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MakSPH Grants and Research Capacity Building Committee Gets New Leadership

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By Davidson Ndyabahika

Makerere University School of Public Health’s (MakSPH) Dr. David Musoke has started his term as the new Chair of the Grants and Research Capacity Building Committee.

Dr. Musoke, a Lecturer in the Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health at MakSPH, replaced Dr. David Serwadda, an infectious disease epidemiologist and Professor at the School who had served in this capacity for 13 years, at the committee’s handover meeting held on 23rd March 2021.

MakSPH maintains its rank as an academic, research leader in public health in the region. This has been enabled by a strong and dedicated team of professionals that support the research and training. The School has also been leading in this area of grants management in the entire University, thanks to the credible leadership of the School.

A brief about the Grants Committee

Between 2003 and 2009, Professor Serwadda was Director of the then Makerere Institute of Public Health. He served in that position until 2007 when he was promoted to the position of Dean, Makerere University School of Public Health, following the elevation of the Institute to a constituent School of Makerere University College of Health Sciences. It is during this period, that he started a grants committee.

“During that time, the committee did not perform as expected because there was a lot of resistance. Nevertheless, in 2008 the grants committee kicked off,” Professor Serwadda recalls. 

In the past four years, the committee has evolved into what we now know as the Grants and Research Capacity Building Committee.

One of its key achievements under Prof. Serwadda’s leadership has been a generation of strong policies to guide the grants management at the School, that have since been approved by the School Board. The documents range from the Grants Procedure Manual, Conflict of Interest Policy to Management of Grants external to MakSPH.

“These documents we have developed are very important for purposes of management and procedural management of the grants at the School. Having these documents is a very important achievement as Makerere University Central Management does not have some of them very well outlined for the whole University,” Professor Serwadda.

He adds that; “The School of Public Health has been leading in this area and some of the colleges are learning from what we have been able to do to manage their grants.”

Additionally, the grants committee has been involved in the capacity strengthening by the grant’s secretariat. “I am extremely grateful to the grants secretariat and initiatives they have made in securing grants for purposes of either training researchers among others. This is something that is commendable,” Professor Serwadda.

Professor Serwadda also appealed to the new committee to embark on the Monitoring and Evaluation of the performance of grants, which had initially been thought to be the function of the Heads of Department. He added that the committee ought to continuously sensitize and enforce the monitoring and evaluation of projects.

“The other issue is the individual conduct of the PIs on these grants. There is a need to follow well-laid-out procedures for procurement, as well as conflict of interest. The conduct of the PI is extremely important in setting a tone on how the whole grant is managed,” said Professor Serwadda.

Other Areas of Improvement

Professor Serwadda highlighted that the Grants committee needs to regularly sensitize staff about the grants policies that exist in the School.

The in-coming Grants committee chairperson Dr. David Musoke said thanked the School management for entrusting him with the leadership of the committee.

“This confidence in me by the management of the School will be a driving force to work with the new team to ensure that we build on what has been achieved by the committee and move its agenda forward,” Dr. Musoke.

“I wish in a special way to thank my predecessor Prof. David Serwadda who has been at the forefront of this committee for very many years and, we have seen what the committee has been able to achieve over the years. This gives us an opportunity as the in-coming committee to harness what has been achieved but also build on the successes and learn from the challenges for the benefit of the School. I believe we will carry on the great work done by the outgoing committee and we shall make the entire School faculty proud,” he added.

Dr. Musoke further highlighted that the committee will continue to support the use and adherence to the already existing policy guidelines moving forward to enable proper management of grants at the School.

Dr. Rhoda Wanyenze, Professor and Dean, MakSPH emphasized that the Grants and Research Capacity Building Committee is a very crucial committee of the School.

“The volume of work has grown. We have a lot of funds coming into the School. Last year, we had slightly over US$ 30M in grants coming into the School despite the fact that we were in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the things I am excited about is that these funds are not being contributed by one large grant. It is being contributed to by multiple small grants,” Prof. Wanyenze said.

