Examining the Acceptance of a Secure and Systematic Personal Research Management Prototype for Higher Education Researchers

Efficient management of research grants is crucial for academic and scientific progress. However, unsystematic research management always poses risks like failure to meet the deadline or even failure to complete the project. To address the challenges in this domain, a prototype called the Smart Personal Research Grant Management System (SPRGM) was developed. This prototype aims to support sustainable and efficient research grant management by providing accessible, high-quality tools tailored to the needs of researchers and administrators. To evaluate its acceptance among potential users, a survey was conducted involving researchers and grant administrators. The evaluation followed the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), examining Perceived Usefulness (PU), Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU), and Intention to Adopt (ITA) using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. Results indicate the prototype achieved a high level of PU (mean=4.12), PEOU (mean=4.09), and ITA (mean=4.10). However, no significant correlation was found between PEOU, PU, and ITA, thus rejecting H1 (r = 0.726, p = 0.164), H2 (r = 0.321, p = 0.597), and H3 (r = 0.726, p = 0.164). The qualitative data was analyzed using sentiment and thematic analyses. Sentiment analysis revealed predominantly positive and neutral user perceptions, with an average sentiment score of +0.50 and a magnitude score of 0.51. Furthermore, the thematic analysis indicated that SPRGM is well-received by users, with some suggestions for improvement. This study extends the boundary of knowledge by exploring the role of digital technology in improving research grant management and promoting efficient use of resources in academic and research institutions.