Research

WUN Research Development Fund 2021

Published

5 years ago

August 2, 2021

Mark Wamai

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe uses the Mak-RIF-funded Eco Wash Facility during the official launch as Dr. Peter Olupot (L) and his research team witness on 4th March 2021, Conference Hall, CEDAT, Makerere University.

Word Universities Network (WUN) is pleased to announce that the Research Development Fund (RDF) 2021 round is now open. In its thirteenth year, the RDF provides researchers at member universities with grants of up to £10,000 to foster research collaborations across the network.

WUN Research Development Fund 2021: Mobilising for a Sustainable Future

As the world invests to overcome and move beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, there are major opportunities for research to inform national and international priorities in building a sustainable future. WUN’s capacity to assemble diverse teams of researchers gives it distinctive advantage in tackling some of the major emergent challenges in research areas where comparative analysis is important.

The RDF 2021 theme of Mobilising for a Sustainable Future reinforces WUN’s commitment to supporting research that addresses sustainable development. The RDF 2021 Guidelines have been developed following consultation with the Global Challenge Steering Group Chairs Committee and the Academic Advisory Group.

“The RDF helps investigators establish collaborative projects that tap distinctive research strengths within the network,” said Peter Lennie, Executive Director of WUN. “The diversity of WUN enables it to bring powerful constellations of talent to bear on problems of real significance.”

In the 2020 Round WUN awarded over £170,000 to support 17 projects that began early this year. Notably, 20 WUN member universities were represented on awarded projects research teams.

Application Deadline: Friday, 22nd October 2021 at 11:00 EAT

Related Topics:collaboration COVID-19 Funding grants RDF Research sustainable WUN

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CARTA Fellow Tamale on Building Systems, Shaping Policy and Transforming Lives beyond the PhD

Published

2 weeks ago

October 6, 2026

Mark Wamai

Dr. Andrew Tamale, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and BioSecurity (CoVAB), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa. Photo. CARTA.

A PhD can spark impact that extends far beyond academia. Meet CARTA graduate Andrew Tamale, whose journey demonstrates the multiplier effect of research capacity strengthening—from helping transform doctoral training and generating evidence that informed safer fish consumption practices, to strengthening One Health approaches for outbreak preparedness in Uganda and beyond.

Read full story

Source: CARTA News & Updates Issue 105

Research

CARTA Fellow Anywar Appointed UTANA Subject Matter Expert, Talks Medicinal Plants

Published

2 weeks ago

October 6, 2026

Mark Wamai

Dr. Godwin Anywar, Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University. Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Godwin Anywar, cohort 6, Makerere University, was appointed as a Subject Matter Expert on the Manuscript Technical Evaluators team of the Uganda Textbook Academic and Non-Fiction Authors Association (UTANA) on August 31, 2026. In this role, Godwin will contribute to the qualitative, academic, and pedagogical assessment of manuscripts submitted under the Capacity Building for School Books Project (CB-SP). The four-year project, implemented jointly with the Department of Teacher Education and Training Development (TETD) of Uganda’s Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), aims to strengthen authorship and support the development of school books in Uganda’s education sector.

He was also featured in Uganda’s New Vision on July 26, 2026, in a special report on Uganda’s medicinal plants.

Source: CARTA News & Updates Issue 105

Research

Makerere Hosts TERID Hub Early Career Researchers Grant Writing Workshop

Published

2 weeks ago

October 6, 2026

Mark Wamai

The Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (TERID) Hub continued its efforts to strengthen the capacity of 17 early career researchers (ECRs) (10 men, 7 women) on an institutional level by holding a grant writing workshop from September 8 - 11, 2026, at Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

The Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (TERID) Hub continued its efforts to strengthen the capacity of early career researchers (ECRs) on an institutional level by holding a grant writing workshop from September 8 – 11, 2026, at Makerere University. The workshop, attended by 17 ECRs (10 men, 7 women), strengthened participating researchers’ capacity by equipping them with critical skills to secure competitive funding. The intensive sessions bridged the gap between innovative academic concepts and fundable proposals, focusing heavily on decoding complex funder criteria and structuring compelling narratives. Participants prioritized the CONNECT-VAX call, which closely aligns with the Hub’s core work, and formed two groups: one on vaccine research and development capacity, the other on public trust and demand for vaccines manufactured in Africa.

Through this call, the Hub engaged collaborators from West Africa (Sierra Leone) and East Africa (Kenya and Tanzania) in developing two of its grant applications. Individual concepts on leishmaniasis, leptospirosis, tuberculosis, and pharmaceutical inventory management were also advanced, bringing the total to eight proposals across four funding calls, including Makerere University Research and Innovation Fund (MAK-RIF 8), Wellcome, and WHO/TDR.

To date, the Hub’s grant writing effort has attracted over USD 700,000. The workshop reinforced the Hub’s commitment to mentoring early-career researchers and championing research in emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.

Source: CARTA News & Updates Issue 105