Approved Research This page provides a searchable list of all research protocols that have been reviewed and approved by the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology(UNCST).
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Name Title Nationality Approval Date Expiry Date Field of Science/Classification Trial Type Research Type  
Sseremba Mark
ID: UNCST-2025-R022376
 Performance Management Reforms in Uganda,s Public Service: An Exploration of the Experiences of Key Implementers of Performance Agreement
REFNo: SS4719ES

General objective To explore the experiences of key implementers of performance management reforms – performance agreements in the Uganda public service. Specific objectives of the study The research will address the following specific objectives: 1) To explore the endogenous and exogenous drivers that led to the introduction of performance agreements in Uganda’s public service. 2) To explore what implementers perceive as critical factors responsible for the successful implementation of performance agreements in the Uganda Public Service 3) To explore, from the perspective of implementers, the effect of performance agreements on the functioning of Uganda's public service.
Uganda 2026-01-27 19:32:42 2029-01-27 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
Grace Lubega Biyinzika
ID: UNCST-2020-R014149
 Exploring factors influencing community-level antimicrobial stewardship in Wakiso district, Uganda
REFNo: HS6799ES

3. To investigate the contextual and systemic factors that enable or constrain antimicrobial stewardship at community level.,2. To examine the social and cultural factors that influence community members’ engagement with antimicrobial stewardship.,1. To explore how laypersons interpret, understand, and incorporate antimicrobial stewardship principles and practices into their everyday lives.,To explore factors that shape laypersons’ engagement with antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in Wakiso district, Uganda.
 Uganda 2026-01-27 19:30:48 2029-01-27 Medical and Health Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
Adeodata Rukyalekere Kekitiinwa
ID: UNCST-2019-R000799
 Long-Acting Treatment in Adolescents (LATA); A randomized open-label 2-arm 96-week trial in virologically suppressed HIV-1-positive adolescents aged 12-19 years of age in Sub-Saharan Africa version 1.0 dated 01 December 2021.
REFNo: HS2515ES

• To evaluate an innovative and contemporary ART strategy in HIV- positive adolescents to provide choice for young people facing life-long treatment.
• To evaluate the virological efficacy, safety, acceptability, and quality-of-life of the dual long-acting injectable combination, cabotegravir and rilpivirine, antiretroviral therapy compared to continuous daily oral therapy with triple oral ART consisting of DTG with a backbone of tenofovir either as the TAF or TDF formulations, combined with either 3TC or FTC regimen, to optimize treatment for HIV-positive adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa.

 Uganda 2026-01-27 19:28:37 2029-01-27 Medical and Health Sciences Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Jamir ssebadduka
ID: UNCST-2025-R018912
 A MACHINE LEARNING MODEL FOR PREDICTING SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF MALARIA INCIDENCES IN UGANDA
REFNo: HS6769ES

to develop and evaluate a hybrid geographically weighted machine learning framework for predicting the spatial distribution and incidence of malaria in Uganda at fine geographic scales, by integrating environmental factors, demographic factors, and clinical data to support evidence-based disease surveillance and targeted intervention strategies
 Uganda 2026-01-27 19:26:26 2029-01-27 Medical and Health Sciences Degree Award
Aggrey  Mugisha Duncan
ID: UNCST-2025-R022896
 Analyzing Economic News Coverage: A Comparative Study of the Print Media in Uganda
REFNo: SS4734ES

1. To analyze the frequency and trends in economic news coverage in The New Vision and The Monitor from June 2021 – June 2025.
2. To compare economic news frames across government-owned and private newspapers in Uganda, analyzing the influence of media ownership and journalist origin on the framing patterns used.
3. To explore the sources cited in economic news articles, comparing the reliance on government officials, business leaders, international organizations and others.

