About ORIC
The Directorate of Research was incepted at the time of the Dow University of Health Sciences’ establishment to promote research and innovation within the university. Whereas the Office of Research Innovation and Commercialization was established in 2011, it continues to capitalize on the future, aiding research advances to sustain Dow University’s reputation as a distinguished public university. ORIC supports exhilarating research by creating a culture that enables stellar research advances.
The ORIC utilizes the available resources to fulfill its strategic plan by providing an effective work environment and building human resources to assist and engage students and faculty in research and attaining intramural and extramural grants.
Dr. Kashif Shafique
It is a matter of great honor for me to introduce you to the office of Research, Innovation & commercialization (ORIC) at the DUHS. Under the guidelines and directives of Higher Education Commission (HEC), DUHS started organizing the research activities by ensuring the availability of a well-established and fully functional ORIC office having the required staff. The Dow University of Health Sciences has expanded exponentially during the last two decades and has established various academic programs and institutions. Hence, research, innovation, and scholarship have become the hallmark of our university.
Research is indispensable for the field of health sciences because the medical facilities available today are the result of research efforts of several decades by scientists, practitioners, and health professionals. The diligent efforts of health sciences researchers have made it possible to reveal the real causes that underpin fatal diseases. Research has led to the discovery of miraculous medicines and approaches to treating diseases and paving the way for the effective management of emerging health problems.
The faculty of DUHS has the dual responsibility of teaching and training students and contributing to the development of health sciences and healthcare in Pakistan through their research, creative endeavours, becoming better thinkers, innovators, and problem solvers, and cultivating a depth of understanding needed to make a positive difference in themselves and their students.. The Department of Research has always played a pivotal role in encouraging and engaging faculty members and students in accelerating research and innovation through training, development and motivation for a high performance research nationally and internationally.
Functions
ORIC performs and oversees various organizational activities including but not limited to
- Administrative support to the Dow University’s Institutional Review Board
- Publication of the Journal of Dow University of Health Sciences
- Public-Private Partnerships
- Research Collaboration and Support
- Research Commercialization
- Public Engagement programs
- National and International conferences
- Academia-Industry Linkage
- Entrepreneurship Promotion programs
- Intellectual property services
- Organization and support of committees for review, examination, and approval of postgraduate (Masters/ PhDs) research thesis and projects
University Review Boards
The Board of Advanced Studies and Research (BASR) of Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) was established in 2005 to impart quality education and Research. This board constitutes the rules and regulations for postgraduate studies. It also approves synopsis, projects, thesis, and all policy decisions regarding postgraduate degree programs. It consists of 14 members.
The purpose of an IRB is to review the Research and to ensure the rights and welfare of any human subjects involved in Research and that they are adequately protected. An ethics committee’s responsibility is to protect the rights, safety, and well-being of participants involved in clinical Research. The meeting of the IRB is regularly organized first Saturday of every month, with 15-20 proposals presented in each meeting.
It was composed in October 2014 to guide the PhD candidates in doing quality research with novel scientific content within the stipulated time. This committee has nine members, and the meeting is held monthly.
It was composed in November 2012 to guide the Master candidates in doing quality research with fresh scientific content in the shortest possible time. This committee has eleven members, and the meeting is held twice in a month.
Research Activities
The Department of Research was established with the inception of Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) in 2007. Since then, the Department of Research has been actively involved in the augmentation of the research environment among the faculty members and students of DUHS. A glance at such key Research activities is highlighted below:
The Department of Research celebrates Faculty and Student Research Day yearly. These days, research of faculty and students are presented through posters. We invite participants from all over the Sindh public and private sector Universities/Institutes/Colleges. The best three types of research are awarded and presented orally in the main inaugural session of the event.
These workshops are organized during the week of the annual research day. Ten workshops are offered for the students and faculty members on different topics like data entry and analysis using Epidata and SPSS, sample size calculation using NCSS-PASS, bibliography through endnote, epidemiological study designs, questionnaire development, reliability analysis for questionnaire and measurements, ways to avoid plagiarism, and designing research poster.
Department of research organizes short courses in the summer every year. These short summer programs were initiated in 2012 and included courses on Applied Biostatistics, Fundamentals of Epidemiology, Research Methodology, and Statistical Software for Health Sciences. Participants from various institutions and organizations from Sindh participate in these courses. At the end of the program, certificates are awarded to successful candidates.
Dow University of Health Sciences receives “Faculty Research Funding” from “National Research Program for Universities (NRPU)” by Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan. The Department of Research looks after all the processing and administrative logistics of all research projects within the University. More recently from 2020-2022, the ORIC office administered ten NRPU grants and nine HEC grants awarded to our faculty members.
Research Guidelines
Contact Us
OFFICE OF RESEARCH INNOVATION AND COMMERCIALIZATION (ORIC)