KAMPALA — The Directorate of Graduate Training at Makerere University has launched a thesis completion grant aimed at supporting PhD students to complete their research, improve completion rates, and align academic work with Uganda’s national development priorities.
This was on Monday 8th June, 2026 at Telepresence hall at the Senate Building, Makerere University, where beneficiaries met with leadership of the Directorate Graduate Training.
Speaking at the rollout, Prof. Julius Kikooma said the initiative responds to long-standing funding gaps in doctoral training, which have historically left many researchers struggling to complete their studies.
“For quite a while, Makerere University, just like other institutions in the country, was predominantly supported by development partners when it comes to research support, because by nature research is very resource intensive,” Prof. Kikooma said.
He explained that much of the earlier support for PhD training came from development partners such as SIDA, which enabled many candidates to complete their studies. However, he noted that this support gradually ended around 2018–2019, leaving a significant gap in research funding.
Prof. Julius Kikooma addresses participants.
“Around 2018–2019, that support came to an end. And so the gap became much more visible,” he said, adding that the university could not reverse its commitment to training PhD-level staff despite the financial constraints.
Prof. Kikooma said the university has since been working to mobilize internal resources to support doctoral students, noting that the new grant is intended to assist candidates who are already at advanced stages of their research.
“We thought it would be important that there is some money available which can help as you progress, even though we may not be able to shoulder the whole financial burden of your PhD research,” he said.
He emphasized that the fund is small but strategically targeted at critical activities such as fieldwork, data collection, and limited publication support. “The budget is very small, but we are convinced that there can be some progress based on that support,” he added.
Prof. Kikooma further said that beneficiaries will be required to implement their thesis completion activities or work within six months, submit a progress report after three months, and adhere to strict monitoring arrangements to ensure accountability and timely completion of their Doctoral studies.
Some of the Thesis Completion Grants beneficiaries.
“We are going to come up with a roadmap and follow you up just to make sure you don’t go off track,” he said, stressing that the funds are public resources that must be used within defined timelines.
He also underscored the importance of aligning research with national priorities and ensuring that doctoral work contributes beyond academia.
“Those days are gone now where research has no connection with any national interest,” he said. “The research that we do here must be clear and aligned with national priorities.”
He added that the university now expects PhD candidates to extract policy-relevant outputs from their research to contribute to national decision-making processes.
“We expect that from your work you extract something that can lead to a conversation around national issues and policy direction,” he said.
Some of the beneficiaries follow proceedings.
In a related address, Phillip Mawejje, the Principal accountant at the Directorate of Graduate Training confirmed that 18 PhD candidates had benefited from the revised grant following a budget review process.
“It is more than 10. We managed to facilitate 18 this time around based on your budgets,” Mawejje said, adding that all beneficiaries had received their funds or should immediately report any delays.
He instructed recipients to consult Dr. Nestor Mugabe to work with the revised budgets in line with the disbursed amounts.
“As I speak now, I believe all of you have the money. If you have not received it, please let us know,” he said.
Mawejje emphasized strict accountability requirements, noting that beneficiaries must account for the funds within 60 working days or earlier, depending on the nature of their research activities.
“We will need accountability for that money because this is public funds, and our instructions require that you account for the funds within 60 working days or less,” he said.
Mr. Phillip Mawejje (R) and Dr. Nestor Mugabe (L).
He added that while extensions may be considered in cases of ongoing research, progress reports must be provided to justify continued use of the funds.
“It is either earlier or within 60 days. If your work takes longer due to unavoidable circumstances, please give us progress reports,” he said.
He also announced that once the PhD candidates complete their studies, the university will organize a dissemination workshop to allow them to present their findings and demonstrate their contribution to society and the economy.
“We will conduct a workshop and then you come and disseminate your findings and how impactful it is to society and the economy,” he said.
The initiative is part of Makerere University’s broader effort to improve doctoral completion rates, strengthen research output, and ensure that academic work contributes directly to Uganda’s development agenda amid declining external research funding.
