Research projects at Mekelle University generally fall within seven different categories, namely: Mega-scale, Large-scale, Medium-Scale, General/Young Junior Research, Female Junior research, demand-driven research, and externally funded research projects. Moreover, we have Community engagement projects initiated by staff or stakeholders. The consultancy services we provide are solely emanating from the stakeholders. These categories are developed based on the existing needs and mission- vision of MU. Working guidelines are prepared and in use. All projects are registered through the e-research system portal of our University. The fund sources are from the recurrent budget of the University, collaborative projects with (inter) national funders/stakeholders, and grants secured by individual academic staff.
Mekelle University uses standard proposal guidelines and policies, followed by a monitoring and evaluation scheme. There are different mechanisms of dissemination of outputs and outcomes to the community in need. Some of those include dissemination and technology product events, research review day, publication displays, workshops, and conferences. Almost every year, MU hosts an annual research and community engagement review day where the research performance in different colleges and institutes conducted in the previous year is presented and discussed in detail. Postgraduate students are attached to most of the staff’s research projects. Moreover; a separate postgraduate research grant is available either from the recurrent budget or other collaborative projects of the University. As the research demand of MU staff is increasing from time to time, home-grown journals (currently 14 journals) are also on the rise. For example, the Momona Ethiopian Journal of Science is one in which it is indexed in Web of Science, Scopus, and AJOL. Both the Journal of Drylands and Momona Ethiopian Journal of Science have been accredited by the former Ministry of Science and Higher Education; and now the Ministry of Education.
