Directorate of Research, Innovation & Commercialisation

Research strategy and coordination

Research funding and grants

Research ethics and integrity

Researcher development and knowledge sharing

Innovation development and management

Incubation and product development

Intellectual property and commercialisation

Acceleration and enterprise growth

Research at OUK spans education, technology, business, health and public policy, with particular strength in open and distance learning, digital education and applied solutions for Kenya's development priorities. Research is conducted by staff, students and collaborative teams, feeding into publications, policy and practice.

The Directorate supports researchers at every stage - proposal development, ethics clearance, grant applications, project management, dissemination and post-project reporting - and works with schools to align research with the University's strategic priorities.

The Directorate supports OUK researchers through guidance on research funding, proposal development, ethical research practices, publication and dissemination. The Directorate is progressively strengthening these support areas, including templates, training and one-to-one advisory services for staff and postgraduate students.

The Directorate supports researchers in identifying and pursuing funding opportunities for research, innovation and collaborative projects. Currently, grant applications are largely initiated by individual researchers and research teams, with Directorate guidance on fit, budgets and submission.

The Directorate aims to strengthen institutional grant-writing capacity, promote interdisciplinary research and collaboration, and improve the University's ability to attract external funding to support research and innovation.

All research involving human participants, animals or sensitive data is reviewed through the University ethics review process. The Directorate provides guidance on ethical research practices, consent, data protection and academic integrity, and ensures that approved protocols are in place before fieldwork or data collection begins.

The Directorate nurtures innovation by supporting idea generation, prototyping and linkages with industry and ecosystems such as Konza Technopolis, turning research findings into practical solutions, services and spin-offs.

Where research outputs have commercial potential, the Directorate guides intellectual property management, partnership structuring and pathways to market so that innovation generates value for the University and society.

The Directorate promotes the generation, dissemination and utilisation of research through scholarly publications, policy briefs, conference presentations and other research outputs. The University is strengthening institutional support for researchers to publish in reputable journals, collaborate on joint research and increase the visibility, accessibility and impact of research outputs.

The Open University of Kenya (OUK) has pursued approximately 140 partnership initiatives at international, regional and local levels, with over 40 formalised through signed agreements and the others at various stages of engagement and development.

Through these partnerships, the University seeks to strengthen academic collaboration, research and innovation, capacity building and knowledge exchange. The current focus includes expanding student mobility and exchange programmes, creating opportunities for learners to engage in cross-institutional learning, access diverse academic experiences and build international networks.

The University continues to engage prospective and existing partners to translate partnership agreements into practical activities and mutually beneficial outcomes for students, staff and participating institutions.