Research

University of The Bahamas is committed to building a reputation for research comparable to the outstanding teaching reputation for which we are well known. To do so, we continue to leverage our research partners which have included government ministries, public agencies and non-government organisations as well as past and current collaborations with international agencies and organizations to actualize our vision to “be the nation’s primary resource for research and innovation and community engagement”.

Auguring well for the future of research at UB are the prospects for scholarly investigation in a country that presents unique opportunities in areas such as history, archaeology, marine science, geology, sociology, psychology and economics. Our islands are members of the great family of the Americas and the Caribbean by virtue of shared geography, history, migration and geopolitical ties; yet we are uniquely different in many important ways. Our country was the gateway to the encounter of several civilizations; we comprise an archipelago with fascinating geological features and marine and terrestrial flora and fauna. Our linguistic gradations present opportunities for much investigation. Of especial importance is the fact that we operate tourism, hospitality and financial services industries that are significant on a global scale. These are just some of the exciting opportunities for scholarly investigation.

Other ideal research opportunities exist at the Gerace Research Institute (GRI) formerly the Gerace Research Centre and Bahamian Field Station, located on the shore of Graham’s Harbour, San Salvador, Bahamas. In operation since 1971, GRI has a long and rich history as a field-based classroom for a variety of sciences with facilities which enable students, professors and researchers from around the world to study in a tropical environment.

We opened the GTR Campbell Small Island Sustainability Research Complex on the Oakes Field Campus in October 2018.  This multifunctional and multidisciplinary facility will ensure UB’s alignment with the goals of the National Development Plan (NDP) Vision 2040 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Agenda 2030 with regard to agriculture, food, water, environment and social inclusion.

On 20 November 2019, we established the Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Research Centre (CCARR Centre) whose research focus is climate change adaptation, loss and damage, and comprehensive disaster risk management. The Centre will emphasise research, policy engagement, education and outreach work.

Our International Journal of Bahamian Studies(http://journals.sfu.ca/cob) is a scholarly peer-reviewed research journal which seeks to disseminate research products and academic activity relevant to UB and The Bahamas, and to stimulate participation in such activity by members of the University and the national research community.  The journal subscribes to the principles of open access and is indexed and may be found in EBSCOhost databases, the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and Google Scholar.

Research Edge, conceptualized in 1999, is a forum dedicated to the discussion of current and novel research conducted by COB faculty then, now UB faculty, students and community professionals. Research Edgerecognizes the inherent value of research in the education process and provides a dynamic environment for the scholarly exchange of ideas. It encourages a lively and interdisciplinary shared culture supporting research, learning and innovative achievement and provides unique opportunities for researchers to share and discuss their findings and receive feedback, comments or suggestions with regard to new and/or different approaches to their work. The forum is open to members of UB and the wider community. All presentations since 2017 have been turned into the Research Edge Working Paper Series(see http://www.ub.edu.bs/research/research-edge/for the archived publications). In 2019, the monthly Research Edge e-bulletinwas introduced. This aims to disseminate research-related findings, innovations, news and solutions to the community at large. For other research activities, see http://www.ub.edu.bs/research/

Our cadre of well-trained faculty and professional staff are ready to engage in research and scholarly activities which add to the body of knowledge and help our nation meet the challenges of the 21^stcentury and beyond.