The National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (Nacosti) has revised its research permit fees, effective October 1, with postgraduate students pursuing master's degrees now required to pay Sh6,000, up from Sh2,000, and PhD students paying Sh10,000, up from Sh2,000. This represents a 200 per cent increase for master's students and a 400 per cent increase for PhD students.
The increased fees have raised concerns among universities, students, and researchers, who argue that the steep hikes will make it difficult for students to undertake research, particularly those from less privileged backgrounds. The cost of producing knowledge for national development should not rise so steeply, especially for students undertaking research as a requirement for completing their degrees.
Research is a fundamental function of universities, and postgraduate education is crucial in generating empirical knowledge that can inform practice, policy, and future research. The data generated by these researchers is a raw material for sustainable development, and governments need reliable data to understand various social and economic processes.
The revised fees have sparked debate about the role of government in supporting research and the impact of punitive regulatory regimes on the country's research capacity. Universities themselves are public-interest institutions, and their research contributes to national capacity, making it essential for the government to invest in the process through which that knowledge is generated.
There are concerns that the increased fees will disproportionately affect social science research, which often requires going into communities, interviewing people, and observing institutions. Every additional regulatory cost makes such research harder, and there is a danger that students may choose research questions based on what they can afford rather than national importance.
Alternatives have been proposed, including a subsidized or substantially reduced research permit regime for postgraduate academic research, institutional arrangements between universities and Nacosti, or government support for postgraduate research as part of national research capacity-building.
The question remains whether Kenya can afford to make research increasingly unaffordable, particularly as it aspires to a knowledge-driven economy. A country that demands evidence-based policymaking should be investing in its researchers, not pricing them out of the field, and research permits should regulate research without punishing researchers.
Key points
- The revised research permit fees have sparked concerns among universities, students, and researchers.
- The increased fees will disproportionately affect social science research and students from less privileged backgrounds.
- Alternatives have been proposed to mitigate the impact of the revised fees on research capacity.
