General
Inaugural Deans’ Workshop Addresses Research Management
Makerere University on Friday, 14th June 2019 held the Inaugural Workshop for Deans and Directors in academic affairs under the theme “Building Institutional Capacity for Researcher Development, Funding and Management of Sponsored Research”. Organised by the Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs)-DVCAA and the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training (DRGT), the Friday event was the first in a series of training and sensitisation workshops for academic leaders at Makerere University, aimed at building a sustainable research culture and research management systems for quality and relevant research output. The workshops are supported by IREX's University Administration Support Program funded by Carnegie Corporation oF New York.
Welcoming participants to the Inaugural Workshop, the Director DRGT Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi shared that the University Management is committed to establishing Makerere as a fully-fledged research University over the period 2020-2030. This shall be achieved by placing emphasis on increasing graduate enrolment, establishing research infrastructure, strengthening research policies, mobilisation of research funding, fostering knowledge production and utilisation of research results for sustainable national development.
“This is the first in the series of training workshops. Similar ones for College Principals, and Heads of Academic Departments, Research Centres and Coordination Offices will follow in the course of the year,” added Prof. Buyinza.
Presenting the rationale for the workshop, the DVCAA Dr. Umar Kakumba who represented the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe shared that it was a great pleasure to interact with colleagues who play a critical role in the academic affairs of Makerere University.
“Reputable Universities around the world are expected to be centres of excellence in research, innovations and knowledge or technological transfer for the wellbeing of communities and national welfare. Unfortunately research in sub-Saharan Africa has been undermined by deficiencies in research support systems, management and administration,” remarked Dr. Kakumba.
The DVCAA was however optimistic that a formalised Deans’ Forum, which was one of the expected outcomes of the Workshop, would nurture and institutionalise a vibrant research culture among research leaders and faculty. “We are here to inspire each other on how to excel in attracting grants and interacting with agents both within and without the country.”
Delivering the Keynote address on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, Dr. Kakumba shared that universities the world over exist for the three fundamental purposes of: Generation of knowledge; Dissemination of knowledge, through teaching and learning; and Community outreach. He noted that research funding trends were steadily shifting from institutional core funding to competitive project funding and performance-based funding that rewards success in raising third-party funds.
The address also highlighted that at 38 researchers per one million people, Uganda falls way behind continental leaders Egypt and South Africa that reported approximately 679 and 437 researchers respectively for the same sample size. Scandinavian countries however reported figures above 6,000 researchers per one million people.
Nevertheless, it was noted that Makerere can take advantage of its historical brand as the region’s premier university as well as collaborations and partnerships with the world’s leading universities to boost its research potential. The University can also take advantage of its wide academic disciplinary specialities; at over 37% science, resident centres of excellence and alumni of high calibre spread across the globe to better leverage its research potential.
Chairing the first session on Research Governance and Organisational Capacity: Role of Central Research Office/Directorate, the Director Quality Assurance, Dr. Vincent Ssembatya while quoting the 2010 Association of Commonwealth Universities conference held in Cape Town, South Africa asserted that Universities must be “citadels not silos”.
“Universities are by nature made up of thousands of staff and students across various disciplines engaged in teaching and learning, research and knowledge transfer. They should be seen to fix the problems of communities that surround them” explained Dr. Ssembatya.
Sharing from personal experience, Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi in his presentation revealed that the challenges of grants management are directly proportional to size; the bigger the grant the more the challenges faced.
“A Central Research Office is important in helping researchers to identify the potential risks associated with particular grants. Our research governance structure should be able to lead to enhancement of quantity, quality and relevant research output” said the Director DRGT.
Prof. Buyinza also shared that the revitalization of the Makerere University Press was timely, as it would help make institutional research more visible by translating findings and innovations into usable products for communities. He revealed that the Deans’ Forum would foster accountability as the research leaders freely exchange grants opportunities and effective management practices.
The second session made The Case for a Deans’ Forum: Effective Research Leadership for a Research-led University. The Dean School of Languages, Literature and Communication, Dr. Aaron Mushengyezi who chaired the session noted that the training workshops would inspire research teams and provide a platform for Deans to share best practices in resource mobilisation. He also called upon Deans to always share their grant writing skills with junior colleagues, “This will boost their confidence and motivate them to apply for more grants on their own.”
Quoting the SAGE Handbook of Research Management by Robert Dingwall and Mary Byrne McDonnell the session presenter and Dean, Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze said “Research organizations particularly large ones such as universities may need units capable of doing both radical and incremental innovation.”
