Research
Makerere Hosts CARTA’s 11th Cohort of Doctoral Fellows
On Monday, March 3, 2025, Makerere University hosted the launch of the 11th cohort of the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) doctoral fellowship. The new cohort comprises 11 females and nine males, drawn from eight partner universities across nine African countries. For the next four years, the group will undergo advanced training through the consortium’s collaborative efforts to strengthen research capacity across the continent.
CARTA, formed in 2008, is a network of eight African partner universities, four research institutes, and eight international collaborators, dedicated to strengthening doctoral training and institutional research capacity in Africa. The consortium is co-led by the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), based in Nairobi, Kenya, and the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa. Makerere University is a key partner, leading the consortium’s The Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (TERID) East Africa Research Hub.
Among its key interventions, the consortium facilitates targeted and structured training and mentorship aimed at strengthening university-wide research systems. One such initiative is the doctoral fellowship programme’s Joint Advanced Seminars (JAS) started in 2011. JAS is a sequence of four annual seminars designed to support doctoral students registered in different CARTA partner institutions to progress seamlessly through their PhD journeys.
Now, since its inception over a decade ago, the consortium has supported many early career researchers across its partner institutions in Africa, admitting at least 265 doctoral Fellows and graduating over 183 of them. In turn, the Fellows have gone on to contribute to over 4,000 peer-reviewed research publications and secured more than $43 million in research grant awards, applying the skills gained through the intensive CARTA four-year programme.
Of the 183 CARTA graduates, Makerere University has had its fair share, with 25 PhD graduates supported through the consortium. One of them, Dr. Kato Charles Drago of the 3rd CARTA doctoral fellowship cohort who completed his PhD in clinical immunology and molecular genetics at Makerere University in 2016, is currently a Lecturer and Head, Department of Biotechnical and Diagnostic Sciences, and the Principal Investigator for the TERID Research Hub at Makerere University, where he is leading the efforts to improve disease diagnosis, treatment, and research capacity development within the region.
The ongoing Joint Advanced Seminar One (JAS 1) for the 11th cohort of the CARTA doctoral fellowship, launched last week at Makerere University School of Public Health’s (MakSPH) Resilient Africa Network in Kololo, Kampala, Uganda, runs for three weeks until March 21. Dr. John Bosco Isunju, CARTA Board member and institutional focal person at Makerere University noted that JAS 1 is designed to build critical thinking, technical skills, and core research competencies, critical for exposing the Fellows to key theories, seminal readings, and interdisciplinary research methods to interrogate public and population health.
“For our Fellows, you are joining the best consortium on the continent, to give you the best skills and make you change agents in your institutions. That is really CARTA’s vision. To create a critical mass that will go back and transform the situation in your institutions. What you are going to get here is the skills to write grants and attract resources, and skills to network and make partnerships. The first partners are the colleagues you have around you,” Dr Isunju said.
He revealed that the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the 10th cohort, whose JAS 1 training was prematurely concluded in 2020. Since then, no new cohort of CARTA doctoral fellows had been admitted until now. “It has been a long struggle, but thanks to our dedicated partners worldwide who recognize the need and the gap, we are finally here,” Isunju shared.
The current 11th cohort was possible with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the Oak Foundation (OAK), selected from a competitive pool of more than 150 eligible applicants from CARTA partner institutions.
Notably, for the first time, the consortium is having two PhD Fellows coming from Somali National University (SNU), that is: Ms. Amina Hassan Husien and Mr. Gallad Dahir Hassan. The two students will be hosted at Makerere University for their doctoral studies, to aid with capacity development and mentorship. Their research focus will be around maternal and reproductive health, and vaccine-preventable disease surveillance, respectively.
Expressing optimism, Gallad said the fellowship will equip them with the requisite skills to conduct policy-relevant research, ultimately enabling them (the Fellows) make meaningful impact in their home institutions and contribute to Africa’s research and development agenda.
“My research is in disease surveillance system especially vaccines preventable diseases. I want to fill the gap in reporting from the community level. I appreciate CARTA for providing us with this invaluable opportunity and Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze for her efforts to secure the two positions for Somalia National University to be mentored at Makerere University.” He said.
For her part, officiating the launch of the 11th cohort of the CARTA doctoral fellowship, Makerere University School of Public Health Dean, Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze, expressed gratitude for the support to help the Fellows through their PhD journeys. However, she challenged the Fellows to look beyond simply earning their PhD qualifications and instead focus on making meaningful contributions that improve lives and impact communities.
“I know each of you has likely defined what success looks like at the end of this programme or even 10 years from now. But I urge you to go beyond personal achievement and add to that impacting others, shaping the world around you, starting with Africa, and speaking for something you are really passionate about,” Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze emphasized.
She also noted that the 11th cohort is unique, because they are starting their PhD journey amid major global changes. While these shifts may pose a challenge, she said they also present an opportunity to rethink how health systems are structured, financed, and coordinated, to enhance the promotion of global health equity and access to critical services.
