Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF) Request For Applications, Round 5 Track 2 PhD Research Grants 2023/2024. Deadline: 8th March 2024.
Funding opportunity description: Makerere University received special funding from the Government of the Republic of Uganda, to support high impact Research and Innovations that will accelerate national development. The Financial Year 2022/24 is the fifth year of this fund’s availability. The fund illustrates the increasing importance that the Government attaches to Research and Innovation as a driver of socio-economic transformation. The objective of the fund is to increase the local generation of translatable research and scalable innovations that address key gaps required to drive Uganda’s development agenda. Over the last four Financial Years (2019/2020 – 2022/2023), government appropriated 105 Billion Uganda Shillings to support this Fund. Between the four years, MakRIF has funded a total of 1.062 projects across all sectors critical for development. In the current Financial Year (2023/24), Makerere University expects to receive about 30 Billion Uganda shillings (about US$ 8.1 million) under the Government Research and Innovation Fund (RIF). Of this, at least 1.5 Billion Shillings will fund PhD research ideas that generate knowledge that addresses national development priorities. The Makerere University Research and Innovation Grants Management Committee (GMC) therefore announces the second round of PhD research grants as part of the 5th round of RIF funding titled: RIF Round 5, Track 2 (PhD Research Grants). Available funds are obligated for the Financial Year 2023/2024, with an expectation of actionable results that speak to the National Research and Innovation Agenda. The GMC therefore invites applications from PhD students with original research ideas that demonstrate a clear link to key thematic areas of the National Research and Innovation Agenda. This is a closed call that is open to only PhD students. This funding call is specifically targeted to PhD students that are full time at Makerere University.
Grant amounts and estimated number of awards: The GMC estimates to award the following number and amount of PhD Research Grants:
Category
Amount per award
Approx. No.*
Total amount
A. Awards to new projects
Sub-Category 1: Arts and Humanities
Up to 25,000,000/=
25
625,000,000/=
Sub-Category 2: Sciences
Up to 35,000,000/=
25
875,000,000/=
Sub-total
50
1,500,000.000/=
B. Extension awards to projects funded before
Sub-Category 1: Arts and Humanities
Up to 25,000,000/=
25
625,000,000/=
Sub-Category 2: Sciences
Up to 35,000,000/=
25
875,000,000/=
Sub-total
50
1,500,000.000/=
Total
100
3,000,000,000/=
*Note: The numbers shown are only indicative. The MakRIF GMC reserves the right to adjust the numbers based on the quality of the proposals submitted.
Applicants should take into consideration the following:
Given that the MakRIF funds are received on an annual basis and are tied to a specific financial year, the current grant only commits to funding the awardee for a period of one year (12 months) of implementation.
However, the MakRIF GMC is cognizant of the fact that PhD research often spreads over more than one year in which case some projects require multi-year funding. Because of this reality, half of the awards under this round will fund extensions for eligible projects that were previously funded. Extension funding will not be automatic but will be competitive and conditional to the following: 1) Availability of funds, 2) Showing cause as to which additional areas of research will be covered in the extension funding, 3) Successful execution and completion of all the objectives for the previous funding period, evidenced by full submission of the required deliverables; 4) Full technical and financial accountability for all the funds given to the researcher during the previous year of funding. Prior grantees in need of extension funding must apply for the follow-on funding through the new PhD Research Grant call.
The GMC recognizes that the amounts indicated for this award may not be sufficient to cover all the necessary costs for a student’s project. In such cases, the award should be considered as a contribution and the students should mobilize additional funding to bridge the resource gaps.
The number of awards indicated are only estimated and the GMC retains the discretion to determine the amount and number of awards based on the actual funding that MakRIF funders will make available and the number of quality proposals submitted.