The same Handbook she said also notes that “innovation may be better placed in smaller organizations or smaller units within large organizations.”
Prof. Wanyenze shared that the MakSPH experience had shown that innovation thrives in diversity and oftentimes lies at the borderline of different disciplines. “If we do not reach out to those from different units, we could miss out on a lot of innovations” she explained.
Speaking on the capabilities that foster Effective Research Capabilities, Prof. Wanyenze said that scientific or scholarly credibility were no longer sufficient in today’s dynamic environment. “Dingwall R and McDonnell MB in their Handbook of Research Management describe five additional capabilities as; the Entrepreneur, the Networker, the Collaborator, the Mentor and the Multitasker.”
These capabilities, she said, could be developed by research leaders over time and/or achieved through appropriate team organization. The Dean further observed that teaching and research are synergistic and as such, delivering stability and small incremental change is required to address both. She nevertheless warned that cutting-edge research is inherently disruptive.
The third session of the day on Research Funding and Building Functional Networks for Makerere was chaired by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration)-DVCFA, Prof. William Bazeyo, a renowned grants mobiliser. In his remarks, the DVCFA thanked Dr. Kakumba for championing the Inaugural Deans’ Workshop and inviting him to chair the session.
He spoke on the importance of forging research networks, as these enable the collaborating parties to prolong the life of research and innovations beyond the duration and funding of projects under which they were nurtured.
“We must also establish an autonomous grants management system for all our units if we are to improve research management and output” added Prof. Bazeyo.
Delivering the presentation, MakSPH’s Dr. Roy William Mayega observed that whereas universities with their high concentrations of experts, facilities, ideas and mentors have a key role to play in research and innovations, funding that ensured sustainability and continuity of research remained a big problem. “Many low-income countries have not prioritised investments in research leading to weak research infrastructure and heavy reliance on grants.”
This was backed by a 2019 LASER-RAN assessment of 27 universities in Africa, which showed that over 70% of research funding originates from outside the continent. Whereas Governments were shown by the same assessment to contribute 9.7% of the research funding, the private sector at 3.8% made the least contribution.
Dr. Mayega also pointed out that research with no clear path to translation, disconnect with development priorities and inadequate grants writing capacity were threats to research in our universities. Others cited were; few super-experienced researchers, inadequate financial management capacity and bureaucracy.
“Our knowledge products are mostly academic publications that are not easily understood by funders. We need to translate our research into simpler language and impactful innovations” he explained.
Dr. Mayega therefore called for increased support to young researchers by putting in place grants targeting young scientists as well as supporting the publications and career paths of non-teaching research support staff. He also proposed increased internal cross-disciplinary networks, improved research-to-translation support and improved research support infrastructure as some of the incentives to help build functional research networks.
Charing the last session of the day, the Dean School of Women and Gender Studies, Dr. Sarah Ssali reassured the Deans and participants at the workshop that Makerere University was in the process of developing a policy on grants, which would incentivise more researchers and units to undertake research. “We will advocate for a policy that enables Schools or units from which the grants originate to share in or retain a good percentage of the overhead.”
Delivering the presentation on Incentivising Research & Researcher development in Universities, the Deputy Vice Chancellor Research, Innovation & Extension and Acting DVCAA at Kampala International University (KIU), Prof. George Nasinyama expressed happiness to be back at his alma mater, an institution that he previously served as Deputy Director Research under DRGT.
Prof.Nasinyama revealed that there was a paradigm shift in the nature of knowledge generation from the Ivory Tower and its connotations of mono-disciplinary research to the Engaged University with its multidisciplinary, participative research that was uncertain and exploratory in nature. “However, there is also a third GloCal mode of Universities with local meaning but global reach, which place emphasis on clusters and networks and accountability to various stakeholders.”
He stated that many African Universities still faced challenges with massification and teaching overload which leads to the vicious cycle of ‘teach or perish’. This, he said, necessitates lecturers to rush from one overcrowded lecture room to another, resulting in reduced thirst for research (libido sciendi).
Prof. Nasinyama nevertheless said that researchers at Makerere University can be incentivised in three main ways namely; Government support to a research fund or through subsidy, Institutional incentives based on performance at either individual or departmental level, and support to researchers that bring income to the University by sharing overhead costs.
