General
Prof. Nawangwe launches MakGAP initiative to strengthen research: Rallies universities and researchers to liberate Africa
Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe has stressed the importance of research in national development, and the necessity to manage research grants efficiently and effectively.
Prof. Nawangwe challenged universities and research managers to liberate Africa from poverty through research. “Without research and innovations, we are not going to move our people, out of poverty,” he said during the Launch of the Makerere University Grant Administration Professionals (MakGAP) initiative held on 17th July 2025.
MakGAP will be a platform to advance the performance and recognition of research administrators at Makerere and other partner institutions of learning and research in Uganda.
The launch of MakGAP initiative was part of the four-day Expanded Strengthening of Makerere University’s Research Administration Capacity (E-SMAC) G11 Grants Administration & Management Workshop held from 14th to 17th July 2025. He applauded the Principal Investigator-Mordecai Tayebwa for winning the grant funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
Encouraging national governments to invest heavily in research at universities, the Vice Chancellor highlighted that USA has developed and continued to be a dominant determinant in world affairs because of its strong universities and research centres.
“The USA is the most important country in the world because of its immense support to its universities’ research activities. Should they cease funding their universities handsomely, they will lose. And they know it. When you fail in your research, the U. S. government does not demonise or starve you; rather, it encourages you to try again,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor decried the low research output from Africa. “Africa’s contribution to global research output is only three percent. We have now decided to change that, but government funding to universities is still a big challenge. The research budget at Harvard University is bigger than Uganda’s national budget!”
Pleased to note that over 150 participants from different universities and research entities had convened at Makerere University to attend the E-SMAC G11 Grants Administration and management workshop, Prof. Nawangwe urged universities in Uganda to work together by implementing research and projects, emphasizing that only by working together, can serious impact be made. “We are strong together,” he stressed.
He disclosed that in three months (April to June) this year, he signed 300 research grant memoranda of understanding, pointing out that Makerere University is recognized as the most collaborative university in the world in terms of joint projects, collaborative research and joint publication. “With 100 new grants registered every month, Makerere University needs to have a critical mass of grants administration professionals to manage this huge research grants portfolio,” he argued.
The Vice Chancellor credited researchers and staff at Makerere University for ensuring that the number of publications rated by SCOPUS has increased from 700 in the Year 2017 to over 1,900 to date. He was optimistic that with the ongoing activities of the Grants Administration and Management Support Unit (GAMSU) such as training of researchers and staff in general, as well as supporting of researchers during grant application processes, the number of research publications will double.
He explained that GAMSU was established in 2020 at Makerere University, to assist and support researchers to attract and win grants.
Taking into consideration that grants are most often taxpayers’ money in donor countries, the Vice Chancellor emphasized the need for researchers to account for funds and report on the activities of grants efficiently. “We should ensure that all our research and grant systems are working, and research funds are properly accounted for,” he advised.
He pointed out that grants are most often taxpayers’ money in donor countries. “If we do things well, we will continue to get grants from anywhere in the world, hence the need to account properly and to watch out so that a few individuals who fail to account for the funds, don’t spoil the opportunities or the reputation of an entire university.
Prof. Nawangwe noted that the workshop and the grant administration professionals initiative were a result of the decade-long strong partnership between Makerere University and Northwestern University (USA) that involves collaborative research, academic exchange and capacity building. In particular, the two academic institutions have deepened their collaboration in research administration under the University Administration Support (UAS) fellowship through which systems and best practices of research management are imparted.
WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS AND TOPICS
The workshop, organized by Makerere University and Northwestern University, was attended by over 150 people comprising research administration teams from universities, and research centres.
The universities represented in the training were Makerere University, Kyambogo University, University of Kisubi, Gulu University, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Brac University, Kabale University, Muni University, Uganda Christian University Mukono, Uganda Martyrs University Nkozi, Soroti University, Clarke International University, Busitema University and King Ceasor University.
Targeting faculty, research administrators (RAs) and finance and central office staff of universities and research institutions, the workshop aimed to: promote mentorship and peer-to-peer learning; build the capacity of RAs and faculty in grant writing and administration; foster cross-functional collaboration across disciplines and departments; enhance ongoing and future support; and raise the understanding of budget creation and funder systems. Corollary, there were presentations and demonstrations about how to tailor grant proposal writing appropriately; budget development and justification; compliance; subcontract management, sub-recipient monitoring and memoranda of understanding; the role of grants offices; kick-off meetings with project teams; and financial management, internal controls and reporting.
