General
Mak-RIF Awards 123 Grants in Round 3 2021/2022
The Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF) on Tuesday 17th August, 2021 unveiled the 123 recipients of the third round of funding for 2021/2022. The Ceremony presided over by the Chairperson of Council; Mrs. Lorna Magara was also graced by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Dr. Umar Kakumba and Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration), Dr. Josephine Nabukenya.
Present at the event hosted in the Council Room, Central Teaching Facility 1 (CTF1) were; Prof. William Bazeyo, Head Grants Administration and Management Support Unit (GAMSU) and Chairperson Mak-RIF Grants Management Committee (GMC), Members of Management, a select number of researchers, representatives of Government and over 300 virtual participants.
Expressing her delight at witnessing the launch the third Mak-RIF Awards, Mrs. Magara said she was confident the awardees would help drive the National Development Plan III (2020/21-2024/25)-NDP III.
“Beyond my role as Chair Council, I am primarily here because I share the conviction and fully subscribe to the consensus that a locally-driven research agenda nurtures homegrown and locally contextualized ideas, which is a prerequisite for development and societal transformation” she explained.
Mrs. Magara thanked the Government of Uganda for the vision and commitment to support research and ensure that research funding is not left to international development partners. “With an investment of 30 billion shillings each financial year for the third year running, Makerere University joins the various institutions in which the Government invests heavily in research for example the Uganda Industrial Research Institute, Uganda Virus Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Organisation, among others.”
In this regard, she thanked H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for being an ardent believer in homegrown solutions and supporting locally-driven research and innovation.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nawangwe in his remarks noted that the 123 Awards under Round 3 would join 587 projects currently funded under Mak-RIF and together, enable each discipline at Makerere to contribute to Uganda’s development and growth. “The potential within Makerere University is enormous and we must continue to harness it.”
He equally appreciated the Government for not cutting funding to research and innovations at Makerere despite the disruptions to revenue collection caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that innovations such as the pedal operated seed cleaner, electronic partograph for improved monitoring of labour, organ and tissue biobanking project, enhancing value addition on potato and sorghum enterprises among others have the potential to change the economy of the whole region with minimal investment.
In his presentation, Prof. Bazeyo thanked the Ugandan government for demonstrating how much they value research outcomes by apportioning part of the limited resource envelope to funding research and innovations.
He shared that Mak-RIF Round 3 received 457 applications, with the 123 recipients being funded after a rigorous selection process. He equally shared a list of other universities that were approved by the GMC to conduct projects in their institutions, with the leader from Makerere University for accountability purposes.
“These include Makerere University Business School (MUBS), Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Busitema University, Gulu University, Kabale University, Bishop Stuart University, Uganda Martyrs University Nkozi and Muni University. Faculty from these institutions have benefited from this round of Mak-RIF funding” added Prof. Bazeyo.
Prof. Bazeyo further informed participants that the Round 3 awards were granted to those applications that best addressed the National Research Agenda informed by NDP III and developed by Mak-RIF with participation of stakeholders from Industry, Government Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Academia, Research Institutions and Civil Society.
The launch also featured three presentations by projects namely;
- Enhancing Value addition on Potato-Sorghum enterprises for Improved Livelihoods in Uganda (EVaPoSIL) – to develop high value products and determine supply dynamics and profitability for the two crops, presented by Nantambi Bridget
- The Early Preeclampsia Diagnostic Strip (EPED Strip) – a low cost, reliable, safe (non-invasive) and Point of Care Test for self screening by expectant mothers to know if they are at risk of preeclampsia, presented by Brian Matovu
- Optimized software for planning and simulation of food aid response during the COVID-19 pandemic and other similar disasters in Uganda – presented by Fildah Ayaa
Please click the link below to view the full list of 123 Mak-RIF Round 3 Awards
Makerere University staff have been urged to embrace servant leadership, integrity and compassion as they prepare to welcome students for the 2026/2027 Academic Year.
The call was made during the Makerere University Staff Prayer Breakfast held on 31st July 2026 at St. Francis Students Centre Upper Hall under the theme “Faithful Stewards: A Servant Heart with Integrity and Wisdom,” drawn from Colossians 3:23–24 and Mark 10:35–45.
The prayer breakfast brought together members of Council, University Management, academic, and administrative staff to dedicate the new academic year to God while reflecting on their responsibility of serving students with excellence, humility and integrity.
A Call to Seek God’s Wisdom
Host Rev. Dr. Lydia Nsaale Kitayimbwa reminded staff that no amount of professional experience or academic expertise can replace God’s guidance.
