Research forms an important activity of the University of the West Indies at large, and the Cave Hill Campus, in particular. The School for Graduate Studies and Research (SGSR), as its title indicates, puts  great emphasis on Research by fostering the conditions of its implementation, by providing assistance and funds to academic staff and postgraduate students.

Research constitutes an important component of the postgraduate studies curriculum. It is actually Research and consequently Publications, that have ranked The University of the West Indies in the top 1% among the best universities in the world. Therefore, the School for Graduate Studies and Research  will ensure that the quality of our research  degrees is high, and that the requirements of the best practice are fulfilled. Research degrees such as MPhil and PhD put a heavy load on the research component of teaching and thesis or final papers.

The School for Graduate Studies and Research is committed to encouraging research for both academic staff and postgraduate students through its  Campus Research Award Fund . Despite the present economic and financial restrictions, SGSR under certain conditions provides support to participation in conferences, workshops and to purchase of equipment necessary for experimental research.

The School for Graduate Studies and Research also collaborates with the Office of Research Innovation and Community (RICCH) to promote the commercialization of inventions and generate income. Research activity and publication are part of the requirements for promotion of academic staff.

Graduate Studies and Research also has the responsibility for organizing the Inaugural Professorial Lectures. The aim of these lectures is to show the academic work and the areas of interest of our recently promoted professors to the local, national and regional community.  In order to preserve quality and integrity, research and publication are conducted in line with the policies of intellectual property, ethics and plagiarism.

The criteria used by The University of the West Indies to determine focal areas for research include:
 

• areas in which UWI has strong technical capacity and international credibility;
• areas of particular relevance to regional development, and;
• niche areas where the region’s geography and history gives the institution a competitive advantage.

 

Key Research Areas

Using these criteria a number of key areas emerge that demand enhanced knowledge acquisition, innovation and intervention. These include but are not limited to:
 

• Biotechnology, particularly with respect to Agriculture and Horticulture;
• Legal Protection and use of Biodiversity, Natural Products and unique Genetic Resources;
• Cultural Studies and the development of Cultural and Entertainment Industries for tourism promotion;
• Social, Economic and Legal studies, particularly as they relate to Crime, Security and Justice;
• Health and Wellness, particularly as they relate to diseases impacting on Caribbean communities and the tourism product;
• Natural Hazards Management and Disaster Risk Reduction; Natural Resource and Environmental Use and Management, particularly as they relate to Forestry, Fisheries, Water Resources, Sustainable Tourism, Ecotourism development and Community Wellness;
• The feasibility, development and implementation of Alternative Energy;
• Education, with particular emphasis on innovative approaches to Teacher Training and Development.

The University continues to pursue strategies in support of its research, development and innovation agenda, including building partnerships with government, business, industry and new entrepreneurs (both within and outside of the University).