UGC brings major reforms for evaluating research proposals

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has introduced significant reforms to the evaluation process for research project proposals to ensure greater transparency, impartiality, and accountability in research funding.

The new measures have been implemented in the second phase of the research sub-project selection process under the Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) project, with changes made at every stage of proposal preparation, submission, and evaluation, said a press release.

Under the revised system, the identities of researchers and their institutions are concealed through unique identification codes, allowing proposals to be assessed anonymously.

The UGC has also issued strict instructions to ensure that reviewers cannot identify applicants or their affiliated institutions during the evaluation process.

In addition, reviewers are now selected through a lottery from a pre-approved panel, a move the commission says will eliminate the influence of personal connections, institutional affiliations, or lobbying.

UGC Chairman Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed announced the reforms while addressing a workshop titled "Orientation on Sub-project Evaluation" under the HEAT project at the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences in Dhaka on Friday.

Mamun said the first phase of the HEAT project had generated some negative perceptions regarding the selection of research sub-projects, although those perceptions did not accurately reflect reality.

Nevertheless, he said, the UGC was committed to ensuring that no doubts remained about the integrity of the selection process.

"We want to identify genuine researchers. Project selection will be based not on personal identity but on the quality, originality, and potential impact of the research," he said.

According to the UGC chairman, a panel of potential reviewers was compiled from three sources: experts nominated by applicants, researchers who expressed interest through a Google Form, and subject specialists identified from university websites. A high-level committee then finalised the panel after assessing the reviewers' publications, research experience, and academic credentials.

Each research proposal has been assigned a unique code, while six to eight potential reviewers are listed for every project. Two reviewers are selected through a lottery, and they are not informed which proposal they will evaluate until the official review period begins.

"This system is designed to keep the evaluation process free from external influence, personal connections, and bias as much as possible," Mamun said.

He emphasised that improving research culture requires not only increased funding but also a credible and merit-based evaluation system. A transparent and competitive review process, he said, would strengthen researchers' confidence and help establish an internationally competitive research environment.

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The UGC chairman also revealed that the 180 research projects funded last year are being closely monitored. Funding will be suspended, and appropriate action taken, if any project is found to have financial irregularities, misuse of funds, or failure to achieve its stated objectives.

He expressed optimism that the effective and accountable utilisation of research funds under the HEAT and ICSTEP projects would significantly enhance Bangladesh's research capacity while helping to overcome longstanding negative perceptions about research management in the country's universities.

The workshop was attended by UGC members Professor Dr Masuma Habib, Professor Dr Md Aslam Hossain, Professor Dr Niaz Ahmed Chowdhury, HEAT Project Director Dr Asaduzzaman, and other officials from the UGC and the HEAT project.