Scope and Technical Description of the Research and Innovation Grant
The GMC conducted a comprehensive stakeholder consultation to identify priority thematic areas of interest for national development. The GMC triangulated this information with that from the National Development Plan III, the Makerere University Strategic Plan and Research Agenda to develop an instructive MakRIF research agenda that responds to national development priorities. The RIF Round 5, Track 2 (PhD Research Grants) will therefore specifically target research and innovation projects that align with priority thematic issues in the MakRIF instructive Research Agenda under 14 thematic areas as follows:
Theme 1: Transforming the Agricultural sector to drive development
Theme 2: Achieving Sustainable health as a means to sustainable development
Theme 3: Re-imagining Education to unlock capacity for economic development
Theme 4: Water, sanitation and the environment: A pre-requisite to sustainable development
Theme 5: Harnessing the social sector, culture and arts to drive development
Theme 6. Harnessing Tourism, wildlife and heritage for development
Theme 7: Sustainable Planning, finance and monitoring as catalysts for growth
Theme 8: Leveraging public service and local administration for efficient service delivery
Theme 9: Defence and security: Achieving sustainable peace and stability
Theme 10: Strengthening law, governance, human rights and international cooperation as prerequisites for development
Theme 11: Harnessing Information and Communication Technology to drive development
Theme 12: Works, manufacturing, science and technology as tools to accelerate development
Theme 13: Solutions to catalyse business and enterprise
Theme 14: Energy and Minerals as drivers of rapid economic development
The MakRIF PhD Research Grants will cover all technical disciplines in Makerere University as long as the research questions align with the instructive research agenda themes above. Particular attention will be paid to ideas that have clear potential for scalability to drive development.
Note: This grant covers the costs of research. It does not cover payment of tuition or living stipends for PhD students.
Eligibility
The new PhD research grants will only be open to PhD students who have been approved for full registration at Makerere University. Students who have already received full scholarships under other award programs are not eligible to apply for these grants as this will constitute double funding. Members of Academic staff who are not on the Makerere University Staff Development Program, as well as those who are on the Staff Development Program but received only a tuition waiver without research funding are eligible to apply, provided they do not have full funding for their research from elsewhere. This funding is only open to Makerere University students. PhD students registered in other universities are not eligible for this funding. Further specifications on the awards are as follows:
Applicants for new awards must be at a stage where they have been approved for full registration as PhD students at Makerere University. Being at the stage of full registration means that they have developed a full research proposal that has been approved by the respective Higher Degrees Research Committee in their academic unit, and that they have been recommended for full registration OR are fully registered by Makerere University. New grant applicants will be required to provide evidence of one of the following: Minutes of the Higher Degrees Research Committee in their Academic college, showing approval of their research proposal, OR a full registration certificate.
Because the research funds are provided for one year funding cycles, PhD students with provisional registration will not be eligible for funding under this award since the time required for them to complete full proposal development and to start data collection is unlikely to fit within the financial year.
New grants are limited to PhD students who do not have prior funding for their studies or whose funding is inadequate to cover their research. Applicants in the latter category must make full disclosure of their other funding sources and what they cover.
Applicants for extension awards should have been funded in the earlier PhD research awards. Only those who have completed and closed out their previous projects will be considered.
All applicants (new and extension) should provide a letter of support from any one of the following: 1) The Head of their Department, or 2) The Dean of their School, or 3) the Principal of their College (Only one of these is sufficient).
All applicants (new and extension) should provide a letter of support from one of their Supervisors within Makerere University. The letter should clearly indicate that they do not have other funding that fully covers their research/training activities, or where such funding is available, they should indicate what aspects of the student’s study program it covers and the funding gap. The supporting Supervisor will be designated as a co-Investigator on the research project.
GRANT GUIDELINES
MakRIF PhD Research Grant applicants will submit a competitive project proposal for the available funding. The proposal ought to specify the objectives for the full research project. It should also indicate which of the full research objectives will be specifically met by the available funding for this financial year.
Applicants intending to apply for multi-year funding in the subsequent years will be required to indicate so. In such cases, the students should indicate which study objectives would be covered by the extension funding.
The research problem: The proposal should clearly articulate the knowledge gap that the researcher targets to address, and why it is important to address this knowledge gap. The research problem should be aligned to at least one theme in the MakRIF research agenda.
Previously funded proposals applying for extension funding should indicate how the proposed research problem builds on the research problem of the previous phase.
The proposed solution: PhD Researchers should present the proposed solution in form of the research focus for the current phase of the funding. They should clearly articulate the objectives of the planned research. Researchers should also describe the critical content of the solution (i.e., the ‘research methodology’). Researchers should defend the relevance of the proposed solution to addressing key development outcomes in the respective sector and its alignment to one or more thematic areas specified in this call. Researchers should also demonstrate that at least one objective of their research project is implementable within one (1) year and will result in tangible results within one year of execution.
