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Applications for Gender-Responsive Plant Breeding open

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Overview

Gender-responsive Researchers Equipped for Agricultural Transformation (GREAT) is a five-year collaboration between Cornell University, in the United States, and Makerere University, in Uganda. GREAT started in 2016, and is funded with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. GREAT carries out its mission (see below) of creating more inclusive and effective agricultural systems through a combination of: the development of a Center of Excellence for gender and agricultural research at Makerere University; intensive training courses for agricultural researchers working in sub-Saharan Africa; the creation of a gender and agricultural research Community of Practice; and supporting institutional transformation for targeted agricultural research institutions across sub-Saharan Africa.

The 2019-2020 GREAT course will focus on gender-responsive plant breeding. GREAT courses are offered to multi-disciplinary project teams composed of at least one biophyiscal scientist (e.g., plant breeder) and one social scientist (e.g., sociologist, agricultural economist, etc.) working on existing agricultural research for development projects in sub-Saharan Africa. 

GREAT applied gender training for agricultural researchers offers tailored skills development in gender-responsiveness for the design, implementation, evaluation, and communication stages of agricultural research projects. GREAT courses are tailored to specific agriculture disciplines and value chains, offering gender training linked to practice in agricultural research, targeted to research communities. The courses are designed to balance the depth of theory needed to internalize concepts with practical tools to apply in ongoing projects. GREAT aims to equip research teams with tools and skills to act, and move beyond “gender sensitization," and to foster meaningful change within the work cultures of their respecitve host organizations. Through the GREAT course, participants become part of a robust Community of Practice, linking them to peers across GREAT cohorts, and building up their networks with leading trainers and practitioners, to complement the skills learned during the course. 

Course Objectives

The 2019-20 Gender-Responsive Plant Breeding Course will cover the following learning objectives:

  • Able to articulate the concepts and principles of gender-responsive research
  • Demonstrated positive practice and value for gender-responsive research
  • Able to conceptualise, design and plan appropriate gender-responsive research
  • Able to collect, analyze, interpret and integrate qualitative and quantitative sex-disaggregated data 
  • Communicate gender-responsive research to a range of audiences

Delivery Approach

GREAT uses a blended model of two face-to-face training events with field work and e- mentoring and learning in between, structured in three parts:

  1. Week 1 (face-to-face training): an introductory module on general theory and concepts of gender-responsiveness and applied instruction on qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis approaches – 22-31 July 2019, in Kampala, Uganda.
  2. Practice (field application): practice with collection of qualitative and quantitative sex-disaggregated data from ongoing projects, supported by e-learning and e-mentoring – anytime between August 2019 and January 2020, in each participating team's respective research area
  3. Week 2 (face-to-face training): a data analysis, interpretation, and communications module – 13-17 January 2020, in Kampala, Uganda. Participating teams must complete all three parts for individuals in that team to qualify for certification. All face-to-face instruction will take place in Kampala, Uganda.

Further information and procedure on how to apply can be found here:

https://www.greatagriculture.org/content/courses/upcoming-courses

Elias Tuhereze

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Call For Abstracts: National Symposium on Climate Migration among Youths in Uganda

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Call For Abstracts: National Symposium on Climate Migration among Youths in Uganda. Submission Deadline: 9th June 2026

Makerere University, in collaboration with the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), Tufts University, and Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), invites researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and community actors to submit abstracts for the National Symposium on:

Climate Migration among Youths in Uganda: Local Voices for Policy Impact

Date: Wednesday, 12th August 2026
Venue: Makerere University Main Hall

The symposium will examine the drivers, patterns, and impacts of climate-induced youth migration in Uganda, while advancing evidence-based and community-informed policy responses.

Theme: Climate-Induced Youth Migration and Urban Futures in Uganda: Evidence, Voices, and Pathways for Action

Submission Deadline: 9th June 2026

Submit Abstracts To: citiesofyouth@musph.ac.ug

Researchers and practitioners are encouraged to contribute research findings, case studies, policy analyses, and practice-based experiences. Abstracts will be considered for oral and poster presentations.