The CARTA doctoral fellowship supports PhD students at partner institutions through the Joint Advanced Seminars (JAS), in addition to offering stipend, research funding, essential equipment and software, and coverage for tuition, medical insurance, and travel. Fellows also receive mentorship, supervisory support, networking opportunities, and training in grant writing and research dissemination, including support for presentations at international conferences. The fellowship is open to staff from CARTA partner institutions.
Dr. Florah Karimi, the CARTA Program Manager for Institutionalization and Scientific Quality and the Head of Research and Capacity Strengthening at APHRC, Kenya, stated that CARTA’s structured doctoral model has transformed PhD education in African universities, integrating mentorship and interdisciplinary approach to training to produce scholars who are well equipped for global academic and policy engagement.
“CARTA has grown, and we now consider ourselves a proven concept. We deeply appreciate the support from our partner institutions, which have been instrumental in shaping what CARTA is all about. As more institutions come on board, we have reached a point where this is no longer just about us. We are influencing our universities, shaping individual careers, and now, we must extend that impact to other institutions,” Dr. Karimi noted passionately.
The Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) on 24th July 2026 accredited over 90 Senior Academic Members of staff that form Makerere University‘s Research Ethics Committees (RECs) in Good Research Review Practice (GRRP) after an intensive three-day Training. The closing ceremony was presided over by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs)-DVCAA Prof. Sarah Ssali who was represented by the Principal, College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS), Prof. Tonny Oyana.
UNCST’s Role Appreciated
In his remarks, Prof. Oyana reiterated the core function that research plays in Makerere University‘s mission and noted that excellence in research must always be underpinned by excellence in research ethics. “Research Ethics Committees play a vital role in fulfilling this responsibility,” he stated.
“Your decisions influence not only the quality and credibility of research conducted at the University but also the trust that research participants, communities, funding agencies, policymakers, and the public place in our institution,” remarked the DVCAA, who underscored the pivotal role of RECs in upholding Makerere University‘s reputation as a centre of research excellence.
He therefore thanked UNCST for promoting responsible conduct of research and strengthening ethical review systems in Uganda through facilitating trainings for RECs in GRRP and other critical areas such as Good Clinical Practice (GCP). He equally commended the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Partnerships (DRIP) led by Prof. Robert Wamala for organising the training, which continues to strengthen research governance structures across the University.
Incorporate RECs in Governance Structures
Presiding over the certificate award ceremony, the Deputy Executive Secretary UNCST, Dr. Martin Patrick Ongol congratulated all participants upon braving the three days of training despite their busy academic and research schedules. He equally commended Prof. Robert Wamala for ensuring that RECs at Makerere receive regular training and accreditation as mandated by governing procedures.
In the same breath he noted that RECs are key to ensuring that institutions conduct credible research and therefore ought not to be kept at the periphery of governance. “We would like to see that Research Ethics Committees get incorporated into governance and management structures of Makerere University – not like ad-hoc or adjunct entities within the ecosystem.”
Dr. Ongol equally called upon researchers and proposal writers in the room to ensure that issues of ethics are adequately budgeted for in the studies. “When it comes to participant compensation, we sometimes hit a snag,” he cited. He equally called upon members of RECs to ensure that issues of documentation are adequately addressed. “80% of noncompliance issues observed by UNCST are due to improper, missing or poorly handled documentation, and one of the ways of improving is through continuous engagement and we hope that we shall get there” he added.
DRIP and National Accreditation Committee Laud RECs
Prof. Robert Wamala whose Directorate of Research, Innovation and Partnerships is at the heart of coordinating training with UNCST commended members of RECs, many of whom hold the ranks of Professors, Associate Professors and Senior Lecturers for sacrificing time to complete the GRRP Training. He reiterated that RECs are at the heart of ensuring that Makerere‘s research, particularly that involving human participants, meets national and international standards through harmonised ethical review approaches.
Adding her voice, Prof. Sylvia Angubua Baluka, a member of the UNCST National Accreditation Committee noted that in addition to RECs, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees play an important role in safeguarding the lives of animals that we depend on for food.
“I would therefore like to appreciate all Chairpersons and Members of Committees that are here; you are doing a good job and based on our site monitoring visits, we can address gaps in monitoring the research protocols you approve so as to have more impactful work and outputs that are more compliant with the ethical approval given” she added.
RECs at a glance
A total of 95 members of RECs took part in the GRRP Training as broken down below.
- Makerere University School of Medicine Research Ethics Committee (SOM–REC) – 19
- Makerere University School of Biomedical Sciences Research Ethics Committee (SBS–REC) – 17
- Makerere University School of Health Sciences (SHS–REC) – 15
- Makerere University School of Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee (MakSS–REC) – 5
- Makerere University School of Public Health Research Ethics Committee (MakSPH–REC) – 19
- Makerere University College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS–REC) – 3
- Makerere University College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES–REC) – 13
- Makerere University College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB–REC) – 4
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