Other topics taught and discussed included peer-review processes; regional and international professional recognition of research managers and administrators; understanding funding opportunity announcements; project closeout and post-award processes; benefits of and professional growth through the MakGAP, Certified Research Administrator (CRA) examination and global research administration networks such as National Council of Research Administrators (NCURA), Society of Research Administrators International (SRAI) and Research and Innovation Management Associations (RIMAs).
The workshop also helped in drafting and developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for operationalizing and enhancing Makerere’s grants management policy.
FACILITATORS
The workshop had six key facilitators; namely Prof. Sylvia Antonia Nakimera Nannyonga-Tamusuza, Mordecai Tayebwa and Harriet Nambooze, all from Makerere University, and Kate Klein, Bethany Ekesa and Elizabeth Nicole Christian, all from Northwestern University. Tayebwa is the Program Director and Principal Investigator of the E-SMAC program which is being implemented from July 2024 to December 2025.
Prof. Nannyonga-Tamusuza hailed Northwestern University’s collaborative contributions to Makerere, emphasizing that when she was appointed to head GAMSU in 2020, Northwestern University gave her comprehensive training in the field of research management, and five more Makerere University staff have attained similar training at Northwestern.
Prof. Nawangwe closed the workshop after officially launching MakGAP and awarding certificates to trainers and participants. He also accepted a request from Prof. Nannyonga-Tamusuza to become the patron of MakGAP.
The workshop was financially sponsored by the Robert J. Harvey, MD Institute of Global Health of the Northwestern University, the U. S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). It was facilitated by Makerere University Grants Administration and Management Support Unit (GAMSU).
The Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs (DVCAA), Prof. Sarah Ssali has made a strong case for good Minutes Writing, describing the process as “very important in respecting the integrity of the institution.” She made the remarks while officially opening a training workshop organised by the Makerere University Writing Centre (MakWC) for Executive and Administrative Staff on 4th August 2026.
And whereas it is important to consult long serving staff on institutional best practices, Prof. Ssali noted that good minute writing is the best way to preserve institutional memory, especially as staff come and go. She equally pointed out the importance of minutes in addressing issues of legality, as these accounts have since time immemorial been relied on to “help shape records and document the history of states”.
Away from setting the record straight, the DVCAA also stressed the importance of minutes in helping teams better prepare for their next meeting. Minutes, she noted, should help members develop an action matrix with quick turnaround times that empower the next meeting to address what was resolved.
The DVCAA equally underscored the importance of minutes in; helping institutions or their units comply with regulatory requirements, provide accountability in the event of tracking implementation of policies or programmes, and team alignment. “Minutes affect decisions and so they are good reference points for positions agreed upon by teams, especially where there was a lot of debate,” she said about the latter.
Prof. Ssali concluded by thanking executive and administrative staff present for sparing time to attend the training and urged them to uphold the highest degree of ethics and efficiency as they go about this noble task.
The Chairperson, MakWC, Prof. Fredrick Jones Muyodi in his remarks sincerely thanked the DVCAA for reiterating the importance of workshop in equipping staff to become better professionals. He, in the same breath, urged participants to do their best by putting into practice all the knowledge and skills that they acquire during the training.
Participants received specific training on Fundamentals and Roles of the Minute Taker by Mrs. Patience Mushengyezi and Minute Writing Techniques by Ms. Proscovia Nakayiki. The executive and administrative staff were equally tipped on; the Policy and Legal Environment for Minute Writing by Ms. Esther Kabinga, e-Meeting platforms by Dr. Godfrey Mayende, and Ethical and Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by Prof. Paul Birevu Muyinda.
About MakWC
Housed under the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Partnerships (DRIP), MakWC is a pivotal centre aimed at enhancing Makerere University’s strategic goal of becoming a research-led institution by 2030. The centre provides faculty, staff and students with assistance on their papers, projects, reports, multi-modal documents and other writerly needs across disciplines.
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