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  
Richard Katuramu
ID: UNCST-2022-R011266
 Investigating the Consequences of USAID's suspension of HIV/AIDS Assistance in Tanzania and Uganda: A Multi-Stakeholder Qualitative Study in Uganda and Tanzania
REFNo: HS6630ES

1. To identify list of organizations/institutions previously funded by the USAID to implement different HIV/AIDS services
2. To explore the perception of the different stakeholders on the suspension of USAID funds for HIV/AIDS activities
3. To examine the short term strategies employed by the stakeholders to mitigate the impact of the suspension of USAID funds for HIV/AIDS activities
4. To explore the projected long-term consequences of this funding loss on the HIV/AIDS workforce, program delivery, research and sustainability
5. To assess the different reprioritization strategies and resource allocation in response to the reduced external assistance
6. To explore the different lessons from past funding disruptions and how they can be applied to improve future health system resilience
7. To examine the different roles, if any, do the stakeholders expect from alternative external donors like China

 Uganda 2026-04-10 17:03:11 2029-04-10 Medical and Health Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
CAROLINE KYOSIIMA MWEBESA
ID: UNCST-2026-R023538
 Baseline and Endline Evaluation of Women's Economic Empowerment and Female Financial Health in Eastern Uganda (Kaliro and Namutumba Districts)
REFNo: SS5052ES

Objective 1 – Baseline documentation: To establish comprehensive baseline conditions (pre-intervention) regarding women's demographic characteristics, livelihood structures, economic activities and income sources, financial service access and financial behaviors, financial knowledge and digital literacy, household economic decision-making participation, gender relations and intra-household dynamics, and experiences of economic empowerment and disempowerment across both intervention and comparison groups in Kaliro and Namutumba districts. Objective 2 – Impact quantification: To measure the impact of WomenSave programming on women's financial inclusion outcomes (financial service access and productive usage), savings behaviors, economic income and diversification, and household economic decision-making participation over six-month and twelve-month periods when compared to similarly-situated a non-beneficiary comparison group. Objective 3: Mechanism exploration: To qualitatively examine the mechanisms through which WomenSave programming generates economic empowerment outcomes, including individual-level pathways, household-level pathways, and community-level pathways. Objective 4: Implementation and context factors: To document implementation realities, institutional coordination mechanisms, contextual enablers and barriers, and sustainability factors associated with WomenSave programming integration within PDM structures for program improvement, replication, and scaling.
Uganda 2026-04-10 16:52:20 2029-04-10 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Sandra Asizu
ID: UNCST-2026-R024434
 BASELINE SURVEY FOR THE COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR DISABILITY RIGHTS PROGRAMME
REFNo: SS5049ES

I.Provide quantitative and qualitative baseline values for the programme’s outcome and impact indicators.
II.Assess the inclusivity and accessibility of education, health, economic, and social systems for persons with disabilities (PWDs).
III.Evaluate the institutional capacity and operational effectiveness of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs).
IV.Inform programme implementation strategies, adaptive management, and subsequent endline evaluations.
 Uganda 2026-04-10 16:26:42 2029-04-10 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Lydia Nakiyingi
ID: UNCST-2022-R010102
 Investigating the Mycobacterium tuberculosis-respiratory viruses pathogenesis markers that can be explored for prognosis, diagnosis and disease progression during coinfections.
REFNo: HS7209ES

Primary Objective

-To investigate the pathogenesis markers associated with MTB-respiratory virus co-infection and explore their applications in prognostics, diagnostics, and disease management.

Secondary objectives:

-To identify respiratory viruses that are associated with TB-infected individuals in Makerere University clinical facility.

-To identify and characterize molecular and immunological markers associated with the interaction between MTB and respiratory viruses through immunological assays.

-To elucidate the mechanistic insights underlying the dysregulation of host immune responses in MTB-respiratory virus co-infection through transcriptomics tools.

-To design a statistical algorithm that can be a predictive model of TB-respiratory virus coinfections using immunological and transcriptomics data.