Research projects that require multi-year implementation will only be considered if they can show actionable intermediate results or objectives attainable within 1 implementation year, since funding will be on a yearly basis. Apart from a summary of the proposed approach, researchers will provide a more detailed description of their technical approach (research methodology) to enable a robust assessment of the rigor of the proposed methodology.
Previously funded proposals applying for extension funding should indicate how the proposed solution builds on the solution from the previous phase.
Outputs, outcomes, and impact: Researchers should articulate the overall scientific outputs, outcomes and anticipated impact of the PhD research project. They should state the primary (Direct) and secondary (Indirect) beneficiaries of the planned research project. They should state the anticipated outputs (the outputs of the activities of the entire project as well as the specific milestones to be attained with the one-year funding) and the outcomes (both the outcomes of the entire project and those for the current funding phase). Researchers should also state the anticipated impact of the the project (Note: Impact might not be achievable in one or even a few years in which case the current phase only contributes to it). Since this funding is specific to the current financial year, projects must demonstrate clearly the deliverables they expect within one year, matching the level of investment made and attainable in the 1-year timeframe. Multi-year projects should show clearly what will be achieved in the current year of funding as well as what would be achieved overall when the full PhD research is completed in the subsequent years.
Previously funded proposals applying for extension funding should indicate how the proposed outputs, outcomes and impacts build on those realized in the previous phase of funding.
Translation and dissemination for impact: Since this fund is aimed at supporting government and its partners to improve service delivery and to accelerate development, researchers should show a clear plan for disseminating their findings to audiences critical for policy and program change so as to achieve impact at scale. This will include a clear description of the knowledge translation and dissemination plan to stakeholders in the relevant sectors including the knowledge products anticipated to arise from the study (e.g., publications, policy briefs, knowledge briefs, etc.). Innovation-based projects should articulate a scaling strategy, including linkage to scaling partners within the industry (for commercially viable enterprises), or within the relevant public sectors (for innovations targeted to the public) or within relevant implementing agencies (for social enterprises). Innovations targeting commercial interest should demonstrate the anticipated commercial potential, anticipated demand, anticipated patents/copy-rights/industrial design claims/trademarks if applicable and the path to commercialization. Innovations targeting social impact (social innovations) should elucidate the path to wide scale community uptake.
Previously funded proposals applying for extension funding should indicate how the planned knowledge translation/scaling activities builds on those in the previous phase of funding.
Ethical implications: The implications of the research to human subjects, animal subjects and the environment should be articulated where necessary including how key ethical or environmental concerns arising from the study will be addressed. It is anticipated that at the time of full registration, projects requiring ethical approval will have already obtained that approval from their respective ethics committees.
Budget: Researchers will prepare a summary budget for the one-year phase of their project as well as a detailed budget. Budgets should be submitted in the official currency (Uganda Shillings). Because these are university funds, academic units (Departments, Schools and Colleges) will not charge institutional overheads to any of the research funds. Budgets should not spread beyond one Financial Year. Even if the projects to be funded under this mechanism are multi-year, researchers should provide a budget for only one Financial Year. The budgets will include the following sections:
Personnel costs
Travel
Supplies and services
Equipment
Program activity costs
Dissemination
Under Personnel costs, applicants should not budget for ‘Salaries’ for staff who are paid a salary by Makerere University or another Government of Uganda institution (whether on permanent or contract terms) as this would constitute double payment from government funds. However, such researchers can budget for ‘activity-based’ time input or ‘level-of-effort-based’ costs for their additional time input into the project in form of allowances. The latter should be justified by specifying the extra-time demands from the project for each individual involved.
Researchers can budget for salaries for critical project staff that are not paid by Makerere or the Government of Uganda e.g., Project Coordinators, Administrative Assistants, Research Officers etc. Regular Personnel costs excluding field research assistants should not exceed 33% of the budget. Field research assistants (or Data collectors) if needed should not be included under ‘Personnel costs’ but should instead be included under ‘Program Activity Costs’. All salaries and all repetitive allowances will be subject to mandatory statutory deductions at source, to pay the relevant taxes. Because these funds are earmarked to support actual research, PhD students cannot budget for a monthly stipend under this award.
