The Directorate of Research Development and Coordination is one among two directorates of TAWIRI. The Directorate consists of four (4) sections namely; Research Management and Coordination Section, Research Development and Promotion Section, Veterinary Science and Wildlife Laboratories Section; and Conservation Information and Monitoring Section.
The Directorate is responsible for undertaking wildlife research planning and coordination; developing wildlife research agenda, guidelines and research activities of the Institute; fostering coordination of research efforts by local and foreign scientists; preparing annual performance report of the Institute on wildlife research; soliciting research funds from within and outside the country; developing and supervising wildlife research programmes; supervising and coordinating all wildlife surveys and research management, coordination, inspection, research permits, wildlife veterinary science and laboratory matters; linking the Institute with key Stakeholders on matters related to wildlife surveys, research development, coordination, wildlife laboratories and veterinary sciences; carrying out research and investigating wildlife diseases and their causes so as to develop way of preventing or controlling the occurrence of particular wildlife diseases or any category of the disease; and coordinating wildlife research carried out within Tanzania Mainland.
Research Management & Coordination section responsible for receiving and scrutinizing application for research ethical clearances on wildlife submitted by wildlife researchers and make recommendations to the TAWIRI Board for final scrutiny and approval; coordinating, inspecting and ensuring compliance of researchers with regulation and guidelines; facilitating issuance of research ethical clearance certificates, immigration permits, and free entry permits to researchers in various wildlife management authorities; liaising with Immigration Office on matters related to foreign researchers; reviewing research guidelines when need arises; enforcing law on matters pertaining to wildlife research; and linking with Wildlife Information, Education and Public Relations Unit on matters related to dissemination of research findings to stakeholders
Research Development & promotion section is responsible for coordinating development of research programs and projects proposals among TAWIRI researchers; soliciting research funds for implementing priority areas for wildlife research among TAWIRI researchers; promoting institutional wildlife research activities in the country, overseeing implementation and review of the Tanzania Wildlife Research Agenda; fostering collaboration of TAWIRI researchers with local and foreign researchers/institutions; linking TAWIRI with key stakeholders on matters related to wildlife research including identification of research needs from stakeholders; providing guidance to upcoming TAWIRI scientists on matters related to projects development and publication of research findings; establishing data base on newly identified species of both flora and fauna; and facilitating and coordinating development of collaborative research projects.
Veterinary Science & Wildlife Laboratories section is responsible for conducting routine priority wildlife diseases investigation and diagnosis in Tanzania Mainland; responding expediently to diseases outbreak and/or unusual mortalities in wildlife in Tanzania mainland; managing all activities of TAWIRI laboratories and supplying them with basic laboratory consumables; collecting and maintaining TAWIRI research resource bank (biological specimens) in close collaboration with other researchers; coordinating wildlife immobilization for disease investigation, biological specimen collection, telemetry/GPS collaring and translocation; facilitating issuance of export and/or import certificates of wildlife biological specimens; conducting routine training of local and foreign students on wildlife immobilization and capture; and compilation of annual report on wildlife notifiable diseases status from different ecosystems in Tanzania Mainland to wildlife diseases focal person.
This section is responsible for conducting wildlife population monitoring through and resources assessments within and adjacent to protected areas; conducting research that promotes improved census techniques, proving wildlife population/human activities datasets to the institute’s database; providing consultation and training services (remote sensing, GIS, Database, aerial survey techniques and land use plan); facilitating the development and updating of species management plans; facilitating preparation of Redlist of threatened species in the country; and generating wildlife population and human activities trends and habitat within and adjacent to protected areas through wildlife censuses.