African Universities’ Research Approaches (AURA) Programme: Research Proposal for Kenyatta

Abstract

This proposal is divided into seven parts, with this overview forming the first section. The second section provides an overall summary of the AURA programme – this is at a high level and includes details about the different strands of the programme, as well as looking at anticipated results and impact. Then the proposal moves on to the literature review. This provides a justification for our thinking around the programme, including evidence to support key programmatic design decisions particularly around the importance of developing research capacity at Kenyatta as well as on the importance of innovative, pedagogical practices. Section three spells out the programme design in greater detail. This section includes citations from the literature review to emphasise the evidence-­‐based nature of the AURA programme design. Section four provides greater detail of the programme’s design and key facets, such as looking at the role project coordinators and the ALIRT teams play in the programme implementation. Section five focuses on the AURA diagnostics. The AURA diagnostics are a tool the programme uses to capture information from partnering institutions through content analysis, surveys, interviews and focus groups. The aim of the diagnostics is to ensure programmatic decisions are made in a collaborative manner using inputs directly from the individuals participating in the programme. This section contains an overview of the different research methods used. Section six zones in on Kenyatta more specifically and looks more specifically at the steps the AURA programme will be taking with your institution. This document concludes with the appendices, which include a full list of references used throughout the document.