Research at DWIUST

Plans, not yet in operation. DWIUST has not opened, so no research is under way yet. This page describes the research policy and structures set out in its application for licensure.

Our Approach

Research That Serves Liberia

DWIUST aims to build a strong research culture among faculty and students, focused on applied and interdisciplinary work that addresses local, national and global challenges, and to turn that knowledge into innovation, enterprise and service.

Goals for the first years

At least 5 funded research projects or grants within 3 years
At least 20 research publications a year within 5 years
At least 2 research centers within 5 years
30% of final-year students taking part in research projects

Research Focus Areas

Seven Priority Areas

DWIUST plans to prioritize research aligned with Liberia's national development needs.

Sustainable energy and climate change

Solar power, biomass energy and energy efficiency for off-grid Liberian communities, growing into climate resilience and smart renewable micro-grids.

Water resources and the environment

Groundwater quality, watershed protection and sanitation in peri-urban areas.

Agriculture and food security

Climate-smart crop varieties, reducing post-harvest losses, and extension services for smallholder farmers.

Public health and biomedical sciences

Surveillance of infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and Ebola, maternal and child health, and stronger community health systems.

ICT and artificial intelligence

E-government platforms, mobile health applications and network infrastructure for remote learning.

Engineering and infrastructure

Low-cost building materials, road maintenance and bridge designs suited to a tropical climate.

Social sciences and policy

Decentralization, education policy, gender equity in the labor market, and conflict resolution.

How Research Is Governed

Planned Research Structures

Research and Innovation Council

Sets research policy and priorities, approves research funding and monitors progress. It meets every quarter.

Institutional Review Board

Reviews and approves every study involving people before data collection begins, covering consent, confidentiality and risk.

School research committees

Support research within each school, review internal grant proposals and encourage collaboration.

Office of Sponsored Research

Finds funding opportunities and supports researchers with grant applications, budgets, reporting and compliance.

Students and Research

Learning to Do Research

Teaching at DWIUST is planned to be research-led, with student projects, research methodology courses and, in honors programs, an independent dissertation.

Students will be able to join research groups and receive supervised research experience. Graduate students and early-career researchers will get training in research methods, statistics and academic writing, and mentoring from experienced faculty.

Research facilities (planned)

Laboratories across the sciences and engineering
A central instrumentation facility with shared equipment
Online access to academic databases, e-journals and e-books through the library
Computing and data analysis facilities with licensed statistical and scientific software

Innovation & Entrepreneurship

From Ideas to Enterprises

DWIUST plans an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre: a hub for students, faculty and staff with mentoring, prototyping space, and training in business models and intellectual property.

A physical and virtual incubator for early-stage startups
Joint development projects with industry, so that good ideas can become products
Annual innovation challenges and hackathons on national priorities such as health, energy and agriculture
An Innovation Hub building, planned for the third phase of the campus (target June 2029)

Community Engagement

Working with Our Neighbors

DWIUST plans to work with local communities, schools and government agencies to find and tackle pressing problems in health, water, energy and livelihoods, and to share findings in accessible ways.

Community-based research designed together with residents
Extension services such as soil testing, crop advice, health screenings and teacher training workshops
Public lectures, radio programs and free or low-cost workshops
Service-learning courses, student community projects, and internships linked to local needs

Ethics & Integrity

Research Done Right

Ethical approval

All research involving people or animals needs prior approval from the Institutional Review Board or Ethics Committee, with informed consent and confidentiality maintained.

Originality

Theses, dissertations and faculty manuscripts are checked with plagiarism detection software before submission. Fabrication, falsification and plagiarism are serious offenses.

Fair authorship

Authorship is based on real intellectual contribution. Ghostwriting, gift authorship and duplicate submission are not allowed, and disputes follow COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines.

Interested in research at DWIUST?

Researchers and organizations interested in working with DWIUST are welcome to get in touch.