“In South Africa, the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) provides a publication subsidy to universities of approximately US$9,000 per publication unit, which is equivalent to a peer-reviewed, accredited journal article or book chapter by one author. However, this scheme is absent in many African Countries” remarked Prof. Nasinyama giving an example of a Government subsidy.
At the conclusion of the Workshop, participants present, guided by the day's able moderator Dr. Patrick Byakagaba agreed to form a seven member Interim Deans’ Forum with the DVCAA Dr. Umar Kakumba as the Patron. Nominated members were; Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze-CHS (Chairperson), Dr. Edward Bbaale-CoBAMS (Vice Chairperson), Dr. Aaron Mushengyezi-CHUSS, Dr. Robert Tweyongyere-CoVAB, Dr. Grace Kibanja-CHUSS, Dr. Ronald Naluwairo-LAW and Dr. Gilbert Maiga-CoCIS.
Article by Public Relations Office
General
Institutionalizing ORCID at Makerere University: Strengthening Researcher Identification, Visibility and Research Output Tracking
The Unit-Based ORCID Sensitization and System Capture of Researcher Identification Workshop was held on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, commencing at 9:00 a.m. at the Telepresence Centre, Senate Building, Makerere University. The workshop was facilitated by the Research and Education Network for Uganda (RENU).
The workshop was opened by Prof. Robert Wamala – Director of the Directorate of Research, Innovations and Partnerships (DRIP). In his remarks, Prof. Wamala emphasised the importance of ORCID in strengthening researcher identification, improving the visibility and discoverability of Makerere University‘s research outputs, and ensuring accurate attribution of scholarly contributions.
Prof. Wamala highlighted the need to move beyond individual ORCID registration towards systematic institutional adoption, including the accurate capture and validation of researchers’ ORCID identifiers in relevant University information systems. He underscored the importance of coordinated implementation at unit level, recognising the critical roles of College Librarians, Library staff and the Directorate of Graduate Training in supporting ORCID adoption among academic staff, researchers and graduate students.
Prof. Wamala appreciated RENU for facilitating the engagement and encouraged participants to translate the knowledge gained into practical action within their respective units. The workshop marked an important step in Makerere University‘s efforts to strengthen researcher identification, improve research visibility and enhance the institutional management and tracking of scholarly outputs.
The opening session also featured remarks from the University Librarian Prof. Ruth Nalumaga and Dr. Cyprian Misinde, the Director of Quality Assurance, who underscored the importance of ORCID in strengthening research visibility, scholarly communication and institutional research information management. Their contributions highlighted the need for collaboration across the Library, Quality Assurance, Graduate Training and DRIP to support effective ORCID adoption and integration into University processes.
The workshop provided an opportunity to sensitise participants on ORCID and strengthen their capacity to support its adoption and system capture within their respective units. The participation of College Librarians, Library staff and the Directorate of Graduate Training was particularly strategic in supporting researchers and graduate students to establish and maintain their ORCID profiles.
The workshop was attended by College Librarians and Library Staff; Representatives from the Directorate of Graduate Training; Directorate of Quality Assurance and the Directorate of Research, Innovations and Partnerships. Their participation was intended to strengthen awareness, institutional coordination and practical support for ORCID adoption across the University.
The engagement, marked a collaborative step towards institutionalizing ORCID at Makerere University and strengthening the University’s capacity to identify, track and showcase its research contributions globally.
As Greater Kampala continues to expand, the question of how the city will secure enough water for its growing population is becoming increasingly urgent. New homes, roads, industries and commercial centres are transforming the metropolitan landscape, but this growth also places pressure on wetlands, catchments and the infrastructure that supplies water to communities. For Makerere University, this challenge is not only a matter for public debate. It is also a question that research can help answer before today’s decisions become tomorrow’s problems.
That concern shaped a dissemination workshop held at the University on Wednesday, 28th October 2026. The gathering brought together researchers, policymakers, university leaders, planners, students, development partners and members of the media to consider findings from the Urban Expansion Model for Mitigating Water Scarcity in Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area, known as UREMWAS, an occasion that was graced by the Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Hon. Hajjat Minsa Kabanda, who attended as chief guest.
At the heart of the research is a practical concern: how can a fast-growing metropolitan area accommodate more people and economic activity without undermining the natural systems and public infrastructure on which its residents depend? The UREMWAS project seeks to help answer that question by giving planners a way to examine how different patterns of urban development may affect water availability. Rather than treating water scarcity as an isolated problem of supply, the study relates it to the choices made about land, housing, drainage, settlement and infrastructure.
