General

Gates Foundation – Grand Challenges Call for Applications

Published

11 years ago

March 10, 2015

Mark Wamai

L-R VC-Prof. J. Ddumba-Ssentamu, Dr. Alex Deghan-Director, Office of Science and Technology, USAID and Prof Willaim Bazeyo-Dean, School of Public Health, CHS/RAN Chief of Party appreciate a robotic demonstration by a student at the RAN launch 4th June 2013, Sheraton Kampala Hotel, Uganda

The Gates foundation and its Grand Challenges partners are now accepting applications for the following grant programs – for more information please visit the grant opportunities page at www.grandchallenges.org

1. Grand Challenges Explorations, an initiative to encourage innovative and unconventional global health and development solutions, is now accepting grant proposals for its latest application round. Applicants can be at any experience level; in any discipline; and from any organization, including colleges and universities, government laboratories, research institutions, non-profit organizations and for profit companies.

Proposals are being accepted online until May 13, 2015 on the following topics:

•    Addressing Newborn and Infant Gut Health Through Bacteriophage-Mediated Microbiome Engineering
•    Explore New Ways to Measure Delivery and Use of Digital Financial Services Data
•    Surveillance Tools, Diagnostics and an Artificial Diet to Support New Approaches to Vector Control
•    New Approaches for Addressing Outdoor/Residual Malaria Transmission
•    Reducing Pneumonia Fatalities Through Innovations that Improve Pneumonia Diagnosis & Referral of Malnourished Children
•    Enable Merchant Acceptance of Mobile Money Payments

Initial grants will be US $100,000 each, and projects showing promise will have the opportunity to receive additional funding of up to US $1 million. Full descriptions of the new topics and application instructions are available at www.grandchallenges.org

2. Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development has launched its fifth round for innovative prevention and treatment approaches for pregnant women and newborns in poor, hard-to-reach communities around the world. Saving Lives at Birth partners will fund transformative approaches that cut across three main domains: (i) science & technology, (ii) service delivery, and (iii) demand-side innovation.

The application deadline is March 27, 2015. Details on how to apply for a grant can be found at http://response.notifications.gatesfoundation.org/t?ctl=4C60472:19A41A91901EAFF6444C43CFDE96D3145B81EAEAF7CACE1D&

3. All Children Reading: A Grand Challenge for Development has launched two grant opportunities:

– As part of the Technology to Support Education in Crisis and Conflict Settings Ideation Challenge, it is seeking technology-supported approaches to provide basic education in one or more of the following situations: health crisis, natural disaster, and conflict zone. Proposed solutions should be usable within the first six months after the onset of the crisis or conflict and be usable within the context of a developing country.

The application deadline is March 30, 2015. Details on how to apply can be found at http://response.notifications.gatesfoundation.org/t?ctl=4C60473:19A41A91901EAFF6444C43CFDE96D3145B81EAEAF7CACE1D&

– The Tracking & Tracing Books Prize Competition is seeking innovations to track books destined for early-grade classrooms and learning centers in low-income countries and allow stakeholders, ranging from parents to Ministries of Education and donor agencies, to quickly and easily access tracking information.

The application deadline is April 1, 2015. Details on how to apply for a grant can be found at http://response.notifications.gatesfoundation.org/t?ctl=4C60474:19A41A91901EAFF6444C43CFDE96D3145B81EAEAF7CACE1D&

4. The Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT) as part of its new Grand Challenges Japan initiative has launched a Target Research Platform to fund bold ideas in drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics for a set of priority neglected infectious diseases. Applications must be from a partnership between Japanese and non-Japanese organizations.

The application deadline is March 13, 2015. Additional Information can be found at http://response.notifications.gatesfoundation.org/t?ctl=4C60475:19A41A91901EAFF6444C43CFDE96D3145B81EAEAF7CACE1D&

We are looking forward to receiving innovative ideas from around the world and from all disciplines. Thank you for your commitment to solving the world’s greatest health and development challenges.

The Grand Challenges Team

General

72 Makerere University Students Admitted to 2026 Millennium Fellowship

Published

6 hours ago

August 19, 2026

Mak Editor

Female and male students along the Main Building Walkway on a bright sunny day, 6th May 2026. Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

72 undergraduate students of Makerere University have successfully been admitted to the Millennium Fellowship Class of 2026, an initiative of the Millennium Campus Network (MCN) and United Nations Academic Impact. Makerere’s Fellows were selected from a record-breaking 76,000 applicants from over 6,000 campuses across 174 countries to participate in the ambitious programme.

According to the Fellowship website, the programme aims to make the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and UN Academic Impact Principles a reality on campuses, in classrooms and throughout communities. Millennium Fellows are university undergraduates selected for their leadership on sustainable development projects in their communities. As Fellows, they complete a semester-long leadership development programme that strengthens their student organizing, partnership-building and community-impact skills.

In his congratulatory message to the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Sam Vaghar the Executive Director, MCN shared that Over 330 campuses across 60 nations have been selected to host 2026 Millenium Fellows. “Congratulations to you and Makerere University for having a cohort of Millennium Fellows from your student body again this year!”