 Uganda 2026-04-10 15:53:46 2029-04-10 Medical and Health Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Agaba Winston David
ID: UNCST-2026-R023332
 TRANSFORMATION LEADERSHIP, ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE IN UGANDA’S PUBLIC AND COMMERCIAL BROADCASTING SECTOR
REFNo: SS4916ES

Aligned with the main objective, this study seeks to achieve the following: i. To examine the association between Idealized Influence and Organizational Performance in Uganda’s public and commercial broadcasting sectors. ii. To assess the relationship between Inspirational Motivation and Organizational Performance in Uganda’s public and commercial broadcasting sectors. iii. To analyze the influence of Intellectual Stimulation on Organizational Performance in Uganda’s public and commercial broadcasting sectors. iv. To evaluate the effect of Individualized Consideration on Organizational Performance in Uganda’s public and commercial broadcasting sectors. v. To investigate the moderating role of Organizational Culture on the relationship between Transformational Leadership and Organizational Performance in Uganda’s public and commercial broadcasting sectors. vi. To empirically develop and validate a conceptual model that integrates transformational leadership practices with supportive organizational culture to enhance organizational performance in Uganda’s public and commercial broadcasting sectors.
Uganda 2026-04-10 15:46:36 2029-04-10 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
HARRIET NAMBUYA NIL
ID: UNCST-2021-R013414
 Implementation of WHO minimum Maternal and Newborn Health data set in standardized Intrapartum care register and case notes at Jinja Regional Referral and Kamuli General Hospitals in Uganda
REFNo: HS7185ES

1.4 General objective
The aim of the study is to test improvement in the quality of routinely collected data elements necessary to monitor intrapartum maternal and immediate newborn health in hospitals from settings with high burden of maternal and newborn mortality and morbidities, upon implementation of a designed IPC register and obstetric CN.
1.5 Specific objectives of the study

1. To Design a globally standardized IPC register and selected obstetric CN for interprofessional teams involved in RHIS data collection and use in healthcare facilities
2. Test the feasibility and acceptability of implementing the designed IPC register and selected designed obstetric CN in selected healthcare facilities
a) Measure the completeness of intrapartum and immediate postnatal care data elements (including mMNHDS), documented before and after implementation of the designed register and CN.
b) Assess user-experience of the designed IPC register and CN.
c) Assess completeness and quality of the data elements required to inform the mMNHDS during intrapartum care depending on the level of care (lower level versus referral hospital).
3. Identify barriers and challenges encountered by health staff in implementing the standardized IPC register and obstetric case notes.

 Uganda 2026-04-10 15:40:35 2029-04-10 Medical and Health Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Aggrey Semeere Semwendero
ID: UNCST-2019-R001648
 PATIENT AND PROVIDER PERCEPTIONS, EXPERIENCES, AND INTERVENTION SUGGESTIONS AFTER HIV/AIDS CARE FUNDING REDUCTIONS
REFNo: HS7138ES

To characterize comprehension of U.S. funding reduction for HIV/AIDS care and the implications on care among persons living with HIV.
2. To determine the initial impact of U.S. funding reductions for HIV/AIDS care by eliciting the experiences of persons living with HIV and their healthcare providers.
3. To understand perceptions regarding proposed or enacted interventions to maintain care after U.S. HIV/AIDS care funding reduction among providers and persons living with HIV.
 Uganda 2026-04-10 15:36:15 2029-04-10 Medical and Health Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Sserwadda Godfrey
ID: UNCST-2025-R021680
 DIVERSITY OF PLANT-PARASITIC NEMATODES ASSOCIATED WITH TOMATOES AND THEIR CONTROL USING SELECTED PLANTS IN WAKISO DISTRICT
REFNo: NS1144ES

To determine the different agricultural management practices used by tomato farmers in Namayumba Subcounty district To determine diversity of plant parasitic nematodes infesting tomatoes in Namayumba Sub county; Wakiso district To determine efficacy of Tagetes patula L., Parthenium hysterophorus. Ricinus communis L., and Allium sativa ethanol, methanol, acetonitrile, and aqueous extracts against plant parasitic nematodes associated with tomatoes
 Uganda 2026-04-10 15:24:25 2029-04-10 Natural Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
RaidaAli Mudei Ahmed
ID: UNCST-2025-R020851
 ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ABNORMAL CEREBROPLACENTAL RATIO AND ADVERSE NEONATAL OUTCOMES AMONG WOMEN WITH POSTDATE PREGNANCIES DELIVERING AT MBARARA REGIONAL REFERRAL HOSPITAL
REFNo: HS7137ES

