Directorate Mission
To promote the growth of a research and innovation-driven entrepreneurial ecosystem that responds to local, national, regional and global needs by delivering knowledge-based goods and services to industry, commerce and society.
Directorate Strategic Goal
To provide a dynamic research and innovation environment in overseeing the implementation of the University’s research and innovation strategy and policies, spurring innovation, and advancing knowledge towards technological advancement and generation of new ideas and intellectual property.
Directorate Roles and Responsibilities
- The Research and Innovation Directorate, set up following the launch of the new Strategic Plan 2019-2025, has the following broad functions:
- Spearhead the implementation of the University’s research and innovation strategy and policies by Faculties, Institutes and Directorates of the University towards the achievement of the institution’s strategic objectives ensuring direct contribution to the NDS1 and National Vision 2030.
- Ensure appropriate research ethics are implemented at all times across the research and innovation landscape in driving high-quality research performance and growth.
- Provide and promote innovative pathways for students/staff to translate their design projects and research and innovation outputs into tangible prototypes, products and services towards the actualisation of the University’s research-innovation-industrialisation ecosystem.
- Provide a framework for protection and utilisation of Intellectual Property generated from the University’s research-innovation-industrialisation ecosystem.
- Lead in the creation, development and nurturing of high-value business linkages and partnerships with the private and public sector organizations to increase the University’s contribution to industrialisation and modernisation through the commercialisation of Intellectual Property.
- Champion the strategic functioning of the University’s Innovation Hub.
- Develop and publish guidelines (UZ Standard Operating Procedures) for the conduct of research, innovation and industrialisation across the University.
- In collaboration with the “Directorate of Quality Assurance and Professional Development”, lead the development and implementation of research and innovation quality assurance benchmarks for the University in line with international best practices.
- Organise and provide secretariat services for optimal functioning of the University’s Research and Innovation and the Research Ethics Committees.
- Managing and supporting research grant requirements and administration processes for University Researchers.
The Research and Innovation Directorate is mandated is guided by the Strategic Objective 1 of the University of Zimbabwe’s 2019-2025 Strategic Plan which is to:
“Develop and promote a programmatic approach to research and innovation for generation of knowledge products, goods and services that respond to the needs of industry, commerce and society”.
This Strategic Objective is the University of Zimbabwe’s tactic of responding to this call by the Government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science, and Technology Development to deliver products, systems, goods, and services to the nation. The heritage-based Education 5.0 model enunciated by the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development promotes an education design that encourages mental sovereignty in the translation of knowledge into tangible goods and services. The Research and Innovation Directorate is tasked to enable the University to chart a new path toward becoming a Global Centre of Excellence in research, innovation, and industrialization.
The Directorate works with the university community and its partners in achieving this through offering research and innovation support, IP protection and management; business development services.