Mak Editor

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Call for Research Support Applications from Master’s Students who have Completed their First Year of Taught Classes at Makerere University

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Call for Research Support Applications from Master’s Students who have Completed their First Year of Taught Classes at Makerere University. Photo: Nano Banan 2

Makerere University, in partnership with Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Independent University of Bangladesh, Eduardo Mondlane University, and Pokhara University, with funding from Norwegian Programme for Capacity Development in Higher Education and Research for Development (NORHED), is implementing a project: ‘Co-creating Knowledge for Local Adaptation to Climate Change in LDCs (COLOCAL).

The expected outputs of the project include strengthened educational and research capacity, improved knowledge on inclusive Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) and Community Based Adaptation (CBA) including delivering skilled knowledge co-creators, and partnerships to support needs-driven, locally-based and contextually sensitive adaptation. The outputs are anticipated to influence policy, planning and practice around LLA and CBA through collaborative learning and knowledge translation.

In line with targets and activities for 2026/2027, COLOCAL project is offering research support for three (3) Master’s students who have completed their first academic year of taught classes at Makerere University and are interested in undertaking research under one of the following thematic areas. The students MUST have undertaken the course offered under the auspices of the project on Disability, Social Justice and Climate Resilient Development.

Requirements:

  • A first degree from a reputable university in a field related to the focus of the project
  • Ugandan citizen below 35 years
  • Good command of English (spoken and written)
  • Demonstrated interest in inclusive and climate resilient development
  • Evidence of practical experience in conducting relevant research during and after undergraduate level
  • Evidence of full payment of all university fees for the first academic year
  • The Masters programme being undertaken MUST have explicit content on climate change mitigation and adaptation
  • Special consideration will be given to students with disabilities, financial challenges, students from ethnic minority groups, internally displaced students, among others

Scholarship and study/research conditions

Availability to complete all research activities in a maximum of 10 months.

Scope of the scholarship

The project will specifically cover stipends and support for field activities only. Support with tuition fees, for the research year, will be provided for students who will complete and submit the research thesis for examination within 10 months from the date of receiving the scholarship offer letter.

How to apply

Interested and eligible candidates should submit the following documents: Application letter, research concept note of not more than 2 pages, academic transcripts/certificates, an updated CV (including contacts of at least two referees) and two recommendation letters.

Send applications via email to: colocal.caes@mak.ac.ug, not later than 20th May, 2026. This contact can as well be used for inquiries, where necessary.

Mak Editor

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Request For Consultancy Services: Training & Digital Solutions Expert

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Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) Request For Consultancy Services: Training & Digital Solutions Expert. Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa

The Makerere University Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) Limited implemented a Gates Foundation training program dubbed “Principle of Management Excellence for Research training” PRIMER in francophone countries, namely, Mali, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This training was delivered by content experts and experienced practitioners, not professionally trained experts. As such, limiting the quality of slide decks, which were largely fragmented with text rather than graphical and infographic elements that suit a mature audience. To effectively deliver a research training program, advanced, engaging, and efficient tools are critical for fostering audience engagement and participation, and for learning and assessment in research management excellence. To achieve this, IDI seeks to hire an expert to:

  1. design and deliver a set of integrated advanced slide decks combining text, visual learning materials (graphical and infographics) and case scenarios
  2. develop a virtual bilingual community learning platform (VBCLP), i.e. with in-built French and English to engage alumni,
  3. develop and automate a pre-course assessment system that potential trainees fill out, and it automates results that are presented in statistical form for easy interpretation and decision making.

Details: https://shorturl.at/Rzn8d

Apply to: EAkankwasa@idi.co.ug

Deadline: 5 June 2026, 5 PM EAT

Mak Editor

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