Uganda 2026-01-27 19:25:47 2029-01-27 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
Isaac Ssewanyana
ID: UNCST-2020-R014336
 ConfiSign HIV/Syphilis Combo Pro (REF: HISP001) Partial clinical and analytical performance study focusing on diagnostic sensitivity, diagnostic specificity, specimen type equivalence and usability evaluation of the ConfiSign HIV/Syphilis Combo Pro
REFNo: HS6989ES

3. Evaluate the usability of the ConfiSign HIV/Syphilis Combo using a label comprehension study and a results interpretation study which are to be completed by at least 3 lab technicians and 4 lay providers/healthcare workers,2. Demonstrate sample type equivalence between venous whole blood, serum and plasma samples while using the ConfiSign HIV/Syphilis Combo.,1. Determine parts of the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the ConfiSign HIV/Syphilis Combo using venous whole blood samples,
 Uganda 2026-01-23 16:25:14 2029-01-23 Medical and Health Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Silver Onyango
ID: UNCST-2022-R009337
 The CLEAR-COPD STUDY(Community Learning to Eliminate Air Pollution Risk among People at risk for COPD)
REFNo: HS6934ES

To develop a conceptual framework to explain facilitators and barriers to reducing personal air pollution exposure among people at risk for COPD in Uganda.
Uganda 2026-01-23 16:22:13 2029-01-23 Medical and Health Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
VIVIEN AKULLO
ID: UNCST-2025-R019962
 EFFECT OF AGRO-TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION ON LIVELIHOODS OF SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN TESO REGION, UGANDA
REFNo: SS4673ES

1. To assess the relationship between the adoption of irrigation technologies and livelihood of smallholder farmers in selected districts of Teso region.
2. To measure the relationship between fertilizer usage and livelihood of smallholder farmers in selected districts of Teso region.
3. To examine the relationship between adoption of improved crop varieties and livelihood of smallholder farmers in selected districts of Teso region.
To examine the mediating role of agricultural support systems on the relationship between agro-technology adoption and livelihood of smallholder farmers in selected districts of Teso region.

 Uganda 2026-01-23 16:15:33 2029-01-23 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
Jakob Svensson
ID: UNCST-2021-R013843
 Green (Quality) Revolution for Africa? Interlinking Input and Output Markets for Quality
REFNo: SS4692ES

The primary objective of this study is to assess whether linking smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa to both reliable markets for high-quality inputs and reliable markets for high-quality outputs can trigger a “Green (Quality) Revolution” that sustainably improves productivity and household incomes.

We will implement a Mixed Clustered-Individual Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT). At the village level, we will compare:

Group A: Villages where households are offered the opportunity to sell high-quality maize at a premium.

Group B: Villages where households are not offered this opportunity.
Within each village, we will introduce household-level randomization:
Group i: Households offered the option to purchase quality-controlled inputs at market prices.
Group ii: Households not offered this option.

This design yields four distinct experimental groups, allowing us to test: (a) whether access to a reliable output market for produce increases productivity and farm income; (b) whether access to input markets offering high-quality inputs increases smallholders’ willingness to adopt modern agricultural technologies; and most importantly, (c) whether simultaneous access to both reliable input and output markets can trigger a “Green (Quality) Revolution” that raises productivity and incomes.

 Sweden 2026-01-19 18:04:06 2029-01-19 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Darius Blaj
ID: UNCST-2025-R022915
 Understanding the Social and Ecological Motivations behind the Chimpanzee Food Grants
REFNo: NS1075ES

Contribute to understanding how social and ecological pressures may have
shaped the emergence of referential and socially meaningful communication.
To investigate whether chimpanzees use food grunts flexibly in order to avoid
receiving aggression during feeding.

 Romania 2026-01-19 18:02:12 2029-01-19 Natural Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
Gladys Atto
ID:
PREVALENCE OF EYE DISEASES AND VISUAL IMPAIRMENT IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL CHILDREN 5-18 YEARS IN MOROTO DISTRICT, NORTHEASTERN UGANDA
REFNo: HS6914ES