She added that at the time she took over the Office of the Dean, the School’s grants portfolio went down about 50% because three large grants ended simultaneously.

“At that time, we were coming down from over US$ 30M to almost half if we had not put in deliberately efforts to try and expand the pool of people bringing in grants, multiple small grants, deliberately expanding partnerships so that we can work with more people, and so we have more players and to me, that is more sustainable,” Professor Wanyenze explains.

In the last three years, MakSPH has had more than 20 new partners and several direct first-time grantees. 

According to Prof. Wanyenze, the School aspires to have more visibility in terms of Ph.D. training for regional leadership as the first Public Health Institute in the region.

“We have expanded the number of regional grants that we are coordinating as a School. There are more coming. This has been a deliberate effort and we must continue since we now understand what it takes to have that presence in the region,” she noted.

The Dean also noted that the school will further ensure it improves on the management of partnerships and grants.

“It is one thing winning a grant but it’s another sustaining this grant. Being in harmony with your funder, partners and making sure that you can pull them to deliver quality products on time is crucial. That is a major issue and one of our biggest risks. We have been taught science and no one has taught us administration and therefore the issues that break us are quite often not the science but how we manage our grants, our people, the procurement, and many other things. We need to continue to learn so that we appreciate our policies put in place,” Dr. Wanyenze.

Through the PMA project, Jhpiego, an international, non-profit health organization affiliated with The Johns Hopkins University rated MakSPH highly during the 3rd Organizational Capacity Assessment.  

Prof. Wanyenze also noted that; “We had initially scored about 50% in Human Resources in the previous assessment but now the last assessment put us at 100%. But we need to continue to learn and so we appreciate that excellent contribution, all those great policies, it’s a reason we score highly. It is very important for us to attract money and continue to have more funders come to us but we must tighten up the loopholes within the policies and be able to implement them.”

She commended Prof. Serwadda for the great leadership of the committee and for working with humility. “We really appreciate your work. You have done a great job and I really like that you have had a good end-game. I hope you will keep around so that you continue to support Dr. Musoke and his team so that we can continue to add to the good works that you started, but also reach out and support us in the office of the Dean and Management so that we can continue moving the school to the next level.”

“I don’t take smooth handovers for granted and I almost feel emotional when I see a smooth handover. This is a special moment for seeing that after 13 years, we have a smooth handover to the next generation of leaders for the School,” Dr. Wanyenze said.

She urged Dr. Musoke to ensure professionalism, ethics, integrity for research capacity building. She emphasized the need for good administration, good management.

“If there is anyone thing, I would like to leave behind myself in this School, is that we must learn to be good managers, we must learn and be good administrators because ultimately we cannot manage our projects that we are funded to implement if we are not good at those things,” She advanced.

To the grants team, the Deans said; “We are the leaders in terms of ensuring that we have a solid grants management, infrastructure, systems that can help us. The key is going to be on how we implement our policies. We must lead by example.”

She equally hailed the grants secretariat for being outstanding and excellent at the job they do.

What others say

Dr. Lynn Atuyambe, Associate Professor at MakSPH thanked the out-going Chair for dedicated service, keeping the committee together for 13 years. 

“In an emotional special way, I really would like to thank the administration and specifically the Dean and Professor Serwadda for a job well done. No wonder, you are moving higher and higher at national and global levels. We really want to emulate you as much as possible for the inspiring leadership and all the achievements,” Dr. Atuyambe said.

Dr. Victoria Nankabirwa in equal measure hailed Prof. Serwadda’s exceptional leadership, citing that they had learned a lot from him and his leadership.

“We are very grateful to you Professor Serwadda for the foundation. We are also grateful to the secretariat. It is true that this actually one of the best secretariats that I have seen. We are thankful to the Dean who is very active in many things particularly with this committee, including the Small Grants.,” Dr. Nankabirwa.

Dr. David Guwatudde, a Professor and Co-chair of the incoming Grants and Research Capacity Building Committee thanked Professor Serwadda for the great leadership exhibited on the committee since 2008. Prof. Guwatudde, who also happens to have been a member of the Grants Committee since its inception, also hailed the Dean for advocating for handing over to the younger generation and making sure it happens.