Makerere University’s 2026 Millennium Fellows are:

Aber Okee	Abigaba Praise	Ainebyoona Innocent
Ainomugisha Precious	Ajollo Javuru	Akambona Anold
Akello Milthy	Allen Babirye	Angel Nuwaha
Apio Hellen	Arnold Esoku	Asinde Proscovia
Atuma Kisaala	Awate Brown	Babirye Patricia
Baguma Solomon	Baingana Patrick	Barbara Akwiacwiny
Basemera Grant	Benardete Nakwirisa	Billy Garvin Ssemyalo
Blessing Abaasa	Bulyaba Halimah	Cherotich Emmanuel
Claire Omodo	Dedeng Lochul	Denise Kainomugisha
Diphas Kuchana	Emmanuel Opori	Esther Kiire
Esther Nantambi	Evas Akello	Gift Nagasha
Haulat Nampijja	Iyundhu Kisame	Janet Acaye
Joan Namugalu	Joshua Mugwanya	Jovet Turyatunga
Julian Atim	Kibenge Shafic	Mable Apwot
Malinga Anthony	Mariot Kabarungi	Mercy Akampurira
Mukisa Ezra	Mukisa Mayende	Murungi Marion
Mutebi Willy	Nabirye Kiirya	Nahson Kahangwa
Nansubuga Gloria	Nasasira Seezi	Nyamuganya Kiconco
Precious Nakiryowa	Prisca Akello	Rashidah Nampiima
Rogers Abonga	Rose Peter Taban	Seida Jackline
Shadia Nambasa	Shamirah Kisuule	Sharifah Kasa
Sheila Murungi	Sherina Kirabo	Tumusiime Markline
Tusiime Caroline	Vicent Ssebunya	Victor Musana
Victoria Mulago	Waswa Andrew	Yuda Tadeo Katusiime

Millennium Fellows are engaged in projects that collectively advance all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and all 10 and UN Academic Impact Principles.

Below is a sample of the work of the Class of 2026.

At Harvard University, a UN Academic Impact member institution in the United States of America, Millennium Fellows are expanding OpenDoor, an AI-powered platform that helps people navigate retraining, job opportunities and pathways into high-demand careers. The project grew from their work with people experiencing homelessness and from seeing how difficult workforce programmes can be to navigate even when support exists. Advancing SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, it expects to reach about 7,500 people during the Fellowship.

At the University of Ilorin, a UN Academic Impact member institution in Nigeria, Millennium Fellows are building what they describe as Africa’s first green AI policy framework, helping policymakers and developers understand how artificial intelligence can advance while reducing energy use, pollution and material waste. Aligned with SDG 13: Climate Action, it expects to reach about 75 people during the Fellowship.

At BRAC University, a UN Academic Impact member institution in Bangladesh, a Millennium Fellow is advancing SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production through a start-up replacing single-use products with environmentally friendly alternatives. Its current focus is a paper pen that uses roughly 90 per cent less plastic than a conventional pen, with a seed built in so it can grow into a plant when properly disposed of. The project expects to reach about 450 people.

At Nicolae Testemițanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, a UN Academic Impact member institution in Moldova, a Millennium Fellow is advancing SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being by studying how environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity may affect recovery after brain surgery. By bringing simple digital monitoring tools into postoperative care, the project aims to help doctors make timelier decisions.

We wish our Millennium Fellows an impactful fellowship.

View Official Announcement

General

Undergraduate Admission Lists 2026/2027

Published

2 days ago

August 17, 2026

Mak Editor

Students in discussion groups at Freedom Square.

The Office of Academic Registrar, Makerere University has released admission lists of candidates admitted under the Talented Sports Men & Women, Disability and District Quota Schemes with Government sponsorship 2026/27 Academic Year including appeals and remarked cases.

Other admission lists released include A-Level Applicants with Ugandan and those with Foreign Qualifications, Diploma in Performing Arts, Mature-Age Entry and Bachelor of Education (EXTERNAL Batch 2) for the Academic Year 2026/2027 under self sponsorship.

The cut-off points points can be accessed by following the link: https://mak.ac.ug/study-mak/cut-points

Kindly follow the links below to access the lists:-

Update 17^th August 2026

Admission list for Re-advertised Programmes (Diploma/Degree and International Applicants). Re-advertised on 7th July 2026 here.

Update 10^th August 2026

Subject Combinations -Bachelor of Arts(ARS and ARJ)

Update 3^rd August 2026

Re-advertised Programmes. Re-advertised on 7th July 2026 here.
Successful Appeals/ Mopup -DIRECT ENTRY Private Sponsorship(BATCH II)
Successful Appeals/ Mopup -International & other East Africans

Update 27^th July 2026

Government and Private Sponsorship list

Update 3^rd July 2026

International & East African Applicants

Mop-up Lists

Government Sponsorship – Mature Age Entry Scheme

Government Sponsorship
Private\Self Sponsorship

General

Makerere jumps 200 positions in latest global rankings

Published

2 days ago

August 17, 2026

Mak Editor

Screenshot of the Makerere University Ranking July 2026 - Webometrics Global Position. Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Makerere University‘s position in the July 2026 edition of the Webometrics Rankings has improved from 925^th to 776^th globally and from 13^th to 11^th on the Continent, compared to the January 2026 edition. Makerere remains the top-ranked University in Uganda and East Africa.

The new rankings are as a result of improved performance in the Impact Rank, which measures the number of external domains referring/linking to Makerere (from 1,593 to 1,185) and the Excellence Rank, which measures Research papers in the top 10% most cited between 2019 and 2023 (from 1,095 to 715).

Please see the attached screenshots for details or view Makerere‘s rankings online using the link below:

https://www.webometrics.org/makerere-university

The Webometrics Ranking of World Universities aims to recognize and promote the digital transformation of higher education institutions by evaluating how effectively they reflect their academic, research, and societal contributions online.

We remain committed to ensuring that all our good work in teaching and learning, research, knowledge transfer, and partnerships continues to be reflected online through various journals and other platforms.