In addition to the summary budget, research teams will be required to attach a detailed budget (As an MS Excel attachment) that breaks down all expenditure line items, inclusive of a budget justification that explains the rationale behind the different budget items. The total budget in the budget summary should exactly match that in the detailed breakdown. You should budget within the category that your project was funded in RIF-1. Budgeting in another category will lead to disqualification. The total budget should not exceed the highest amount indicated for the respective funding category in which your project lies. Exceeding the indicated category maximum can result in disqualification.
PhD Researchers cannot budget for Tuition.
Workplan: Researchers will provide a list of key milestones for the project clearly demonstrating the deliverables expected at each point during the extension phase of the project. These milestones will be used as the basis for tracking implementation of activities towards project goals and outputs. Given the one-year time-frame for the awards, it will be important that researchers commit to a clear time-bound set of deliverables all achievable within one year for the main deliverable targeted during the current period of funding. Failure to articulate a one (1) year plan will imply inability to utilize the grant funds within one (1) year.
Previously funded proposals applying for extension funding should indicate how the current workplan/milestones build on those proposed and realized in the previous phase of funding.
GRANT PROCESS
Submission of applications: Submission of the applications will be online at https://rif.mak.ac.ug/portal. All submissions must be online and must be made within the stipulated period. To access the application form, the PhD Research Fund applicant will be required to create a MakRIF account. In your account, select the appropriate funding opportunity and fill out the application form.
Rules governing applications: All applications should be written in English. All applications should be submitted via the online portal mentioned above. Complete applications must be submitted not later than 11.59pm East African Time on the closing date. No submissions after closure of applications will be accepted. Any attempt at solicitation of acceptance beyond this date will not be entertained. The Grants Committee bears no responsibility for submissions that are not completed in time and incomplete submissions will not be considered. If none of the submitted applications meets the requirements to receive a grant, the call may be reopened at the sole discretion of the Grants Management Committee. An individual researcher should not submit more than ONE application.
Participants agree to assume any and all risks, and to waive claims against Makerere University and the Grants Management Committee for any injury, death, damage, or loss of property, revenue, or profits, whether direct, indirect, or consequential, arising from their participation in this grant implementation.
Evaluation and selection of projects: Applications will be reviewed by the GMC. Submission of an application does not mean the project must be funded. The GMC will evaluate five main aspects of the project:
The alignment of the proposed research to national priorities as stipulated in the MakRIF research agenda
Clear articulation of the knowledge gap and how the planned research will contribute to building new knowledge
Quality of the proposal in terms of the relevance and innovativeness of the proposed solution, the planned activities and the articulation of a sound methodology
Clear stipulation of outputs and outcomes and feasibility of tangible achievements within one year of funding
Potential impact and transformativeness of the proposed research idea, especially in contributing to national development
Submission of a realistic budget
Notification of successful applicants: Successful applicants will be informed by email to their designated point of contact.
Grant timeline:
Milestone
Date
Issuance of RFA
Friday 9th February 2024 (Closed to PhD students only)
Based on research led by Max Bobholz and colleagues from Makerere University in Uganda, Essentia Institute of Rural Health, and the Medical College of Wisconsin in the United States.
Adolescence is meant to be a time of holistic growth and self-discovery, but for many Ugandan teenagers, this period is becoming a season of silent mental health struggles. A new study published in PLOS Global Public Health has uncovered a silent but growing crisis: nearly one in five Ugandan secondary school students in the study areas have signs of an emotional disorder. These conditions included anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and adjustment disorders often involving excessive worry, sadness, fear, or mood instability. Also, one in 20 adolescents exhibited behavioral issues ranging from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder to substance use and other risky behaviors like alcohol use.
The study, led by Max Bobholz, a PhD candidate in Public and Community Health at the Medical College of Wisconsin, surveyed a sample of 1,953 students aged 10 to 18 years enrolled in eight secondary schools in Iganga district in Eastern Uganda and Mukono district in Central Uganda. This was one of the most comprehensive efforts yet to understand the prevalence and drivers of mental health challenges among school-going Ugandan adolescents.
“We are looking at a generation facing a complex blend of stressors, namely, academic, social, and emotional,” says Bobholz. “Our findings show that certain groups are especially vulnerable, and schools need to be equipped to respond.”
Max Bobholz, a PhD candidate in Public and Community Health at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
This study results, published on June 12, 2025 was funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), a government agency of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, through the Makerere University Postdoctoral Fellowship to one of the investigators, Dr. Catherine Abbo. Other researchers included Julia Dickson-Gomez, Arthur Kiconco, Abdul R. Shour, Simon Kasasa, Laura D. Cassidy, and Ronald Anguzu.