Article originally published on MakSPH website

Mark Wamai

Research

TUM SEED Center: PhD Scholarship in Sustainable Energy Entrepreneurship 2025/2026

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The Research and Innovations Week 2025, funded by the Government of Uganda, 9th April 2025, Main Hall, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa. Dr. Nyeinga Karidewa presents his project on Thermal Energy Storage for Institutional Cooking on Day 2 of the Research and Innovations Week 2025.

The TUM SEED Center @ MAK hosted by the School of Engineering invites applications from suitable candidates from the Global South for a PhD Scholarship in Sustainable Energy Entrepreneurship for the 2025/2026 Academic Year at Makerere University. The scholarship is jointly coordinated by the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) and the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT).

This PhD scholarship is part of a partnership between Makerere University and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) under the TUM SEED Center that aims to shape the future leaders of academia. Tailored to foster cutting-edge research and inventive thinking in advancing sustainable energy and entrepreneurship, the TUM SEED Center offers higher education and conducts research at the intersection of Sustainable Energies, Entrepreneurship and Development (SEED). We advocate for interdisciplinary and global cooperation, transcending conventional limits to explore the fusion of sustainable energy and entrepreneurial practices.

About the TUM SEED Center @ MAK and PhD Scholarship

As part of the SEED network, the TUM SEED Center @ MAK has secured funding for the second phase for 2025-2029. The SEED network consists of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and ten universities across the Global South, including Makerere University (Uganda), Bahir Dar University (Ethiopia), Bandung Institute of Technology (Indonesia), Burkina Institute of Technology (Burkina Faso), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Ghana), Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (India), Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (Kenya), Namibia University of Science and Technology (Namibia), Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (Peru), and Stellenbosch University (South Africa). The TUM SEED Center is funded by DAAD and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The TUM SEED Center focuses on building Living Labs in communities without electricity and initiating collaborative research and teaching in the areas of Sustainable energy and entrepreneurship by integrating communities in the co-creation, testing, validation, and further development of new or improved technologies that do not create discontinuities in their settings.

As such, the TUM-MAK SEED Living lab was developed in 2021. The lab is a life-scale mini grid set up in Kyampisi village in Luwero District, Uganda. It is situated in a community of about 1,000 residents living in a clustered agricultural community. The living lab provides a platform for students from Makerere and partner universities to interact with the communities to understand energy, entrepreneurship and development challenges, bringing forth actionable and impactful research that directly addresses the community needs in the hope of improving their livelihoods.

Another key component to the TUM SEED Center is the Student Initiatives activities that are geared to enhance decentralized governance structure by exemplifying a bottom-up approach. By creating initiatives, students influence decision-making at their universities and advance the TUM SEED Center’s agenda. This involvement ensures student perspectives are integrated into the governance process, driving entrepreneurial sustainable energy solutions forward.

This announcement invites PhD Applicants from the Global South with excellent academic track records and strong motivation to apply for a doctoral scholarship in Sustainable Energy Entrepreneurship to be hosted at Makerere University. The doctoral scholarship will focus on scaling and impact of sustainable enterprises in the context of the mini-grid sector, contributing to SDG 7, Clean and Affordable Energy for All by 2030. The selected doctoral scholar will be supervised by faculty members from Makerere University, Dr. Kasimu Sendawula from the School of Business (CoBAMS) and Dr. Francis Mujjuni from the School of Engineering, and co supervised by Prof. Dr. Frank-Martin Belz, Director of the TUM SEED Center.

SEED doctoral scholars are expected to:

  • Demonstrate a strong commitment to the work as a doctoral student
  • Participate and contribute to the activities of the TUM-MAK SEED Center
  • Take on responsibilities of coordinating the Student Initiatives
  • Engage in academic exchange (i.e., visit and collaborate with partner universities)
  • Conduct research inline with the needs of the local energy Living-lab at Kyampisi
  • Submit progress reports as required by the TUM SEED Center and by Makerere University
  • Complete studies within stipulated scholarship period, otherwise failure to do so without
    sound reasons a refund may be demanded

Application Procedure

To apply, please upload your CV, a strong letter of motivation, two reference letters, national identity card, and academic certificates and transcripts through the online application form at https://wkf.ms/3XFUwhw by Thursday 12 June 2025 at 23:59 EAT. Based on the applications, some candidates will be invited for an online interview and submission of a research concept note.