To determine the association between abnormal cerebroplacental ratio and adverse neonatal outcomes among women with postdate pregnancies delivering at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital.
 Somalia 2026-04-10 15:20:19 2029-04-10 Medical and Health Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
HARRIET NANKYA
ID:
Ethical Issues in Adopting Artificial Intelligence for Health Management in a Low Resource Setting: A case of AI-based TB Diagnosis in Uganda
REFNo: HS7022ES

1. To investigate the ethical challenges faced by AI developers at Makerere University in
developing AI-based tools for TB diagnosis.
7
2. To examine the ethical challenges faced by healthcare workers in Kampala in applying AI
based tools for TB diagnosis.
3. To analyze the views of AI developers and health workers on the measures to address the
ethical challenges in adopting AI for TB diagnosis in Uganda.
 Uganda 2026-04-10 15:17:34 2029-04-10 Medical and Health Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Joweria Nambooze
ID: UNCST-2019-R001118
 THE EFFECT OF CONSUMING MEALWORM ENRICHED FLOUR ON THE NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF ADOLESCENTS AT BUJUBULI SECONDARY SCHOOL IN KYEGEGWA DISTRICT
REFNo: HS6905ES

To determine the effect of providing mealworm enriched meals on the nutritional status of adolescents in Bujubuli secondary school in Kyegegwa district,To assess the nutritional status of children at Bujubuli Secondary School in Kyegegwa District. ,To develop a nutritious mealworm-enriched flour suitable and acceptable for school adolescents at Bujubuli secondary school in Kyegegwa district ,To assess the effect of consuming mealworm-enriched flour on the nutritional status of adolescents 12-19 at Bujubuli secondary school in Kyegegwa District through a randomized controlled trial.,
 Uganda 2026-04-10 15:09:16 2029-04-10 Medical and Health Sciences Non-degree Award
JOEL KASIBANTE ALBERT
ID: UNCST-2025-R022443
 MIXED-METHODS IMPACT EVALUATION OF THE DIMITRA CLUBS PROJECT IN UGANDA’S AMOLATAR DISTRICT
REFNo: SS4697ES

Main Objective / Purpose The impact evaluation seeks to understand how participation in Dimitra Clubs influences women’s empowerment and social inclusion. It will assess changes in social cohesion—such as trust, community participation, collective problem-solving, and conflict resolution. The evaluation will further examine how the Clubs strengthen women’s agency, confidence, decision-making power, and access to social and economic resources, while also observing shifts in gender norms among both women and men. Lastly, the study aims to determine whether involvement in the Clubs reduces experiences of intimate partner violence. Specific Objectives (Polished & Summarised) 1. To evaluate how the Dimitra Clubs enhance women’s intrinsic agency, including autonomy over income decisions and overall self-efficacy. 2. To explore changes in intra-household gender dynamics, including men’s engagement in domestic roles and how household resources are controlled or allocated. 3. To determine whether participation in the Clubs is associated with a reduction in intimate partner violence. 4. To assess the influence of the Clubs on participants’ social cohesion, focusing on trust, relationships, community participation, and confidence in local institutions.
Uganda 2026-04-10 14:58:12 2029-04-10 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Robert Anguzu John
ID: UNCST-2024-R015949
 Development of cassava agro-industrialization in Uganda: An innovation systems perspective.
REFNo: A531ES

1. Establsih the roles and interactions of key actors in the context of cassava agro-industrialization in Uganda.
2. Examine how the systemic bottlenecks in cassava innovation system affect the development of cassava agro-industrialization.
3. Explore the effectiveness of linkages between agro-industries and community- based value addition actors in promoting cassava agro-industrialization.
4. Establish the suitability of existing policy context and incentive systems in promoting the development of cassava agro-industrialization.
 Uganda 2026-04-10 14:51:58 2029-04-10 Agricultural Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
DOROTHY EGO AKAO
ID: UNCST-2026-R023556
 ASSESSMENT OF THE QUALITY OF UNDERGROUND WATER CONSUMED BY GULU UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY USING WATER QUALITY INDEX
REFNo: NS1211ES

