objectives

The office’s objectives are to:

  • Secure high-quality external research funding to advance knowledge, innovation, and societal impact while ensuring compliant, transparent administration.
  • Identify and disseminate funding opportunities relevant to the university’s research strengths.
  • Build and maintain a robust portfolio of funded projects across disciplines.
  • Provide authoring, budgeting, and submission support to researchers.
  • Manage post-award administration, including reporting, audits, compliance, and financial tracking.
  • Develop researcher capacity through grant-writing training and mentorship.
  • Establish metrics and dashboards to monitor performance and impact.
  • Foster international and regional collaborations and consortia.

Structure and Governance

Organisational Structure

  • Director of SRGO (reports to the President Assistant for Research
  • Grants Development Team (Grant Writers, Budget/Finance Specialist, Compliance Officer)
  • Grants Administration Team (Post-Award Administration, Reporting, Contract Management)
  • Research Partnerships and Training Unit (Outreach, Collaboration Facilitation, Capacity Building)
  • Data and Analytics Unit (KPIs, dashboards, funding landscape analytics)

Advisory bodies:

  • Research Council (representing faculties)
  • Ethics Committee
  • External Partnerships Advisory Board (donors, industry partners, funders)

Outsourcing and shared services:

  • Legal counsel or contract review as needed
  • External auditors for annual reviews
  • Strategic partnerships with faculties for targeted expertise

Roles and responsibilities

  • Director: strategy, governance, external relations, quality assurance
  • Grant Writers: proposal development, storytelling, alignment with funder guidelines
  • Budget/Finance: cost models, budgeting, financial tracking, indirect costs/overheads
  • Post-Award: progress reporting, deliverables tracking, audits, sub-award management
  • Partnerships: identify collaborators, CC/Unit-level MOUs, consortia management
  • Analytics: monitor success metrics, generate dashboards, market intelligence

Functions and Activities

Fundraising and Opportunity Scouting

  • Monitor national and international funding opportunities (government, international organisations, foundations, industry grants, bilateral programs)
  • Maintain a searchable opportunities database and weekly briefings
  • Align opportunities with institutional research strengths and strategic themes

Proposal Development and Submission

  • Provide grant-writing support, alignment to funder guidelines, and narrative development
  • Budget development, personnel plans, procurement considerations, and indirect cost calculations
  • Compliance review (ethics, data management, IP, gender and equity considerations)
  • Coordination of internal approvals (Dean/Faculty chairs, research ethics, procurement)
  • Prepare and submit proposals electronically; manage pre-award questions

Post-Award Administration

  • Financial set-up, budget monitoring, cost classification, and re-budgeting
  • Sub-award management and vendor contracts
  • Progress reporting, deliverables tracking, and performance metrics
  • Compliance, audits, and risk management
  • Renewal and close-out processes

Capacity Building and Partnerships

  • Training programmes: grant writing, budgeting, grant compliance, data management plans
  • Internal seed funding coordination and pilot project support
  • Facilitate multi-disciplinary and cross-faculty collaborations
  • Build national and international research partnerships and consortia

Knowledge Management

  • Central repository for templates, checklists, and standard operating procedures (SOPs)
  • Library of best practices and case studies
  • Public-facing portal with opportunity updates and success stories

Reporting and Analytics

  • Regular dashboards on funding status, success rates, time-to-submit, and application quality
  • Impact reporting for funders and university leadership
  • Evaluation of ROI and sustainability indicators