Qualified women and individuals with disabilities are particularly encouraged to apply. The Selection Commission of the TUM SEED Center will make the final decision in line with DAAD criteria.

Eligibility for the Scholarship

Following are the application requirements for this scholarship:

  • Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of an Upper Second Class or its equivalent in business
    management (with a focus on entrepreneurship) or related fields
  • Master’s degree with Merit (or above as may be applicable) in sustainable energies,
    business management (with a focus on entrepreneurship) or related fields. The master’s
    should have been obtained no more than six (6) years ago.
  • Research or work experience at the intersection of management and sustainable energies
  • Excellent academic track record
  • Proficiency in English language
  • Extracurricular skills, social engagement, and strong motivation
  • Nationality from one of the eligible countries in the Global South

Scholarship Coverage

The duration of the scholarship program is four (4) years, starting from 1 August 2025 to 31 July 2029. The scholarship will cover university tuition and functional fees, research fees, a monthly stipend of EUR 500, local mobility to the Living Lab as well as international mobility to SEED Partner Universities and to leading international conferences.

Further information

If you have any questions regarding this call, contact the Dean, School of Engineering, CEDAT,
or contact Dr. Francis Mujjuni via email at cedat.soe@mak.ac.ug.

Assoc. Prof. Dorothy Okello
Dean, School of Engineering, CEDAT
Makerere University


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Research

Mak-RIF Newsletter April 2025

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H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni officially flags off the Research and Innovations Week 2025, on 8th April 2025, Freedom Square, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa. Moments before his key note address and launch of the research and innoavtions week, President Museveni (L) inspected the projects displayed at the Makerere University Freedom Square.

Dear Reader,

Welcome to this special edition of the Mak-RIF Monthly Newsletter. In April 2025, Makerere University hosted a three-day research and innovations week from 08th April 2025 to 10th April 2025 at the Makerere University Freedom Square and the Main Administration Building. The event showcased cutting-edge research and innovations funded by the Government of Uganda, alongside other notable research outputs that reflect the university’s commitment to being a research-led institution.

On 8th April 2025, His Excellency, General Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the President of the Republic of Uganda, officiated at the grand opening of the exhibition and delivered a keynote address. The First Lady and Minister for Education and Sports, Hon. Janet K. Museveni, was represented by Hon. Dr. Joyce Moriku Kaducu. Additionally, Hon. Dr. Monica Musenero, the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation was the Chief Guest on 9th and 10th April 2025.

I extend my sincere appreciation to participants from different entities including Government MDAs, the private sector, civil society, and the university community among others. Your presence and active participation contributed towards a successful research and innovations week. This newsletter provides some of the highlights from the event.

Nice reading!

Prof. Fred Masagazi-Masaazi
Chairperson, Mak-RIF Grants Management Committee (GMC)

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Humanities & Social Sciences

Makerere’s US Studies Centre Hosts First Research Workshop to Kick Off U.S.–Uganda Relations Book Project

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The researchers and centre leadership in the workshop on 28th April 2025. The Centre for United States Studies at Makerere University held its first research review workshop, marking the beginning of an ambitious academic project to publish a book examining the historical and contemporary relations between the United States and Uganda, 28th April 2025, Kampala, East Africa.

Kampala, April 28, 2025 — The Centre for United States Studies at Makerere University held its first research review workshop, marking the beginning of an ambitious academic project to publish a book examining the historical and contemporary relations between the United States and Uganda.

The workshop, held at the School of Social Sciences’ Smartroom, brought together six selected researchers to present and refine their proposals aligned with the centre’s newly launched research agenda. The agenda, supported by a startup grant from the United States Mission in Uganda, explores historical, cultural, political, and educational ties between the two nations from 1945 to the present.