1. To identify anthropogenic factors that affect the quality of underground water in Gulu University community. 2. To determine physico-chemical parameters (DO, COD, BOD, pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, nitrates, turbidity, phosphates and hardness) in the underground water consumed by Gulu University community. 3. To determine the microbiological parameters in the underground water consumed by Gulu University community.
Uganda 2026-04-02 18:01:31 2029-04-02 Natural Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
Justine Nakintu
ID: UNCST-2019-R001223
 Nutrient enrichment of Maize Flour for a Dietary Balanced Breakfast: Fortification with Jackfruit
REFNo: A747ES

i. To determine concentrations of proteins, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals in the different varieties of jackfruit
ii. To fortify maize flour with different proportions of jackfruit and determine the concentrations of proteins, vitamins, mineral and other phytochemicals in un-fortified maize flour and jackfruit-fortified maize flour
iii. To establish the sensory acceptability of porridge made from jackfruit fortified maize flour

 2026-04-02 18:00:32 2029-04-02 Agricultural Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Lynn Tar Janet Gutu
ID:
An AI system to assist the visually and auditory impaired by generating speech from text queries and vice versa for Uganda’s local languages
REFNo: SIR633ES

To pen source the collected linguistic datasets and baseline models to support future research, foster collaboration, and create a foundation for broader AI innovation in low-resource languages.,To develop and deploy a user-friendly platform that enables easy and inclusive access to the system for impaired and non-impaired users alike.,To build and train multilingual TTS and LLM models for at least five Ugandan languages. ,To develop and deploy a locally managed AI system with multilingual TTS and LLM capabilities that supports Uganda’s most widely spoken indigenous languages, with a particular focus on enhancing accessibility for visually and auditory impaired communities, while promoting inclusivity, education, and digital innovation.,
 Uganda 2026-04-02 17:59:20 2029-04-02 Engineering and Technology Non-degree Award
Ekom Etukudo Monday
ID: UNCST-2025-R021054
 Neuroprotective Potential of Syzygium aromaticum Against Mercuric Chloride-Induced Brain Toxicity in Mice
REFNo: HS7231ES

General Objective
To evaluate the neuroprotective potential of Syzygium aromaticum against mercuric chloride-induced brain toxicity in mice.

Specific Objectives
This study's specific objectives will be to:
(i) Phytochemically characterize Syzygium aromaticum and predict the pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties of its major metabolites using computational tools.
(ii) Determine molecular interactions between the key phytometabolites of Syzygium
aromaticum and neuronal receptors (NMDA and GABA-A) implicated in mercuric chloride-induced neurotoxicity through molecular docking.
(iii) Evaluate the neurobehavioral and biochemical effects of Syzygium aromaticum pretreated and mercuric chloride-exposed mice, focusing on motor coordination, memory performance, oxidative stress, and lipid peroxidation biomarkers.
(iv) Demonstrate histological alterations in the cerebellar cortex and hippocampus of Syzygium aromaticum pretreated and mercuric chloride-exposed mice, by assessing cellular forms.
(v) Demonstrate astroglial activation and neuronal injury in the cerebellar cortex and hippocampus of Syzygium aromaticum pretreated and mercuric chloride-exposed mice using immunohistochemical markers for Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) and Neuronal Specific Enolase (NSE).
 Uganda 2026-04-02 17:56:12 2029-04-02 Medical and Health Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
Joseph Mugisha Okello
ID: UNCST-2022-R009461
 Feasibility of using telephone interviews for health surveillance in an open population cohort: A cluster randomised non-inferiority trial.
REFNo: HS7309ES

Study aim
To assess the feasibility of using telephone interviews in conducting survey data collection that includes the assessment of family planning needs in the Kyamulibwa General Population Cohort.

Specific objectives

To evaluate the acceptability of telephone interviews among GPC participants, including interview completion rates, and willingness to participate via phone.

To compare data quality and completeness between telephone interviews and face-to-face interviews, focusing on key demographic and health indicators.

To identify logistical and operational challenges associated with conducting telephone-based data collection, such as mobile phone access, network coverage, call success rates, and duration.
iv.
To explore the economic and financial cost of using telephone interviews for running health surveillance compared to traditional face-to-face interviews.