To determine the anatomical causes of visual impairment among primary and secondary school children in Moroto district,To determine the factors associated with eye diseases and visual impairment among primary and secondary children in Moroto district.,To determine the prevalence of eye diseases among primary and secondary school children in Moroto district,To assess the prevalence of eye diseases, causes of visual impairment, and the associated factors among primary and secondary school children aged 5 to 18 years in Moroto district, Northeastern Uganda. ,
 Uganda 2026-01-19 18:01:19 2029-01-19 Medical and Health Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Phoebe Mbabazi
ID: UNCST-2020-R014098
 Validity of Plasma Neurofilament Light Chain Protein for the Diagnosis of Neurocognitive Impairment Among Older Adults with HIV in Uganda (PLAFIL)
REFNo: HS6895ES

Primary objective: 1.To determine the validity of plasma neurofilament light chain protein (NfL) for the diagnosis of neurocognitive impairment among older adults with HIV in Kampala using standard neuropsychological testing as a gold standard. 2.To determine the validity of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) tool for the diagnosis of neurocognitive impairment among older adults with HIV in Kampala using standard neuropsychological testing as a gold standard. Secondary Objective: 1.To determine the correlation between subjective memory complaints and neurocognitive performance, as measured using standard neuropsychological testing
Uganda 2026-01-19 17:56:03 2029-01-19 Medical and Health Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Carissa Chew Tarmin
ID: UNCST-2025-R022671
 Decolonisation and Black/South Asian mixed-race identity in East Africa, 1940-1980
REFNo: SS4709ES

This is a historical project investigating race relations between South Asians and Africans in late colonial and early postcolonial Kampala through the lens of “mixed-racedness”. It contributes to part of my larger PhD Thesis that examines questions of race, identity, belonging, and nationalism across Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda in the period 1940-1980. My project explores how British missionaries and colonial agents introduced the concept of “mixed-racedness” to East Africa, asking questions about how Ugandans have identified with, rejected, and appropriated labels like “half-caste”, “chotara/kyotara” or “nusu”. I wish to conduct oral history interviews with a minimum of 10 people in Uganda who are of and older generation and of mixed African/South Asian heritage to discuss the ways in which late colonial and early postcolonial politics impacted their everyday lives. I also plan to consult a range of library and archival materials in Kampala to learn more about the history of Ugandan attitudes towards interracial relationships, the rise of mixed-raced movements such as the “Multiracial Community of Uganda”, and public debates over mixed-race people’s citizenship status after Independence.

Objectives:

1. To shed light on the “hidden histories” of interracial romances and people of mixed Black/South Asian heritage in Uganda, whose experiences are largely absent from the existing historiography.
2. To gain understanding of how colonial and early postcolonial debates influenced the lives and habits of interracial couples and mixed-race people in Kampala, including how attitudes and identities have shifted over time.
3. To produce a Ugandan-based case study that will form an integral part of my PhD Thesis, which seeks to draw comparative analysis of mixed-race identities and their formulation across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda in the period 1940 to 1980.
4. To preserve mixed-race histories as part of a digital “StoryMaps” archive created with the Blindian Project, which will be accessible online.

 UK 2026-01-19 17:52:38 2029-01-19 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
Isaac Ahimbisibwe
ID: UNCST-2025-R018434
 Impact of Gender Affirmative Action in University Education on Labor Market Outcomes and Skill Matching
REFNo: SS4741ES

The overarching objective of this study is to evaluate the long-term economic and educational impact of Makerere University’s affirmative action (AA) policy in STEM admissions. The policy, which lowered admission thresholds for the underrepresented gender to achieve a 60–40 balance, expanded women’s access to STEM programs and may also have shaped academic trajectories, skill development, and labor market outcomes. This project seeks to generate rigorous evidence on these impacts. To achieve this overarching goal, the study will pursue the following specific objectives: Objective 1: To assess how the policy influenced students’ academic performance, skill accumulation, and preparedness for STEM careers. In particular, the study examines whether the policy affected students’ labor market aspirations and subsequent skill–job match, by evaluating whether affirmative action recipients are more or less likely to work in STEM-aligned occupations. Objective 2: To estimate the impact of the gender-based affirmative action policy on graduates’ labor market outcomes, including employment probability, occupational sorting, career progression, and earnings, and to assess whether these effects differ by gender. Objective 3: To investigate perceptions of affirmative action among students and employers, and to understand how gender dynamics, stigma, and peer interactions influence educational experiences and labor market behavior.
 Uganda 2026-01-19 17:48:58 2029-01-19 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Stella Neema
ID: UNCST-2019-R000814
 Informed Consent Practices in Preventive Chemotherapy for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Programs
REFNo: SS4677ES

