Kathmandu, May 26, 2023 – The Kantipur City College (KCC) successfully organized a three-day workshop on research proposal development from May 24th to May 26th, 2023 The workshop aimed to provide participants with valuable insights into the process of writing effective research proposals. Renowned experts from various fields shared their knowledge and experiences to guide the participants in developing high-quality research proposals.

The workshop commenced with a warm welcome and an inauguration ceremony on May 24th. The program chair, Mr. Raju Kattel, commenced the event, and the chief guest, Prof. Dr. Mahendra Singh, former Rector of TU and former Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, delivered a keynote speech. Prof. Dr. Singh, who is also the founding principal of KCC, emphasized the importance of research proposal writing in academic and professional pursuits.

On the first day of the workshop, Dr. Deepak Bikram Thapa Chhetri, accompanied by rapporteur Ms. Merry Singh, conducted two insightful sessions. In the morning session, he covered topics such as the significance of research proposal writing, the distinction between a research proposal and a research paper, idea generation, choosing a research topic, and provided an overview of the workshop. The afternoon session focused on grant proposal writing and included discussions on conducting a literature review, followed by a question and answer session.

Dr. Bidur Dhungel, an expert in grant proposal writing, conducted the sessions on the second day. Mr. Dhan Raj Char served as the rapporteur for the day. Dr. Dhungel’s sessions provided an overview of grant proposal writing and emphasized the importance of conducting a comprehensive literature review. The participants actively engaged in the question and answer session, gaining valuable insights and clarifying their doubts.

The third day of the workshop featured Dr. Shankar Khanal and Dr. Babita Paudel Bhattarai as the speakers. Dr. Khanal’s sessions, with rapporteurs Er. Bikalpa Guragain and Er. Prakash Gautam, focused on the basic structure of a research proposal, including its components such as formulating research questions, providing rationale, and developing hypotheses. Prof. Dr. Shankar Khanal, in his sessions, highlighted the differences between research and grant proposals, discussed the components of a proposal, and emphasized the importance of creating a time scale for the research project. He also touched upon possible outcomes, implications, biographical sketches, and references.

Dr. Babita Paudel Bhattarai, accompanied by rapporteur Ms. Kusum Deo, conducted sessions on the final day. She revised the topics covered in the previous days and addressed participants’ queries regarding homework and practices. Dr. Bhattarai also shed light on career and networking opportunities for obtaining grants, sources of research support, finding suitable funding agencies, and the process of applying to external funders. Additionally, she provided insights into national and international opportunities and how to explore them.

The last session of the workshop was led by Dr. Pralhad Karki, with Er. Bikalpa Guragain serving as the rapporteur. Dr. Karki shared his valuable experiences, discussed the review processes, and highlighted additional requirements of grant proposals. He presented examples of qualitative and quantitative proposals and engaged in a question and answer session, providing participants with constructive feedback.

The workshop concluded successfully, equipping participants with essential knowledge and skills in research proposal development. The attendees expressed their gratitude to KCC for organizing such a beneficial event, and they praised the expertise of the speakers and the interactive nature of the sessions. The workshop served as a platform for networking and fostering collaborations among participants and experts in the field of research.

KCC plans to continue organizing similar workshops in the future, aiming to facilitate research and development in various domains.