As part of the Lake Victoria Improved Water Level Management through Advanced Modelling (LIVWA) Project, newly developed tools were unveiled during a dissemination workshop hosted by the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) on August 26th, 2026. The project seeks to develop advanced hydrological and climate models to enhance water level management in Lake Victoria, East Africa’s largest freshwater resource.
The tools were designed to integrate remote sensing and reanalysis climate datasets with advanced hydrological modeling, enabling researchers and policymakers to better predict fluctuations in water levels in the lake. By combining historical data with AI and Machine Learning forecasting, the models aim to provide actionable insights for sustainable water resource management. Click here for details
Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), through the Africa-Europe Cluster of Research Excellence (CoRE) for Preparedness and Response to Pandemics and Shocks, has shared findings from its study of Uganda’s Mpox response with stakeholders in Kasese, Amuru, Nakasongola and Mayuge districts to strengthen district preparedness for future outbreaks.
The Africa-Europe CoRE is a partnership co-led by MakSPH and the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters at UCLouvain, Belgium. It brings together universities in Africa and Europe to strengthen research, training and preparedness for pandemics and other public health shocks.
The district-level dissemination meetings, held from 10 to 14 August 2026, brought together more than 100 local government, health and security officials, Village Health Teams, implementing partners and community representatives. The meetings enabled stakeholders to validate the district-level findings, identify practical actions and provide feedback for the study’s final analysis and national dissemination.
Mr. Philliam Jabim shares the Mpox response study findings with participants during the dissemination meeting in Nakasongola District on 12 August 2026.
Uganda confirmed its first two Mpox cases on 24 July 2024 at Bwera Hospital in Kasese District. The Ministry of Health declared an outbreak on 2 August 2024. As documented in the study, the response involved health workers, communities, local governments, security agencies, political leaders, and implementing partners.
In response to the outbreak, a MakSPH research team led by Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze, Dr. Rawlance Ndejjo, Dr. Steven Kabwama and Mr. Douglas Bulafu conducted a study in May 2025 to assess Uganda’s Mpox response, including its policies, interventions, strategies and challenges, and generate lessons to inform recovery and strengthen preparedness for future public health emergencies.
Using purposive sampling, the research team conducted 20 key informant interviews and five focus group discussions in each of the four districts, drawing perspectives from western Uganda in Kasese, northern Uganda in Amuru, central Uganda in Nakasongola and eastern Uganda in Mayuge.
Participants and the MakSPH research team at the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Nakasongola District on 12 August 2026.
The study, titled Assessment of the Mpox Response in Uganda: Documenting Challenges, Lessons and Innovations to Strengthen Emergency Preparedness and Response Capacities, was funded by the Government of Uganda through the Makerere UniversityResearch and Innovation Fund (Mak-RIF).
“This study is helping us move beyond recounting the Mpox response to identifying the actions that districts and national partners can take before the next outbreak. By validating the findings with stakeholders who led and experienced the response, we are ensuring that the evidence reflects local realities and can inform stronger surveillance, risk communication, coordination and community engagement,” said Mr. Bulafu, who led the MakSPH team during the dissemination meeting in Amuru.
Mr. Douglas Bulafu engages participants during the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Amuru District on 10 August 2026.
In Amuru, the 10 August meeting brought together over 25 stakeholders from the district health team, political leadership, security agencies, Village Health Teams, implementing partners and the community. On the same day, a second MakSPH team, led by Mr. Keneth Sebukeera and Mr. Filimin Niyongabo, convened stakeholders in Kasese for a parallel validation meeting. The consultations then continued in Nakasongola on 12 August and concluded in Mayuge on 14 August, extending the study’s engagement across all four districts.
Across the districts, stakeholders said the results reflected their experience during the outbreak. They pointed to strengths in leadership, coordination, community engagement and partner support, while also describing gaps in documentation, logistics, diagnostic access, staffing, risk communication, public trust and continuity of essential health services.
They also noted inconsistent implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) 7-1-7 target, which calls for detecting a suspected outbreak within seven days, notifying public health authorities within one day and completing early response actions within seven days.
