ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT RESEARCH ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE YEAR 2024

1. Students research activities:

Student research batches for 1st yr and 2nd yr: Students’ research groups were formulated, and overall, 17 groups of 1st yr students, and 16 groups from 2nd yr were finalized and distributed to respective facilitators (list of students’ groups attached)
a. All teaching contents during 2024 were disseminated to all the facilitators, to align the progress uniformly
b. The facilitators were provided guidance and necessary facilitations in research activities throughout the year on almost daily basis

2. Faculty Research activities:

Research proposals from many faculty members were submitted and were analyzed by the IRB committee. After following the procedures and protocols, approval letters were issued to the principal authors
3. PMDC & HEC approved journals lists displayed: The updated lists of these journals were notified to all facilitators via WhatsApp group. This was to avoid complications faced by some faculty members subsequent to submission of articles in de-affiliated journals
4. Workshops and Online webinar: Research advisory committee prioritizes the conduction of research workshops each year. Likewise, 2 workshops were conducted targeting the faculty of RLKUMC. One of the workshops conducted in May was of 2 days duration, encompassing maximum number of college faculty. A webinar on research methodology was conducted to promote research at the campus. (Mentioned in the achievements section below)
5. Providing guidance to faulty for article writing & submission: This is the most consistent activity of RAC, in which many faculty members (from basics & clinical sciences) have been reaching the research cell for step-by-step guidance in their respective articles, synopsis and thesis. This has immensely helped in nurturing a healthy, professional and research-oriented environment at the campus (faculty feedback forms attached)

2. ACHIEVEMENTS & PROGRESS

Monthly meetings of RAC were conducted regularly as per schedule throughout the year 2024. Necessary actions were taken in lieu of the recommendations of the members of the RAC. These include;
a. Workshops: Based on the feedback from some faculty members, who were among the facilitators for students’ research, two workshops on research methodology were conducted for the faculty (January & May 2024). The prime purpose of the workshops was to appraise the faculty regrading research methodologies and simultaneously develop skills in article writing and publications
b. Online Webinar on research methodology, topic formulation and use of AI in literature search was conducted. It was a healthy initiative and all participants showed high interest in the webinar. This webinar was conducted based on request by many students of MBBS students, who were showing keen interest in research and article writing
c. Altogether, 52 IRB approvals were prepared and given to the principal authors, in 2023 & 2024. Among these approvals, 38 were given in 2024 only, thus showing an increasing trend in 2024
d. Updated list of PMDC approved journals was disseminated to all faculty via WhatsApp group, and all FAQs were addressed
e. Updated list of HEC approved journals was disseminated to all faculty via WhatsApp group, and all FAQs were addressed

3. CHALLENGES FACED & SOLUTIONS IMPLEMENTED

1. Challenge: Some facilitators showed lack of interest in conducting student’s research, and students were not properly attended and guided attended during the contact sessions. As secretary RAC, I informed the convener RAC, Dr Jamil about this issue during RAC meetings in 2024, on more than one occasion (minutes of meeting RAC; attached)
2. Challenge: The TORs for IRB need to be updated and further modified. It is because the PMDC approved journals have consistently changed and upgraded their terms and regulations for publications. This has raised concern that IRB policies must also be upgraded and brought in alignment with the requirements of these journals. As secretary of RAC, it was my duty to intimate the convener in IRB meetings to take steps for upgradation of IRB policies, and I officially informed him on more than 2 occasions (copies of minutes of meeting of IRB attached)
3. Challenge: As I served as secretary of RAC last year, I am being handed over temporary charge of RAC as convener, till approval of a regular convener of RAC from the academic council is finalized

4. RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Research grants needs to be approved and disseminated, so as to initiate a feasible research project, encompassing multi-disciplinary research
2. Appropriate certificates should be given to students and faculty in 2025, who demonstrate progress and achievement in their research activities, as recommended by the respective facilitators and RAC
3. The hall nominated for research cell should be equipped with some furniture and required accessories so as to conduct all the RAC meetings, and students’ research coordination appropriately in the research cell during the year 2025