She noted that the University’s mission can only be fulfilled when staff continually seek God’s wisdom in serving students and one another.
“There is no amount of experience or expertise that can replace God’s wisdom.”
Rev. Dr. Kitayimbwa observed that students remain the reason universities exist and challenged staff to approach their work as a calling rather than merely employment.
“Without students, there is no university,” she said, encouraging members of staff to remain united, avoid unhealthy competition and trust God as they begin another academic year.
She further urged staff to become faithful stewards who work together in harmony, which she summed up as, “United we stand; divided we fall.”
A Community, Not Just a Centre of Research
In her remarks, Dean of Students Dr. Winnie Kabumbuli welcomed the Council Chairperson, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) and Members of Management to the breakfast, and reminded staff that a university’s value cannot be measured by research and innovation alone.
She described Makerere as a community held together by the spiritual as well as academic wellbeing of its people, and called on staff to renew their commitment to one another as much as to the institution they serve.
Draw Inspiration From Stewardship
Representing the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) Prof. Sarah Ssali told staff that this year’s breakfast carried special significance.
“This is the first prayer breakfast we are having ever since we launched our strategic plan,” she said, referring to the University’s new Strategic Plan, launched on 2nd July 2026.
She encouraged staff to hold on to the morning’s reflections as a guide for implementing the plan over the next five years, describing Makerere as an institution many families choose above all others for the vision and training it offers their children. She urged staff to see themselves as stewards of that trust rather than simply employees carrying out a job.
Compassion and Discipline Must Go Together
Delivering her remarks, Makerere University Council Chairperson Dr. Lorna Magara challenged staff to strike a balance between compassion and discipline when dealing with students.
She observed that many students face different personal and academic challenges, making encouragement and timely support essential throughout their university journey.
“A word of encouragement can restore hope and prevent costly mistakes,” she noted.
Dr. Lorna encouraged lecturers and administrators to respond promptly to students’ concerns, explaining that delays, insensitive decisions and abuse of authority can discourage students and negatively affect their academic experience.
She reminded staff that students often remember how they were treated long after they have forgotten what was taught in class.
“Students may eventually forget what we teach them, but they will always remember how we treated them.”
She added that education goes beyond transferring knowledge.
“Education is more than knowledge. We communicate life, character and values.”
Quoting Mark 10, Dr. Lorna called upon staff to embrace servant leadership by exercising authority with humility, integrity and accountability.
She encouraged members of staff to ask themselves whether they would treat every student the same way ashey would treat their own child.
“We may not always have all the answers,” she said, “but we can communicate honestly, take responsibility and treat every student with dignity.”
She concluded by urging different colleges and administrative units to work together instead of operating in isolation, noting that unity strengthens the University community.
Referring to Galatians 6:2, she reminded staff to carry one another’s burdens and remain faithful stewards of the responsibility entrusted to them.
Servant Leadership Begins with Faithfulness
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. James Magara, husband to Dr. Lorna Magara, called on members of staff to embrace servant leadership grounded in humility, faithfulness and service to others.
Drawing from Mark 10:35–45, Dr. Magara reflected on the account in which James and John asked Jesus for positions of honour in His kingdom, prompting discontent among the other disciples. He observed that despite walking closely with Christ, the disciples continued to struggle with the desire for status and recognition. He noted that such competition remained evident even during the Last Supper, where concerns over positions and prominence persisted.
Dr. Magara said that Jesus responded to these human tendencies by redefining leadership through service rather than authority. He described Christ’s act of washing the disciples’ feet as the ultimate demonstration of servant leadership, explaining that genuine leaders are willing to undertake even the humblest responsibilities in service of others.
Referencing Philippians 2, he urged staff to emulate Christ’s humility and selflessness, contrasting it with the pride and self-exaltation illustrated in Isaiah 14. He emphasised that lasting influence and greatness are not measured by titles, positions or recognition, but by one’s willingness to serve faithfully and put the needs of others before personal ambition.
Drawing on his own leadership journey spanning several decades, Dr. Magara challenged leaders across the University to cultivate humility, integrity and a servant heart in the execution of their responsibilities. He cautioned that leadership driven by pride and personal ambition undermines both individual effectiveness and institutional progress, whereas servant leadership strengthens organisations and fosters lasting impact.
The prayer breakfast concluded with a call for unity and collective commitment as Makerere University prepares to begin a new academic year. Organisers noted that the reflections on stewardship, integrity and servant leadership would provide a strong foundation for the University community as it advances the implementation of the Makerere University Strategic Plan 2025–2030.
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