According to the study, girls bear a higher emotional burden. Researchers found that female students had nearly two times higher odds of suffering from emotional disorders such as anxiety or depression than their male peers.
Dr. Catherine Abbo, an Adolescent Psychiatrist and Associate Professor at Makerere University, attributes this to both biological and socio-cultural factors. “Puberty brings hormonal shifts that can heighten emotional sensitivity,” she explains. “But just as importantly, Ugandan girls often face intense pressure to conform to gender roles while also navigating issues like body image, harassment, and future uncertainty.” The researchers are calling for gender-sensitive mental health interventions, particularly in schools, where early support could help mitigate long-term mental health issues.
Dr. Catherine Abbo, an Adolescent Psychiatrist and Associate Professor at Makerere University.
Higher associations in older teens?
Age also emerged as a key associated factor, with each additional year increasing the odds of behavioral disorders by 20%. “As adolescents grow older, they are more prone to risk-taking, impulsivity, and resistance to authority,” explains Dr. Simon Kasasa, a senior lecturer and biostatistician at Makerere University School of Public Health.
Dr. Ronald Anguzu, an Assistant Professor in the Institute for Health and Humanity at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
“Combine that with academic pressure and identity-related stress, and it’s no surprise we’re seeing more conduct issues in late adolescence,” Dr. Ronald Anguzu, an Assistant Professor in the Institute for Health and Humanity at the Medical College of Wisconsin, added. This study raises critical questions about whether and how Ugandan secondary schools support older students as they transition toward adulthood.
The unseen influence of family mental health
The study also found that adolescents with a family history of mental illness had twice the odds of exhibiting behavioral problems compared to those without such a history.
“This speaks to the intersection of genetics and environment,” says Bobholz. “Living in a household with people affected by mental illness can mean instability, stigma, and lack of emotional support, all of which weigh heavily on a developing mind.”
The authors recommend that school mental health screening include family mental health history and advocate for greater collaboration between education and health sectors to support at-risk households.
An illustration of students from Nabisunsa Girls’ School reconnect with their proud alumna during a memorable tour of the School of Public Health at Makerere University on June 12, 2025. A day of inspiration, mentorship, and shared dreams.
Private schools: High marks, higher stress?
Interestingly, students in private schools had 1.4 times the odds of experiencing emotional disorders compared to those in public schools. Private schools, often seen as academic havens, may inadvertently be cultivating high-pressure environments. “There’s an assumption that better facilities mean better well-being,” says Dr. Abbo. “But intense academic competition, social isolation, and a lack of trained counselors can create emotional pressure cookers.”
Previous research in 47 secondary schools across five districts (Rakai, Kyotera, Masaka, Lwengo, and Kalungu) in southwestern Uganda found that economic and family support helped reduce absenteeism among adolescent girls in secondary schools. However, this support did not significantly improve behavior or reduce grade repetition. The region, which includes districts like Rakai and Masaka, also faces a higher burden of HIV, adding to the challenges young people experience.
Meanwhile, a review of data from 42 primary schools in Luwero District identified school-based mental health interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy and mindset-building approaches as being particularly effective. Researchers now suggest that integrating these strategies, along with efforts to reduce school violence, could go a long way in improving the mental health of Ugandan adolescents.
A-Level pressure: Academic ambition meets mental health strain
The study also found a correlation between advanced (A’level) education and increased risk of emotional disorders. “We selected one school district from each region based on population and past academic performance. As these students prepare for university or the job market, the pressure to succeed becomes enormous,” says Kasasa. “They’re facing a future full of uncertainty, with very little structured mental health support to help them cope.”
Dr. Simon Kasasa, a senior lecturer and biostatistician at Makerere University School of Public Health.
A wake-up call for Uganda’s education and health systems
The authors of this study assert the urgent need for school-based mental health programs, especially in private and A-level institutions. These programs should offer routine screening, emotional support, and training for teachers to recognize warning signs of mental health disorders.
Importantly, this study adds weight to calls for a national adolescent mental health policy, tailored to Uganda’s context, with interventions that bridge health, education, and social services.
“Our data shows that mental health challenges are not a fringe issue,” says Bobholz. “They are widespread, significant, and deeply tied to school, home, and society.”