To understand demographic and socioeconomic factors influencing completion rates, such as age, gender, education level, or social economic status.
 Uganda 2026-04-02 17:54:29 2029-04-02 Medical and Health Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Naomi Nabami
ID: UNCST-2025-R018998
 Women vendors: A history of female commercial activities across the Uganda-Congo border during the 20th century.
REFNo: SS4964ES

The first objective of this project is to contribute to women’s empowerment in the subregion by looking at their historical trajectory. It will also allow for historicizing ICBT between the DRC and Uganda, recentering female agency, and bringing in the Congolese perspective. The project fills in an important blank spot in our historical understanding of the Uganda-Congo border’s economic development by connecting the precolonial, colonial, and postcolonial contexts in which this trade took place. By recentering the overlooked role of women as commercial actors throughout the history of ICBT, the project investigates how trade connections evolved in times of war and forced displacement, but also in pre-conflict decades. This will result in a dissertation that focuses on the 20th century to the present.
Here are the specific objectives of the research:
RO1 – Historicizing ICBT between the DRC and Uganda: According to Titeca (2009), informal trade activities between DRC and Uganda must be understood through the lens of a complex history that includes ethnic interconnections and refugee fluxes. Yet they also build on historical relations and exchanges that predate the context of conflict or the Structural Adjustment Programs. The project fills in an important blank spot in our historical understanding of this border’s economic development by connecting the precolonial, colonial and postcolonial contexts in which this trade took place. By recentering the overlooked role of women as commercial actors throughout the history of ICBT, the project investigates how trade connections evolved in times of war and forced displacement, but also in pre-conflict decades. This will result in a dissertation that focuses on the period 1850 to present.
RO2 – Recentering female agency: Public discourse about the border area under study, particularly the Congolese side, often portrays women as mere victims of a conflict-prone context. While sexual violence is indeed used as a weapon of war in this region, with cases dating back to colonial abuses (see Mertens 2023), it is crucial to also pay attention to the ways in which these women have shaped their livelihoods, generated forms of economic autonomy, and evaded male control (see for example Obbo 1980, MacGaffey 1988). Because of its informal character, ICBT generates specific regulatory dynamics, which not only require negotiation with state officials, but also with the broader population (see Titeca 2012). However, we know very little about the ways in which women have navigated this commercial ecosystem. Therefore, their agency is the starting point of this research project (see Thomas 2016). By applying an interdisciplinary approach and using a variety of sources, the project tackles the methodological challenges that have hitherto played a role in the overlooking of Central African female histories.
RO3 – Bringing in the Congolese perspective :Informal export from Uganda to the DRC continues to grow rapidly, with the DRC making up 49,4% of Uganda’s total informal exports in 2018, in comparison to 27,1% in 2010 (Titeca 2020: 3). While this project does not have the ambition to add quantitative data from the Congolese side to the debate, it is innovative in its historical attention to the activities, experiences and livelihoods of Congolese female experiences in this border area. The informality of their activities and the lack of control over mobility was a general source of distress for the colonial government, especially in border areas (see for example Mathys forthcoming). Recent doctoral research by Aurélie Bouvart (2024) even suggests that Congolese women who were brought to court in the Belgian Congo were mostly convicted for “crimes” related to unauthorized mobility. This project, therefore, contributes a critical new perspective by foregrounding the agency of Congolese women and by highlighting the historical continuities in their strategies for navigating both economic and social landscapes across the Congolese-Ugandan border.
 Democratic Republic of Congo 2026-04-02 17:52:15 2029-04-02 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
Mohamed Sesay
ID:
Traditional authorities in contemporary governance systems in Africa: Uganda, Ghana, and Sierra Leone in comparative perspectives
REFNo: SS5086ES

The main purpose of this comparative study of Uganda, Sierra Leone, and Ghana is to compare and contrast how traditional rulers relate with the state in contemporary governance systems.
The specific objectives of this study include the following:
• Compare the nature and strength of traditional authority in Uganda, Sierra Leone, and Ghana so as to understand how they have evolved and adapted to changes in contemporary governance
• Examine how chiefs exercise their authority in relations to other powerholders in specific contexts taking into account changing political, socioeconomic, and cultural
circumstances
• Trace the evolution of chiefs' relations with other authorities in contemporary times both at the national and subnational levels of governance.
• Analyze the comparative effect of reform policies on chiefs, including initiatives intended to liberal-democratic standards of governance


 Sierra Leone 2026-04-02 17:45:23 2029-04-02 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
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