UWEC has a Research Policy being spearheaded by the Projects and Research Committee.
The prime mission of the UWEC Projects and Research Committee is to encourage research that promotes UWEC as a venue for academic research as well as projects that promote conservation of wildlife and the environment.
Application procedure
· Before you consider a research project at UWEC you must read the guidelines.
· All enquiries regarding research should be directed to the Research and Projects Committee. You should contact us to discuss your project at an early stage. We expect you to have a good idea of what you would like to do but be prepared to be flexible. Once you have read the above materials you should submit your application to the Research and projects Committee for review and consideration. It may take some weeks to get approval and not all projects are approved, so plan and leave plenty of time. We cannot always support projects as they stand but can often suggest slight changes so that we can accommodate them.
· Please note there is a research fee for all projects carried out at UWEC which must be paid before commencing the study. This is outlined in the application. All on-site researchers will have an induction on site safety and research policies of UWEC and have the chance to meet UWEC staff relevant to their chosen topic. Following completion of any research, researchers are required to provide a copy of the final report and the data obtained (this includes the raw data and any images or video footage obtained on site at UWEC).
Publishing of data collected from UWEC
· Researchers wishing to publish any data collected from UWEC should contact us well in advance of submission to any conference, meeting or online/print publications. We require time to review planned publications that relates to data collected at UWEC. In some cases, where UWEC has made a significant contribution to the study, we may seek co-authorship on resulting publications.
Research Guidelines
1. All research undertaken must be for the net benefit of the individual animals, species and/or their habitat, or for the benefit of UWEC. We only support studies that do not compromise animal welfare or adversely affect animal management. You must demonstrate that you have clear research outcomes for your application.
2. All research to be undertaken in association with UWEC must be assessed and approved prior to commencement to ensure scientific and ethical validity, that animal welfare is not compromised and that the research complies with relevant international zoo requirements. Any equipment to be used or questionnaires must be seen and agreed by UWEC in advance.
3. You must appreciate that animals may be moved or not available for study at short notice if there are emergencies, such as veterinary problems. We will do our best to sort out any problems that affect your study and keep you informed of any necessary changes.
4. All research carried out must be reported in full, with a copy of that report being presented to UWEC at the appropriate time within the duration of the research. UWEC must be advised in advance of publication plans.
5. Any public relation activities or communication with the media must be managed in consultation with UWEC
6. All reports and publications resulting from research at or through UWEC (including samples) should acknowledge UWEC. It is expected that individual UWEC staff contributing to or supervising research projects must be acknowledged through co-authorship of any publications as well as by name in the relevant section of reports.
7. A copy of all raw data relating to UWEC, appropriately annotated to allow independent interpretation, must be provided on completion of a study. UWEC reserves the right to use all data collected at UWEC for its own publications if they have not been published (or submitted for publication) elsewhere within one year of the termination of the research project. In such cases, due acknowledgement of contribution and intellectual property will be given.
8. Your details will be held in our database for our use only and will not be passed to third parties without your consent.
9. We will not be held responsible for any problems arising from research carried out at UWEC.
10. Any samples provided by UWEC and anything derived from them, remain the property of UWEC and will only be used for agreed research and education purposes. Any unused sample will be disposed of in accordance with standard procedures for the disposal.
11. UWEC will be informed prior to the transfer of any samples to a third party for research, and the third party will also be bound by this agreement.
12. UWEC has affordable accommodation but you may also arrange your own accommodation.
13. Please note that scientific research may require clearance with Uganda National Council of Science and Technology (UNCST)
Registration Fees
All successful applicants will be charged research fees. The basic research fee is ……………. to be paid before commencement of any research, at your induction day. There is a fee of ………………… for more involved projects or those requiring more supervision by UWEC.
NOTE: Fees may be waived where researchers are affiliated with specific partner institutes.
Basic research fee: …………………. provides you with:
– Access into the zoo to do your research (through supply of a badge, which you will receive on your first day, and will need to return at the end of your on-site research period). Including access to the zoo library and the staff cafeteria.
– Access to samples currently held within our biobank, if appropriate.
– Access to the visitor viewing areas, visitors for surveys, and consultations with the keepers and other staff, as outlined in the induction. You will not be allowed access to the animal enclosures without prior arrangement.
Supervision research fee: …………………
This provides you with all the above and additional use of staff time for more involved projects such as enrichment devices, nutritional studies, etc.
– As ‘Basic research fees’ above, you will not be allowed access to the animal enclosures except under specific agreements. All enrichment devices must be supplied to the keepers for them to include in the enclosures during their normal daily routines.
– Projects requiring the collection of opportunistic biological samples, e.g. faecal samples, also fall under this category.