The COVID-19 school closures between 2020 and 2022 deepened feelings of isolation and financial strain, with out-of-school adolescents reporting depression rates as high as 21.5% to 50% higher than their peers who remained in class, according to research published in February 2025. Yet Uganda invests less than 1% of its health budget in mental health, with just one psychiatrist per million people, leaving many teens to cope through cheap alcohol used by 28% of urban youth or untrained healers, as reported by the government paper The New Vision in April 2025. With only 26% of students completing lower secondary school and 35% of the population under age 24, these mental health challenges now pose a serious threat to the country’s future.
Mercy Akankunda of Proven Foundation, a Ugandan NGO supporting vulnerable groups, warns that mental health struggles are quietly eroding the well-being of the country’s youth, over 12 million strong and making up 35% of the population. “These teens are not just statistics. They are the future of Uganda, she asserts. If Uganda hopes to reap the dividends of its young population, addressing adolescent mental health must become and remain a national priority, not just for treatment, but for prevention, resilience, and hope.
Reference: Bobholz, M., Dickson-Gomez, J., Abbo, C., Kiconco, A., Shour, A.R., Kasasa, S., Cassidy, L.D., & Anguzu, R. (2025). Correlates of behavioral and emotional disorders among school-going adolescents in Uganda. PLOS Global Public Health. Read the study here
Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS), Kampala, Uganda and Global Health Uganda (GHU); in collaboration with other research consortium partner institutions, including, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kisumu, Kenya; Training and Research Unit of Excellence (TRUE), Blantyre, Malawi; University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), UK have been conducting clinical research on Malaria Chemoprevention. This research has focused on Malaria Chemoprevention in vulnerable patient populations, including children with severe anaemia, children with sickle cell anaemia and pregnant women. As an example, two of our recently completed studies are “The post-discharge malaria chemoprevention in children with severe anaemia [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33264546/] and Malaria chemoprevention in children with sickle cell anaemia [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39718172/]”.
With support from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) body, the consortium is expanding these studies to children with severe acute malnutrition, by conducting a large multi-centre randomized controlled trial entitled “Chemoprevention of malaria in the postdischarge management of children with severe acute malnutrition in Malawi and Uganda”.
In Uganda, the study will be conducted at one or two of their study sites in Jinja Regional Referral Hospital, Hoima Regional Referral Hospital or Kitgum General Hospital. Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) and Uganda and Global Health Uganda (GHU) seek to appoint a full-time PhD Fellow, on this study. This will be a 4-year post, tenured at Makerere University and hosted at MakCHS.
Expectations of the PhD fellowship:
The PhD fellow will:
Be a part of the main trial team, and participate fully in its implementation. However, he/she will be expected to design and develop his/her PhD research project, nested in the main trial.
The area of study will be around “interactions between anaemia and severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in children or the interactions between malaria and severe acute malnutrition in children”.
Conduct rigorous research, leading to high quality scientific publications.
Submit a full research concept and obtain registration in the University by end of year-one. As such, there be an initial appointment for one year, renewable upon satisfactory performance.
Academic mentorship and supervision will be provided by the research consortium (see above – composed of national and international researchers).
Doctoral scholarly support and training environment, as well as didactic training in research methods and scientific writing skills will be provided by Makerere University.
The funding support will cover tuition and a competitive monthly stipend for 4 years, scientific conferences fees/travel and other research-related costs.
Prospective candidates must:
Hold Master’s of Medicine in Paediatrics and Child Health from a recognized university, and licensed to practice medicine in Uganda by the UMDPC.
Possess undergraduate training in Medicine and Surgery (MBChB/MBBS/MD).
Willingness to fully commit time and effort to their PhD studies, expected to start immediately
Candidate should not hold other/concurrent fellowships
Having publication experience will be an added advantage.
Be highly motivated and willing to commit to a career in research and academia.
Application procedure:
Interested applicants should submit their application and supportive documents – listed here below, in one PDF document, in an email titled “PDMC-SAM–PhD Fellowship Application” to hr@globalhealthuganda.org [and cc – chdc.desk@mak.ac.ug] by 25th July 2025. The documents should include the following:
An application letter (Max. 1 page)
Motivation statement (Max. 500 words)
CV (Max. 2 pages), including a list of publications
Two (2) recommendation letters
Academic transcripts and certificates for all university qualifications
A synopsis focusing on the proposed PhD research work, describing briefly what is already known/burden, challenges, the gaps and potential interventions (include references) [Max. 800 words].
