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)
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
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.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.
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.
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 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 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
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