The University Research Committee addresses the following criteria in evaluating research proposals:

• Adequacy of meeting national thematic research needs;
• Adequacy of meeting acceptable standards of scientific inquiry;
• Quality of collaborative and innovative approaches that cut across disciplines;
• Participation of foreign collaborators in applied and classroom instruction when such participation is a departmental priority;
• Adequacy of meeting ethical standards; confirmation that the research project is not being proposed elsewhere; and, confirmation that the research proposal is the bonafide product of the author(s).
• Contribution to University and national research capacity building.

The review of proposals at all levels - departmental, college, and university -employs the following general guidelines in evaluating the quality and pertinence of research proposals:

• The proposal must address a research theme or themes accepted by the University Research Committee, that is, research must meet previously defined national needs.
• Other appropriate themes in the national interest may be considered, even though they may not have been previously identified.
• Proposals should provide evidence of collaborative and cross-disciplinary research approaches if appropriate to the research design.
• Non-collaborative research by recent Ph.D.s, M.A.s, and M.Sc.s will be well received only immediately after the completion of the degrees if they meet scientific standards.
• Those proposals that do not address nationally identified research themes will be reviewed if the research is found to be scientifically compelling by the reviewing departments and colleges and will reflect well on the institution and nation.
• If a department requires some form of teaching collaboration, be it a field course, laboratory course, or classroom instruction, then foreign researchers need to address such concerns.
• Proposals for foreign-funded research need to address human capacity building and other needs such as equipment, journals etc.