The Directorate of Graduate Training has completed a 9- day PhD crosscutting training course, inducting three groups of PhD students. The groups of students included those in Cohort 1, Cohort 2 and the Non Cohort PhD students. The number of PhD student participants were over 300 students learning via both face to face and online.
The training that started on Monday 2nd June 2025, took place in the New Library Building.
In his closing remarks, the Director of Graduate Training Prof. Julius Kikooma encouraged the PhD students to put up a spirited fight that would see them remain in the cohort up to the end of the three years of their doctoral studies.
“Get organized, show seriousness in your doctoral pursuit, stay together, make use of your supervisors as and when you need them. We will fully support you in your Doctoral academic journey.” Prof. Kikooma said.
Prof. Kikooma emphasized the need for PhD graduate training saying, “We need more research for the University and Country. This cannot be achieved without increasing the number of graduate students especially PhDs.”
At their different stages of PhD doctoral training, Prof. Kikooma encouraged the students to give feedback to the Directorate and the supervisors so that they are served seamlessly.
Prof. Kikooma further informed the students that going forward, they must cover all the three mandatory cross cutting courses meant to be taught under the three-year program of their doctoral studies.
“All three foundation courses including Scholarly Writing, Advanced Research Methods and Philosophy of Methods will be covered. Tighten your belts. We want to ensure that all these structured programs prepare you for the foundations you need for next two years of research. Success becomes easy when you undertake foundations.”
He challenged the students to use the program in guiding their research directions, making informed decision, improving their critical thinking and consumption of knowledge.
Dr. Dixon Knanakulya, one of the trainers of the doctoral students said, “At PhD level, it is no longer a normal research. It is at a level of knowledge production. The students must understand the main philosophical assumption behind the research methods they use and they must consider the ethical implications of their research. Philosophy of Methods enables them to go through that.”
“PhD students must be creative, innovative and start at the level of researching in the mind. This challenges them to think differently.” He added.
He further said that Philosophy of Methods helps in researches done at the different aspects of the national development plan. “Usually, the students question how the National plans are come up with and support improvement of government policies.”
Dr. Kanakulya added that the research output can be used by government for improvement because it is done by highly skilled researchers. Adding, “They come with very good insights which can be taken on to improve implementation of government programs such as Emyoga and Parish Development Model (PDM).”
He further said that policies are not enough without the social conditions and mindset of the people, saying that PhD scholars can help government know the social conditions and apply policies better.
The Cohort 1 PhD students’ president Mr. Wanyakoko Ebiru Moses said, “This training is extremely important for each student under taking doctoral studies and without it, they cannot acquire the fundamental skills they need to become independent researchers.”
He added that with the knowledge acquired in the Philosophy of Methods training, they will focus on research that aims to resolve societal and community problems.
Dr. Robert Kakuru, the President of Makerere University Academic Staff Association said that Philosophy of Methods is an important pillar in the doctoral journey of every PhD student.
“The Course, Philosophy of Method provides a critical foundation and Philosophical grounding for research methods that doctoral students use to undertake their respective studies. The course further underlines other critical issues that graduate students ought to know, integrate, adopt or adapt in their doctoral journeys.” He said.
Dr. Jim Spire Ssentongo, a senior lecturer and coordinator of the training said, “Philosophy of Methods builds a mass of critical researchers who are able to look at the world not from a narrow point of view but a holistic and broad based sense of understanding reality.”
He added, “Students understand how they can imagine the world to be. They take into account assumptions which inform the methods of research used, how they conduct themselves during research and how they approach respondents during the research process. Such assumptions are laid bear in this training and it helps participants to understand the things they have always held at the back of their minds without deliberately knowing that these are the assumptions they hold and this is how they affect and influence studies.”
Dr. Ssentongo further said that once PhD students are engaged in reality in its broadness with right assumptions, they are then better placed as researchers to investigate such realities and that whatever they investigate, be it related to the National Development Plan and National Development Initiatives like Emyoga and Parish Development Model. This training positions, them at a more critical level as researchers not only in terms of assumptions but also being thinkers.
The Philosophy of Methods training was supported by the ICARTA – Institutionalization of Advanced Research Training in Africa, a NORHED II Project at Makerere University.
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