Second Round RFA is now Live! $100,000, $250,000 and $500,000 Grants
Background: Michigan State University's Global Center for Food Systems Innovation (GCFSI) is seeking applicants who can help create innovation in the global food system by finding, incubating and evaluating new and potentially game-changing knowledge and technology based solutions to development challenges, especially those related to population growth, climate change and urbanization.
Competition Overview: This RFA requests applications at the following three grant levels:
Innovation Scalability Grants (maximum $500,000 each, with a required 1:1 match) Innovation Evaluation Grants (maximum $250,000 each) Early Stage Innovation Grants (maximum $100,000 each)
Thematic Areas: Applications are only accepted in the following thematic areas:
Theme 1. Weather data for climate-smart agriculture Theme 2. Improved ability of smallholder farmers to adapt to climate variability and change Theme 3. Improved ability of agricultural researchers to provide agronomic recommendations Theme 4. Assistance to small entrepreneurs in food processing Theme 5. Innovations in the informal urban food sector Theme 6. Gender-sensitive ICT-based approaches to improving women's access to urban markets Theme 7. Marketing meat and dairy products without extensive cold chain development Theme 8. Projecting labor market and skill needs for agri-food businesses Theme 9. Improving effective use of mobile phone-based agricultural services by small farmers Theme 10. Promoting gender equitable access to profitable markets
Detailed descriptions and background information on the thematic areas can be found in the link provided below.
Basic Eligibility: The competition is open to universities, government or private laboratories or research organizations, for-profit and non-profit companies. Individuals may apply if able to meet the requirements of this RFA.
Geographic Focus: Innovations, proposals and ideas can come from any country. However, in order for proposals to be considered they must propose implementation (testing/piloting, evaluation, scaling) to occur in one of the following Feed the Future (FTF) focus countries or the Science, Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (STIP) focus countries shown below:
The results for the 2025/2026 special entry examination for the Diploma in Performing Arts held on Saturday 17th May, 2025. Candidates who scored a final mark of 50% and above passed the Examination and have been recommended to the university’s Admissions Committee for consideration.
The Office of Academic Registrar, Makerere University has released full results for the Mature Age Entry Scheme Examinations for the Academic Year 2025/2026 held on Saturday 14th December, 2024.
The Candidates who scored a final mark of 50% and above passed the examination and have been recommended by the Pre-Entry & Mature Age Committee to the University’s Admissions Board for Consideration.
The Directorate of Graduate Training (DGT) has in collaboration with Centre for Teaching and Learning completed the training of the first cohort of Graduate Supervisors.
Participants were academic staff from two colleges namely, College of Engineering, Art and Design (CEDAT) and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES).
The three-day training that took place at the Telepresence Centre, Senate Building ended on Friday 20thJune 2025.
In his closing remarks to the participants, the Director of Graduate Training Prof. Julius Kikooma said, “This is the first cohort we are working together with the Center for Teaching and Learning to put together continuous professional development Program so that we are able to enforce the new teaching and learning policy.”
He said that before lecturers are allocated students for supervision, they must first go through this form of formal teaching and learning training to equip them thoroughly with certification required of supervision of graduate students.
“We are coming up with process to ensure that the certificates earned by participants allow you to supervise graduate students. This is the direction of the university and we must ensure that such trainings are concluded and completed successfully by all participants”, Prof. Kikooma.
Prof. Julius Kikooma – Director of Graduate Training
“We can only have you certified upon completing all the exercises in the training process. This is when you will be eligible to receive the work load for supervision”, He added.
“This training of Supervisors is going to be continuous so that all academic staff in colleges and schools are equipped. This first cohort is going to be our building block to the future trainings in the colleges.”
With such capacity building trainings, Prof. Kikooma said that the university is on the right path to achieving its targets in the new strategic plan of increasing the number of graduate students while progressively reducing the under graduate students.
He further hinted that, “We are in the process of writing a curriculum on this, which will be presented for approval before it is rolled out.”
He echoed all participants to share the knowledge they have acquired adding, “Share all you have learnt, do not keep it. Be open minded, have proper communication channels and the sky will be the limit for you.”
Dr. Robinah N. Kulabako, The Head of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at CEDAT welcomed the training adding, “This training is very pertinent. I have had the opportunity to supervise Masters and PhD students for over 15 years and I must say that the need to be subjected to this training cannot be over emphasized because there is need to learn, unlearn and relearn many aspects involved in the supervision process.”
She added, “We are moving towards knowledge-based supervision rather than experience-based supervision. This means we must be informed and equipped to be able to advise, guide and mentor to be able to lead a successful supervision journey for both supervisor and supervisee.”
Dr. Andrew Gilbert Were – a lecturer at CEDAT and a participant said, “It is important that all supervisors of graduate students receive this certification from Makerere University through a systematic training process that enables them to attain diverse skills to facilitate learning of graduate students from diverse cultures and with unique set of circumstances.”
“This training is long overdue. In fact, it was an oversight that we could be allowed to supervise students without undergoing supervisors’ training.”
Dr. Dorothy Ssebowa, The Director Centre for Teaching and Learning support- CEES said, “The training this time round has had a mix of early career professionals including Lecturers, Supervisors and Professors share experiences. We have learnt a lot more from experienced supervisors who have shared practices on how they have done supervision over the years.”
“The knowledge and experience-based approaches have made this collaboration very active, interactive and learner centered which has resulted into a collaborative learning from the interdisciplinarity of staff from CEDAT and CAES. The issue now is to continue with professional development across all levels.” She added.
The Makerere University Directorate of Graduate Training (DGT) in collaboration with the Centre for Teaching and Learning completed the training of the first cohort of Graduate Supervisors. This activity was supported by the iCARTA – Institutionalization of Advanced Research Training in Africa, a NORHED II Project at Makerere University.