1) Investigate how consent processes are implemented in community settings through exploration of the experiences, challenges, and insights of community drug distributors, teachers, parents, and schoolchildren in high- and low-coverage areas of Uganda; and 2) Develop comprehensive recommendations for improving informed consent processes by synthesizing program-level findings with community implementation realities.
 Uganda 2026-01-19 17:47:02 2029-01-19 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Irene Mbabazi
ID: UNCST-2025-R019213
 Transitioning of Care from Pediatric to Adult Sickle Cell Clinics in Uganda: Assessing the health system and patient-level barriers and facilitators
REFNo: HS6802ES

This study aims to explore (1) the health system-level barriers and facilitators influencing the transition from pediatric to adult SCD care at Mulago National Referral Hospital, and (2) the patient- and caregiver-level experiences, behaviors, and preparedness affecting this transition process.
 Uganda 2026-01-19 17:05:12 2029-01-19 Medical and Health Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Catriona  Waitt John
ID: UNCST-2019-R001068
 Decision-making regarding medication use during pregnancy and lactation: a mixed-methods study among pregnant and breastfeeding women and healthcare practitioners
REFNo: HS6869ES

Primary objectives 1. Interviews and focus groups: To explore the key factors influencing decision-making regarding medication use during pregnancy and lactation among pregnant and breastfeeding women and healthcare practitioners involved in maternity care. 2. Questionnaire: To assess the relative importance of various factors influencing decision-making on medication use during pregnancy among (recently) pregnant women. Secondary objectives 1. Interviews and focus groups: To explore potential differences in key factors influencing this decision-making between pregnant and breastfeeding women and healthcare practitioners.
2. Questionnaire: To examine potential contextual differences in pregnant women’s perspectives on decision-making regarding medication use in Uganda and the Netherlands.
 UK 2026-01-19 17:02:25 2029-01-19 Medical and Health Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Viola Karungi
ID: UNCST-2024-R003996
 ENOUGH! Vulnerability, Perseverance and Resistance in the 21st Century: a Docu-Drama Film about lived-experiences of Survivors of Gender-Based Violence in Uganda
REFNo: SS4572ES

To assess the aftermath of victimhood for the respondents.,To explore the copying mechanisms employed by the respondents to endure suffering. ,To examine the circumstances that led to domestic violence for the respondents. ,To analyze lived-experiences of victims/survivors of Gender-Based Violence in Kampala and Bushenyi.,
 Uganda 2026-01-19 16:54:10 2029-01-19 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
John Bosco Tumusiime
ID: UNCST-2024-R003033
 Community Policing and Crime Prevention in Mbarara City- Western Uganda
REFNo: SS3425ES

i) To examine community perceptions and views about Community Policing and crime
prevention in Mbarara City.

ii) To determine the role of community participation in identifying and reporting crimes in
Mbarara City
iii) To determine existing working relationships between the Community and the Police in a bid to enhance Community Policing and Crime Prevention in Mbarara City.

iv) To propose recommendations on how to improve Community Policing and Crime
Prevention in Mbarara City.
 Uganda 2026-01-19 16:52:27 2029-01-19 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
Walter Komakech
ID: UNCST-2024-R015851
 Community-Based Tourism for Local Economic Development: A Social Business Model Perspective in Northern Uganda
REFNo: SS4079ES

1.To explore the nature of the adoption of Community-based tourism for Local economic development in Northern Uganda

2.To examine the contributions of Community-based tourism to Local economic development.

3.To design a social business model to enhance Community-based tourism and local economic development in Northern Uganda

 Uganda 2026-01-19 16:14:44 2029-01-19 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
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