The MakSPH research team, led by Mr. Keneth Sebukeera and Mr. Filimin Niyongabo, with participants during the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Kasese District on 10 August 2026.
In Kasese, stakeholders highlighted gaps in documentation, financial and logistical resources, and human resources. They identified Village Health Teams and grassroots, religious and cultural leaders as important resources for community surveillance and risk communication. They called for stronger collaboration between technical and non-technical leaders, engagement with traditional healers, greater use of local radio for public sensitisation, and better facilitation of district epidemic response teams to reach distant communities.
Amuru participants called for proactive preparedness in the border district, citing misinformation and rumours as barriers to risk communication. They urged timely, accurate information from health workers and other authorities; training in disease surveillance and grant writing to strengthen capacity and resource mobilisation; and compassionate care, psychosocial support and community awareness to reduce stigma and support survivor reintegration.
During the meeting in Nakasongola, stakeholders identified Community Health Workers and Community Health Extension Workers as potential resources for strengthening community surveillance and addressing workforce shortages. Given the district’s position around Lake Kyoga and along the Kampala-South Sudan transit corridor, they also called for stronger documentation, note-taking and reporting, accurate real-time information, closer communication with the Ministry of Health, and collaboration among technical, political, religious and community leaders.
Ms. Eunice Vivian Asingo, Senior Nursing Officer at Nakasongola Health Centre IV, contributes to the discussion during the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Nakasongola District on 12 August 2026.
Ms. Eunice Vivian Asingo, Senior Nursing Officer at Nakasongola Health Centre IV, called for a permanent, adequately resourced outbreak-management centre to help protect routine services during future epidemics. “We appeal for better facilities to manage epidemics and outbreaks. At Nakasongola Health Centre IV, spaces previously used for outbreak management have been repurposed for other services, and we have limited staff. During the Mpox response, colleagues assigned to manage patients later returned to the general team, creating fear among staff already under pressure,” she said.
In Mayuge, Dr. Basembeza highlighted leadership, coordination and surveillance structures operating from district to community level as important factors in the response. He said the structures enabled the district to receive and respond quickly to community alerts. “Whenever there is a rumour or an alert, we are able to respond. Within 20 minutes, we had a response because of the structure we have,” Dr. Basembeza said.
Based on the findings, the research team recommends increased preparedness financing, stronger community engagement, decentralised diagnostic services through stronger district laboratory capacity, and improved health information and research systems.
Across the four districts, stakeholders reaffirmed that trusted community structures and coordinated action across sectors are essential to strengthening outbreak preparedness.
It is a pleasure to present the January – June 2026 edition of the MakGrad Newsletter by Makerere University Directorate of Graduate Training. At the Directorate of Graduate Training we are committed to building an enabling environment where our students can flourish and their academic journey is well-supported. Formerly one of the two main divisions that constituted the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training, the stand alone Directorate of Graduate Training is mandated to coordinate and administer all matters related to postgraduate studies.
At time when Makerere University is steadily transforming into a research led institution, we are on hand to review and initiate policies meant to provide a conducive environment for graduate training and innovative research. From redesigned PhD crosscutting courses, enhanced supervision structures, improved infrastructure, to stronger partnerships with global institutions — we are laying the foundation for increased success.
In this edition of our newsletter, we share with you highlights of some of the activities during the period January – June 2026. The 76th graduation ceremony in February 2026 recorded key important in roads in Makerere University’s efforts to respond to the country’s need for increased capacity in doctoral training. The 213 PhDs was a significant increase from the previous number of 144. It reflects an intentional progress towards increased completion rates. Beyond focusing on technical expertise, the Directorate coordinates efforts to cultivate critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and interdisciplinary fluency of all our graduate students. Today’s challenges rarely fit neatly into one discipline; they demand collaboration across disciplinary fields. In this edition of the Newsletter, we share some of the training of trainers and learners’ trainings we have conducted to achieve this objective.
I thank all the staff of the Directorate and the university at large, the graduate students and all the stakeholder for the support and collaboration. You are part of a growing, supportive community committed to excellence and transformation that our country prides in.
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