Prof. Paul Omach advising the researchers. The Centre for United States Studies at Makerere University held its first research review workshop, marking the beginning of an ambitious academic project to publish a book examining the historical and contemporary relations between the United States and Uganda, 28th April 2025, Kampala, East Africa.
Prof. Paul Omach advising the researchers.

Professor Paul Omach, Head of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration and Director of the Centre, officially opened the workshop. In his address, he urged researchers to stay focused on the core theme of the project and adhere strictly to research timelines to ensure timely publication of the book.

“Your work must speak to each other. The book must reflect a coherent theme, and delays in submission will only undermine its relevance,” Prof. Omach emphasized.

Prof. Omach urged researchers to remain disciplined with deadlines and cautioned against delays. “We started this workshop late today, and that’s not a good sign,” he said. “If we don’t follow timelines, the entire publication risks becoming outdated before it even goes to print.”

The centre, established in March 2025, is housed within the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, School of Social Sciences in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS). The centre aims to promote scholarship on U.S. foreign policy, cultural influence, and international relations, while fostering academic exchanges between Ugandan and American institutions.

Dr. Sylvestre Kaweesi during the workshop. The Centre for United States Studies at Makerere University held its first research review workshop, marking the beginning of an ambitious academic project to publish a book examining the historical and contemporary relations between the United States and Uganda, 28th April 2025, Kampala, East Africa.
Dr. Sylvestre Kaweesi during the workshop.

Dr. Sylvester Kaweesi, the Principal Investigator and lead of the research agenda, emphasized the strategic importance of the workshop.

“The objectives were to clarify what is expected from the researchers, to deepen their understanding of the theme of relationality—especially its conceptual and emotional dimensions and to help researchers refine their proposals,” Dr. Kaweesi explained.

Dr. Kaweesi described the workshop as a success. “The presentations were spot-on. The researchers are well mobilized and clearly up to the task. What remains is sharpening their arguments and guiding them to collect data that supports their focus,” he said.

Dr. Ssempijja Nicholas presenting on Jazz Music. The Centre for United States Studies at Makerere University held its first research review workshop, marking the beginning of an ambitious academic project to publish a book examining the historical and contemporary relations between the United States and Uganda, 28th April 2025, Kampala, East Africa.
Dr. Ssempijja Nicholas presenting on Jazz Music.

Presenters included Dr. Nicholas Sempijja, who is exploring how American jazz has influenced Ugandan popular music. “I want to show that cultural influence isn’t just about politics—it’s embedded in everyday life,” he said.

Itah Mbethki presenting on US education and cultural influence. The Centre for United States Studies at Makerere University held its first research review workshop, marking the beginning of an ambitious academic project to publish a book examining the historical and contemporary relations between the United States and Uganda, 28th April 2025, Kampala, East Africa.
Itah Mbethki presenting on US education and cultural influence.

Ms. Patience Mbeki, a PhD student at the Makerere Institute of Social Research, presented her study on the impact of American education models on Uganda’s system. “I am particularly interested in how values are transmitted through curricula,” she said.

Dr. Charlotte Mafumbo presenting on counter-terrorism. The Centre for United States Studies at Makerere University held its first research review workshop, marking the beginning of an ambitious academic project to publish a book examining the historical and contemporary relations between the United States and Uganda, 28th April 2025, Kampala, East Africa.
Dr. Charlotte Mafumbo presenting on counter-terrorism.

Other topics included counter-terrorism cooperation (Dr. Mafumbo Charlotte and Dr. Kibirige Nakaiza), the Peace Corps’ role in local development (Dr. Bernard Luwererkera), democracy promotion (Mr. Bwire Lumumba), and constitutionalism and the rule of law (Dr. George Okiror).

Dr. Luwerekera Bernard presenting on Peace Corps initiatives. The Centre for United States Studies at Makerere University held its first research review workshop, marking the beginning of an ambitious academic project to publish a book examining the historical and contemporary relations between the United States and Uganda, 28th April 2025, Kampala, East Africa.
Dr. Luwerekera Bernard presenting on Peace Corps initiatives.

