Centre for Research Development and In-house Training (Credit)
Research Mandate at the University of Ilorin: Fostering Innovation and Interdisciplinary Excellence
The University of Ilorin maintains a robust research management structure under the leadership of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Technology and Innovation). This office oversees the university’s comprehensive research strategy, ensuring alignment with national development goals and global academic standards. Directly under this office operates the Centre for Research Development and In-House Training (CREDIT), which is headed by distinguished academic staff with extensive research portfolios and proven track records in multidisciplinary research initiatives.
Our research governance framework reflects the university’s commitment to academic excellence, cutting-edge research, and knowledge advancement across diverse disciplines. As a leading institution in Nigeria, we maintain strong emphasis on research as a fundamental pillar of our institutional mandate, driving innovation, addressing critical societal challenges, and contributing to both national development and global knowledge economy.
The university actively promotes both interdisciplinary and intradisciplinary research, with particular strategic focus on contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our key research priority areas include:
Interdisciplinary Research: A Core Component of Our Research Ecosystem
Understanding that contemporary global challenges demand collaborative solutions, our university has established mechanisms to actively promote and support interdisciplinary research. The Research management office which is known as CREDIT, has implemented comprehensive measures to evaluate interdisciplinary research success. These include systematic tracking of cross-departmental publications, monitoring of joint grant acquisitions, and rigorous assessment of societal impact from collaborative projects.
The university provides dedicated infrastructure to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration, including:
The Unilorin Central Research Laboratory serves as our flagship interdisciplinary facility, bringing together researchers from sciences, engineering, social sciences, and medical fields to address complex research questions. This facility exemplifies our commitment to breaking down traditional disciplinary barriers.
Our administrative support system for interdisciplinary research includes:
The Centre for Research Development and In-House Training plays a pivotal role in this support system, ensuring researchers can focus on innovation rather than administrative hurdles. Under the leadership of experienced academics with substantial research backgrounds, CREDIT provides targeted support for interdisciplinary research teams.
The university’s career advancement framework explicitly recognizes and rewards interdisciplinary research contributions. Our promotion criteria value:
This institutional recognition ensures faculty members receive appropriate credit for their contributions to team-based, interdisciplinary research endeavors.
Through this integrated approach combining strategic leadership, dedicated infrastructure, administrative support, and career incentives the University of Ilorin continues to strengthen its position as a premier institution for innovative, solution-driven research. Our research management structure, under the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Technology and Innovation), provides the necessary framework to support excellence in both disciplinary and interdisciplinary research, positioning the university at the forefront of knowledge creation and societal transformation.
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