Understanding the Link Between Urban Growth and Water
Presenting the study, the Principal Investigator Dr. Nestor Mugabe explained that Greater Kampala is among Uganda’s fastest-growing urban regions. Its expansion has increased pressure on water sources and supply networks, while also changing the natural landscapes that help sustain those resources. As settlements spread, the consequences can extend beyond the immediate area where construction takes place. Wetlands may be encroached upon, catchments altered and the routes through which water moves across the landscape disrupted. “The value of this model is in helping planners see the consequences of today’s choices before those choices become difficult and costly to reverse.” He stated.
The model brings together information on population movement, built-up areas, drainage patterns, wetland cover and water demand. By considering these factors together, planners can explore possible urban growth scenarios and assess their likely implications before major decisions are made. The intention is to support better-informed choices on where development should take place, which natural areas require protection and where investment in water infrastructure may be most needed.
Dr. Mugabe cautioned that water scarcity rarely emerges from a single decision or event. Instead, it can develop gradually as many small choices accumulate without sufficient attention to their combined effect. The value of the model, he explained, lies in helping decision makers see a wider picture and understand how development in one part of the metropolitan area may affect water security elsewhere.
The findings point to a close relationship between the pattern of urban growth and the pressure placed on water systems. When settlements expand without effective planning, development can reach sensitive areas such as wetlands and catchments. These landscapes perform important functions in storing, filtering and releasing water. When they are degraded, the natural processes that support water availability are weakened. At the same time, extending piped water infrastructure to scattered communities can become more difficult and expensive.
By contrast, growth guided by clear plans, the protection of natural areas and timely infrastructure investment offers a stronger basis for managing demand. The research therefore presents urban planning and water security as closely connected responsibilities. Decisions about housing, roads and commercial development cannot be considered separately from the resources needed to sustain the people who live and work in those places.
Dr. Mugabe also emphasised that water scarcity cannot be solved by infrastructure alone. The challenge involves governance, public behaviour and coordination among institutions that may otherwise plan and operate independently. Engineers, physical planners, local leaders, communities and researchers need to work with shared evidence if their decisions are to reinforce rather than undermine one another.
That message was given a human dimension through the experiences of communities consulted during data collection. Dr. Mugabe acknowledged the residents who shared their perspectives with the research team, including people who travel long distances or pay high prices to obtain water. Their experiences, he noted, helped the researchers understand the everyday consequences of water insecurity in ways that statistics alone cannot fully convey. Behind every figure on demand or supply are households and individuals whose routines, finances and wellbeing are affected by access to water.
Taking the Findings Beyond the University
The discussion that followed the presentation reflected the broad reach of the issue. Participants considered the role of wetlands in protecting water sources, the need to enforce planning regulations and the importance of involving communities early in decisions that affect their surroundings. They also explored whether the model could be adapted for other fast-growing towns and cities in Uganda, where urbanisation may create similar pressures on land and water resources.
Several contributors stressed that research findings should be communicated in accessible language, particularly to local leaders and community groups. A model can help inform technical decisions, but its impact is likely to be greater when the people affected by planning choices can also understand the evidence and use it in their own discussions. Participants further encouraged the research team to keep the model updated as new information becomes available. Because cities change rapidly, a planning tool must be able to reflect changing populations, land use and demand if it is to remain useful.
The discussion was moderated by Prof. William Tayeebwa, who guided the discussion and encouraged participants to engage with the findings from their different areas of experience. The questions and reflections reinforced the importance of treating water security as a shared metropolitan concern rather than the responsibility of a single institution or profession.
Speaking on behalf of the Makerere University Research and Innovation Fund, its Engagement officer, Ms. Grace Cherotich Ruto congratulated the research team and reaffirmed the fund’s commitment to supporting research that responds to Uganda’s practical challenges. He encouraged researchers to consider the people who will use their findings from the earliest stages of a project and to plan how the knowledge generated will be communicated and applied. Research, he observed, is most valuable when it moves beyond academic shelves and contributes to policy, services and people’s lives. “Research has its greatest value when the knowledge generated at the university reaches the people and institutions that can use it to improve lives.” Prof. Julius Kikooma, Director, Directorate of Graduate Training stated.
