Campus & Community

Research Administrator from University of Ghana visits ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ and Upstate Medical University

Wednesday, February 9, 2022, By Ellen de Graffenreid

Danial Nana Yaw Abankwah is visiting ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ and Upstate Medical University as an IREX University Administration Support Program (UASP) Fellow. He will be on campus Feb. 7-25.  The Office of Research is hosting a virtual introduction with Abankway on

Ghana Fellow

Danial Nana Yaw Abankwah

Abankwah comes to ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ from the University of Ghana, where he serves as a research development officer in the Office of Research, Innovation and Development, specifically serving the College of Health Sciences. As a UASP Fellow, Abankwah is participating in a competitively awarded, short-term U.S. based training experiences for key mid- and senior-level university research administrators and faculty, which is supported by the Carnegie Corporation and managed by IREX.

The fellowship seeks to deepen fellows understanding of a specific area of research management from observing in real-time how U.S. research management teams are structured and operate while expanding their professional networks. Fellows then refine implementation plans—developed through an initial 10-month virtual leadership course—to guide them and their colleagues in implementing sustainable research management reform at their home institution.

The fellowships provide participants with a fully funded, five-week U.S. based training program that builds on the UASP Research Management and Leadership online course and virtual exchange they completed October 2020 – June 2021. Abankwah will spend approximately three weeks collaborating in-person with counterparts at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ and Upstate, giving him opportunities to observe in real-time how U.S. research management teams are structured and operate. The program receives primary support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Abankwah’s primary interest in creating a non-paper-based review system for ethics review boards, as well as to discuss topics such as: competing for large grants, mentoring early career faculty, management of sponsored program and the processes and purpose for research data collection.

Faculty or research-related staff interested in meeting with Abankwah, or having him visit a laboratory, faculty meeting, research development discussion or other research-related activity should contact Christina Leigh Docteur in the Office of Research at cdocteur@syr.edu, or Abankwah directly at dabankwa@syr.edu.