IUST Organizes Workshop on Effective Research Administration to Strengthen Research Governance

Bilal Habib

Awantipora, July 8: To enhance institutional capacity in research administration and ensure efficient management of externally funded research projects, the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) organized a one-day workshop on “Effective Research Administration: Understanding GFR, Procurement Rules, and Documentation Requirements.” The programme was jointly organized by the Office of the Dean Research and the Office of Finance.

The workshop was attended by Deans, Directors, Heads of Departments, Principal Investigators of externally funded research projects, Ramanujan Fellows, and research staff from across the University. The programme aimed to familiarize participants with the provisions of the General Financial Rules (GFR), procurement procedures, Government e-Marketplace (GeM) processes, financial documentation requirements, and best practices for ensuring transparency, compliance, and accountability in research administration.

Welcoming the participants, Dr. Aabid H. Shalla, Dean Research highlighted the University’s rapid transformation into a research-intensive institution with a vibrant and expanding research ecosystem. He noted that IUST has witnessed a significant increase in externally funded research projects, interdisciplinary collaborations, innovation initiatives, and advanced research facilities over the past few years. He emphasized that with this growing research infrastructure comes the responsibility of ensuring robust financial governance and compliance with statutory regulations.

The technical sessions covered various aspects of research administration, including procurement rules, procedures and best practices, documentation requirements for bill processing, GeM procurement and compliance, and the essentials of the General Financial Rules (GFR) in the context of research management. The sessions were conducted by finance professionals from the University, including Manzoor Ahmad Kuthroo, Assistant Finance Officer; Suhaila Gulshan, Assistant Finance Officer; and Sameer Wazir, Finance Officer.

Sameer Wazir, Finance Officer, underscored the importance of financial discipline and procedural compliance in maintaining the credibility and sustainability of research institutions. He observed that effective research administration extends beyond academic excellence and requires meticulous adherence to established financial and procurement norms. The workshop coordinated by Umar Afzal concluded with an interactive discussion during which participants sought clarifications on various aspects of project administration, procurement procedures, and financial compliance.