As part of the roadmap, researchers will engage in secondary literature reviews before progressing to primary data collection. A second research seminar will be held to assess their progress.

Mr. Lumumba Bwire presenting on Politics of Democracy. The Centre for United States Studies at Makerere University held its first research review workshop, marking the beginning of an ambitious academic project to publish a book examining the historical and contemporary relations between the United States and Uganda, 28th April 2025, Kampala, East Africa.
Mr. Lumumba Bwire presenting on Politics of Democracy.

Dr. George Okiror presenting on Constitutionalism and the rule of law. The Centre for United States Studies at Makerere University held its first research review workshop, marking the beginning of an ambitious academic project to publish a book examining the historical and contemporary relations between the United States and Uganda, 28th April 2025, Kampala, East Africa.
Dr. George Okiror presenting on Constitutionalism and the rule of law.

The workshop also featured a session on academic writing and scholarly publishing, led by Prof. Fred Muyodi and Dr. Godwin Anywar, who emphasized the need for greater visibility of African scholarship.

Prof. Fredrick Muyodi presenting on academic writing and publishing. The Centre for United States Studies at Makerere University held its first research review workshop, marking the beginning of an ambitious academic project to publish a book examining the historical and contemporary relations between the United States and Uganda, 28th April 2025, Kampala, East Africa. The Centre for United States Studies at Makerere University held its first research review workshop, marking the beginning of an ambitious academic project to publish a book examining the historical and contemporary relations between the United States and Uganda, 28th April 2025, Kampala, East Africa.
Prof. Fredrick Muyodi presenting on academic writing and publishing.

They addressed the challenges African researchers face in publishing and encouraged scholars to leverage tools like social media and other digital platforms.“You may know how to write,” said Prof. Muyodi, “but it’s critical to be reminded of scientific writing standards, target journals, and how to reach your audience effectively.”

 Researchers were trained in identifying appropriate journals, managing references, and using social media to disseminate their work.

Dr. Godwin Anywar guiding researchers on tools for identfying the right journals. The Centre for United States Studies at Makerere University held its first research review workshop, marking the beginning of an ambitious academic project to publish a book examining the historical and contemporary relations between the United States and Uganda, 28th April 2025, Kampala, East Africa.
Dr. Godwin Anywar guiding researchers on tools for identfying the right journals.

Dr. Kaweesi underscored the broader value of the centre’s initiative. “This research agenda aligns perfectly with Makerere University’s vision to become a research-led institution and contributes to our internationalization strategy by fostering U.S.-Uganda academic partnerships,” he noted.

Prof. Kasaija Apuuli during the discussion session. The Centre for United States Studies at Makerere University held its first research review workshop, marking the beginning of an ambitious academic project to publish a book examining the historical and contemporary relations between the United States and Uganda, 28th April 2025, Kampala, East Africa.
Prof. Kasaija Apuuli during the discussion session.

The centre plans to publish the final output—a peer-reviewed edited volume with an international academic press, possibly Routledge or another U.S.-based publisher. In addition to the book, the centre will host public dialogues and academic seminars to further disseminate findings and engage wider audiences.

Prof. Kasaija Apuuli, Dr. Sylvestre Kaweesi and Prof Paul Omach reviewed the researchers' work. The Centre for United States Studies at Makerere University held its first research review workshop, marking the beginning of an ambitious academic project to publish a book examining the historical and contemporary relations between the United States and Uganda, 28th April 2025, Kampala, East Africa.
Prof. Kasaija Apuuli, Dr. Sylvestre Kaweesi and Prof Paul Omach reviewed the researchers’ work.

The Centre for United States Studies at Makerere University is set to become a vital hub for dialogue, scholarship, and academic exchange, offering fresh perspectives on the dynamic and often complex relationship between Uganda and the United States.

Jane Anyango is the Principal Communication Officer, CHUSS

Jane Anyango

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