The remarks also highlighted the role of graduate training in building research capacity. Prof. Julius Kikooma, Director of the Directorate of Graduate Training, welcomed participants and commended the team for bringing its work to a wider audience. He noted that universities demonstrate their value to society when knowledge developed through research and scholarship informs decisions beyond the campus. Graduate research, including the work of master’s and doctoral students, helps generate and develop ideas that can be tested against real conditions and contribute to practical solutions.
A Shared Responsibility for a Growing City
Representing the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Moses Musinguzi commended the researchers for addressing an issue of national importance. He reaffirmed the university’s commitment to serving the country through knowledge and collaboration, and called on government agencies, local authorities and development partners to draw on the expertise available at the institution. Water, land and urban growth are interconnected, he noted, and the management of rapidly expanding cities must be guided by sound evidence.
For the university, the workshop offered an opportunity to connect research with the institutions and communities that may put its findings to use. The model’s potential depends not only on its technical capacity, but also on whether planners and decision makers can incorporate its insights into the choices they make. Continued engagement between researchers and end users will therefore be important as the work develops.
In her address, Chief Guest Hon. Hajjat Minsa Kabanda thanked Makerere University for convening the workshop and recognised the contribution of its scholars to national development. She described the growth of Kampala and the surrounding metropolitan area as both an opportunity and a responsibility. As the country’s economic heart and home to millions of people, the city needs reliable services, including access to clean and safe water. The challenge is to ensure that expansion does not outpace the systems and natural resources required to sustain it.
“Kampala’s water challenges extend beyond administrative boundaries, so our response must be built on cooperation, shared evidence and responsible planning.” Hon. Hajjat Minsa Kabanda emphasized.
Hon. Kabanda said that the UREMWAS model could help government make better-informed decisions about the direction of urban growth, the protection of natural resources and the location of water infrastructure investment. She also pointed out that the metropolitan area extends beyond the administrative boundaries of Kampala itself. Water and land pressures do not stop at those boundaries, making coordination among the ministry, Kampala Capital City Authority, neighbouring local governments, water utilities and researchers essential.
The Minister assured the university that her ministry would study the findings and consider how they could inform its planning work. She encouraged the research team to maintain a close relationship with policymakers so that the model can remain relevant to decisions as the metropolitan area changes. She also called on citizens to protect wetlands, use water responsibly and observe planning guidelines, stressing that the future of the city will be shaped by the actions of both public institutions and residents.
Turning Research into Public Action
Her remarks underscored the role universities can play as partners in public decision making. By bringing together research expertise, emerging talent and the freedom to examine difficult questions, institutions of higher learning can help government understand complex challenges and consider options grounded in evidence. She congratulated Makerere on its research tradition and encouraged it to continue producing work that responds to the needs of the country.
The workshop closed with a shared recognition that disseminating the findings is a starting point rather than an end in itself. The research team and its partners expressed the need to continue engaging government and other stakeholders, share the results more widely with local leaders and communities, and refine the model as further data becomes available. These next steps will help determine how effectively the research can support planning in Greater Kampala and whether its approach can be useful in other urban areas.
The timing of the work is significant. Decisions made now about land use, housing, drainage and water infrastructure will influence the shape of Greater Kampala for years to come. Once wetlands have been damaged, settlements established in unsuitable locations or infrastructure built without adequate coordination, correcting the consequences can be difficult and costly. A model that allows decision makers to explore possible outcomes in advance offers an opportunity to identify risks earlier and weigh development choices more carefully.
For residents, the stakes are tangible. Reliable water affects household routines, public health, livelihoods and the ability of businesses and institutions to operate. Protecting the resources that sustain supply is therefore not separate from the wider ambition to build a productive and liveable city. The challenge is to ensure that urban growth improves people’s lives without weakening the environmental systems on which those lives depend.
By bringing researchers and decision makers into the same conversation, Makerere’s UREMWAS dissemination workshop demonstrated how university research can contribute to a shared understanding of a public problem. The work does not remove the difficult choices facing the metropolitan area, but it offers a way to examine those choices with a clearer view of their possible consequences. As Greater Kampala continues to grow, the task ahead will be to turn that evidence into coordinated planning, responsible development and sustained protection of water resources.
The gathering marked a step in moving the UREMWAS findings from a research project into wider public and policy discussion. The central message was clear: the future of Greater Kampala’s water security will depend not only on how much water can be supplied, but also on how the city grows, how its natural systems are protected and how well the institutions responsible for its future work together.
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