Dr. Peter Kahenya- Director, Research Directorate

The Research and Innovations Directorate drives JKUAT’s research agenda by promoting a dynamic and ethical research ecosystem. As the central hub for research coordination, the Directorate oversees and monitors university research activities, facilitates knowledge sharing and dissemination, and ensures compliance with ethical standards. The Directorate organizes the annual scientific conference, manages the Journal of Agriculture, Science and Technology (JAGST), and conducts thematic webinars, seminars and public lectures to promote engagement among actors in research. The Research and Innovations Directorate drives JKUAT’s research agenda by promoting a dynamic and ethical research ecosystem. As the central hub for research coordination, the Directorate oversees and monitors university research activities, facilitates knowledge sharing and dissemination, and ensures compliance with ethical standards. The Directorate organizes the annual scientific conference, manages the Journal of Agriculture, Science and Technology (JAGST), and conducts thematic webinars, seminars and public lectures to promote engagement among actors in research.

Objectives

  1. In pursuit of research excellence, our objectives focus on securing funding, upholding research integrity, strengthening research policies, and fostering collaboration within the university and with external partners through research and knowledge sharing.
    1. To source and administer research funding from the university and external donors to support high-quality research.
    2. To establish and maintain a robust monitoring and evaluation system for funded research projects.
    3. To continuously review and implement the university’s research policy.
    4. To enhance researchers’ capacity to effectively manage research.
    5. To provide a platform for researchers to connect, share, publish, and disseminate their findings.

Core Activities

The department maintains a web-based platform designed to support monitoring and evaluation of research projects, catalog multidisciplinary research areas, maintain an updated database of research projects, curate a repository of university research outputs and serve as a hub linking researchers, their expertise and interests, research projects, publications, team members, and external collaborators

Through the JKUAT Institutional Scientific and Ethics Review Committee (ISEREC), the department oversees ethical standards in research, ensuring compliance with institutional, national, and international regulations. It also serves as a liaison between the university and national regulatory bodies such as the National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI), facilitating research approvals and adherence to Kenya’s research regulations.

The department organizes the JKUAT Scientific, Technological and Industrialization Conference as a platform to showcase the University’s contribution to the society, facilitate collaboration among researchers, promote interactions between researchers, industry and policymakers, and advocate for long-term investment in science, technology and innovation.

The department organizes public lectures, seminars, webinars, and training sessions to enhance knowledge sharing, dissemination, and capacity building for multidisciplinary research.

The department manages the Journal of Agriculture, Science and Technology (JAGST), a peer-reviewed, open-access publication that promotes the visibility of research in agriculture, science, technology, and humanities.

The JKUAT Vice Chancellor’s Research Merit Award is a performance-based scheme that recognizes outstanding university researchers. It aims to promote a strong research culture, reward exceptional contributions, and encourage high-quality funding proposals.

Gallery

Services

Journal of Agriculture, Science and Technology (JAGST)

The JKUAT Institutional Scientific and Ethics Review Committee (ISEREC)