Manager – Funds, Strategic Initiatives and Special Projects
Debra Haniff-Gobin is responsible for managing two research funding mechanisms: the UWI-Trinidad and Tobago Research and Development Impact (RDI) Fund and the Innovation and Technology Transfer (ITT) Fund. In this role, she oversees the full project lifecycle, from managing calls for proposals, evaluation and approval processes, to monitoring and evaluating implementation and project close-out. She provides technical and project management support to research teams to ensure delivery of impactful results that align with institutional and national development priorities.
With over 20 years of experience working in the higher education sector and public service, Debra has coordinated and successfully managed multimillion-dollar research and consultancy projects across disciplines such as sustainable energy, agriculture, public health, and digital transformation. She has also developed operational guidelines, evaluation frameworks, and process improvements to strengthen institutional grantsmanship and compliance.
She brings extensive expertise in stakeholder engagement, monitoring and evaluation, and policy alignment, and has supported project teams in securing international and regional funding, developing capacity-building programmes, and strengthening university-industry collaboration.
Debra holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Business Administration and is a PMP certified project manager. She also has a Diploma in Procurement and Supply from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply. Debra is passionate about leveraging research and innovation to drive socio-economic transformation and is committed to supporting the growth of a culture of entrepreneurship, fundraising, and knowledge transfer at The University of the West Indies.
Telephone: 1(868) 662-2002 ext. 83551
Email: debra.haniff-gobin@uwi.edu
