Call for Applications - From Idea to Impact: Conducting Master’s Research That Solves Real Problems

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

From idea to impact: Conducting master’s research that solves real problems

1. Background 

Every master’s programme ends with a research project. Students are expected to detect a relevant research problem, write a sound proposal, collect and analyze data, and present their findings in a dissertation. Yet many master’s students struggle at each of these steps, and delays in proposal approval and dissertation writing often keep them from graduating on time. 

Even when the dissertation is completed, most of this research stays on library shelves. Very few master’s dissertations are turned into journal articles, so valuable findings never reach the researchers, policymakers, employers, and communities who could use them. There is therefore a need for master’s research that goes beyond meeting academic requirements: studies that solve real-life problems and become opportunities to create jobs, respond to stakeholders’ needs, or address emerging problems in the community. 

In line with one of our core missions, which is to promote research for the betterment of the global population, The Result, together with its partners, is implementing a project titled “From Knowledge to Impact: Elevating Research Practices and Innovations to Respond to Employment Outcomes, Stakeholder Needs, and Community Development.” 

It is against this background that The Result is organizing a hands-on hybrid training (in person and online) for master’s students, guiding them through the full research journey: from a strong research proposal to a completed dissertation and a published journal article. To assist students who are still looking for a topic, The Result has developed a bank of researchable, emerging topics that respond to real-life problems, which will be shared with participants during the training. 

2. Training Objectives 

General objective: To strengthen master’s students’ capacity to turn their research ideas into quality studies that create jobs, address stakeholders’ needs, and solve real community challenges. 

Specific objectives: By the end of this training, participants will be able to: 

• detect a relevant and researchable problem and formulate clear objectives and research questions.
•  perform and write a literature evaluate using reference management tools, while avoiding plagiarism. 
• Write a sound research methodology, from research design and variables to sampling, data collection, and data analysis plan. 
• Structure their dissertation, differentiate analysis, interpretation, and discussion of results, and write sound conclusions and recommendations. 
• produce a simple but effective presentation of their research. 
• Write a journal article from their dissertation. 

3. Expected Results 

This is a hands-on training: participants work on their own proposals or dissertations throughout the training. Specifically, participants will have achieved the following: 

• Research that solves real problems:Participants design studies that address real-life problems and can become a source of jobs, respond to stakeholders’ needs, or solve community challenges. 
• Stronger research proposals:Participants refine their proposals so that they are clear and ready for approval.
• Faster dissertation progress:Participants know how to structure each chapter and complete their dissertation. 
• Publication-ready skills:Participants know how to write a journal article from their dissertation. 
• Research integrity: Participants avoid plagiarism in their research writing. 
• Career growth: Published work strengthens participants’ profiles for PhD admission, scholarships, and employment. 

4. Training Content 

The training is offered in hybrid mode, with two options to choose from at registration. Both options cover the same program: two modules and 7 sessions, starting with a short pre-training survey, from the research proposal to the dissertation and publication. 

• In-person option: Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th November 2026, from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM, with a 15-minute break from 4:30 PM to 4:45 PM (Module 1 on Saturday, Module 2 on Sunday). 
• Online option: three weekday evenings in the last week of November 2026, from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM, to allow working students to attend: 
• Monday, 23rd November: Sessions 1 to 3 (survey, research topic, problem and objective trees, literature evaluate).
• Wednesday, 25th November:Sessions 4 and 5 (research methodology and structure of the dissertation). 
• Friday, 27th November: Sessions 6 and 7 (results, conclusions, defense presentation, and paper writing). 

The detailed program below shows the in-person schedule; online participants follow the same sessions on the dates above. 

Notice: Participants who have already started their research work are encouraged to bring their draft proposal or dissertation chapters to work on during the practical sessions. Those without a topic will be guided to choose one from our bank of researchable, emerging topics. 

5. Trainer 

The training will be facilitated by an experienced researcher in research and resource mobilization who has supervised postgraduate research and published in peer-reviewed journals. Drawing on this first-hand experience, the trainer will share practical tips on what supervisors and reviewers look for, common mistakes in proposals and dissertations, and how to get research published. Participants will benefit from real examples and direct feedback on their own work.

6. Participants 

The training is designed exclusively for master’s students from all disciplines, in public and private higher learning institutions, particularly: 

• Master’s students preparing their research proposalwho wish to write a strong proposal and get it approved. 
• Master’s students collecting or analyzing datawho wish to stay on track and plan their dissertation.
• Master’s students writing their dissertationwho wish to complete it on time and to a high standard. 
• Master’s students in their final stagewho wish to turn their dissertation into a published journal article. 

7. Date and Venue 

The in-person training will be held in Kigali, either at the office of The Result or at one of our partner universities, on Saturday 

14th and Sunday 15th November 2026, from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM. The online training will take place on Monday 23rd, Wednesday 25th, and Friday 27th November 2026, from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM. The exact venue and the online meeting link will be shared with registered participants before the training. 

8. Requirements and Learning Materials 

To take part fully in the practical sessions, each participant should have: 

• A laptop for the practical exercises, and for online participants a stable internet connection with a working camera and microphone. 
• Microsoft Word (or equivalent) and a reference manager installed: EndNote, Zotero, or Mendeley (Zotero and Mendeley are free). 

Slides and templates will be shared with registered participants. 

9. Participation Fee and Payment Process 

The participation fee is 20,000 Rwf for both options, covering training facilitation, materials, and certificates. It is payable in full upon registration, no later than 11th November 2026 for the in-person option and 20th November 2026 for the online option. 

Limited places: Each option (in person and online) is limited to 40 participants. Places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, and a place is booked only after payment of the participation fee. 

All payments should be made via MTN MoMo Pay (182*8*1*1588357), registered to THE RESULT CONSULT CO LTD. Please use your full name as the payment reference. Certificates will be issued only to participants who have completed the full payment. 

 Please Register hereFor more information, please contact this number :0788357721 or visit our website atwww.theresult.rw.

10. Certificate 

Participants who attend all sessions, in person or online, will receive a certificate of completion from The Result in research proposal writing, dissertation writing, and academic publishing, which can be added to CVs, PhD applications, and LinkedIn. 

The deadline for application is 11th November 2026 for the in-person option and 20th November 2026 for the online option.

Kindly share this call with master’s students who may benefit from this training. 

Done at Kigali, October 27, 2026 

Josee Uwase 

Country Manager Rwanda