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  
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
CHRISTINE JOYCE ANGIMA
ID: UNCST-2025-R022785
EFFICACY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF PSYCHOTHERAPY INTERVENTION AND SELF-ESTEEM AMONG PREGNANT ADOLESCENTS: A CASE OF KATAKWI DISTRICT GENERAL HOSPITAL
REFNo: SS5028ES

General Objective: To assess the efficacy and acceptability of psychotherapy interventions in improving self-esteem among pregnant adolescents attending Katakwi District General Hospital in Uganda. Specific Objectives: 1. To determine the level of self-esteem among pregnant adolescents attending Katakwi District General Hospital. 2. To assess the effectiveness of psychotherapy interventions in improving self-esteem among pregnant adolescents. 3. To examine the acceptability of psychotherapy interventions among pregnant adolescents receiving care at Katakwi District General Hospital.
Uganda 2026-04-02 17:43:08 2029-04-02 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
Matthias Miti
ID: UNCST-2025-R021994
Gendered Effects of Land Documentation on Agricultural Livelihoods in Busoga Sub-Region
REFNo: SS4812ES

i. To establish the nature of gender disparities in the ownership of documented land in Busoga sub-region ii. To investigate the socio-cultural barriers that limit women’s ownership of documented land for agricultural livelihoods in Busoga sub-region iii. To assess how land documentation influences agricultural livelihoods differently for women and men in Busoga sub-region.
Uganda 2026-04-02 17:41:54 2029-04-02 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
Nixon Niyonzima
ID: UNCST-2020-R014577
Modeling the Economic Benefit of Low-Cost Laparoscopic vs. Open Surgery for Chest and Abdominal Cancers in Uganda
REFNo: HS6245ES

Aim 2: Measure the economic outcomes of laparoscopic surgery using KeyScope versus the standard of care (open surgery or open biopsy), including pre- and post-operative costs, among a simulated cohort of patients with cancer needing biopsy or resection.,Aim 1: Measure the risk of CHE and impoverishment due to medical and non-medical costs among individuals seeking surgical care for cancers in the chest and abdomen at the Uganda Cancer Institute.,
Uganda 2026-04-02 17:39:02 2029-04-02 Medical and Health Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Thomas Buyinza
ID: UNCST-2025-R016827
MINIMIZING AFLATOXIN CONTAMINATION IN MAIZE ACROSS THE SUPPLY CHAIN THROUGH FARMER–LED PARTICIPATORY TRAINING IN KAMULI, EASTERN UGANDA: A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL
REFNo: A743ES

General Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of farmer-led participatory training in improving farmers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices and reducing aflatoxin contamination in maize across the supply chain in Kamuli District, Eastern Uganda.

Specific Objectives
i. To enhance farmers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices on Aflatoxin contamination and its health risks in Kamuli District, Uganda.
ii. To minimize Aflatoxin levels in maize to within acceptable limits set by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards in Kamuli District, Uganda.

Uganda 2026-04-02 17:36:12 2029-04-02 Agricultural Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Doreen Nakagaayi
ID: UNCST-2023-R006587
Assessment of a Novel Dual-Screen Model for Rheumatic Heart Disease Diagnosis: A Diagnostic Accuracy Study
REFNo: HS7123ES

To assess the inter-rater reliability between the two ADUNU-trained non-expert providers within the dual-provider diagnostic model, and to evaluate factors associated with discordant interpretations. ,To optimize the diagnostic performance of the dual-provider diagnostic model by using a receiver operating curve to identify optimal cutoff values for mitral and aortic regurgitation jet lengths that maximize its sensitivity and specificity for RHD diagnosis.,Secondary Aims To compare the diagnostic performance (sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy) among three distinct echo models and the current diagnostic gold standard. ,Primary Aim To determine the diagnostic performance (sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy) of the dual-provider diagnostic model compared to the current diagnostic gold standard of expert clinician interpretation using a fully functional echocardiography machine and comprehensive diagnostic protocol.,
Uganda 2026-04-02 17:34:59 2029-04-02 Medical and Health Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Victor Musiime
ID: UNCST-2021-R013794
Experiences of caregivers and healthcare providers regarding post-discharge mortality and health-seeking behavior in life-threatening scenarios for children living with HIV in Uganda, Africa: a qualitative study
REFNo: HS7286ES

1. To explore experiences of caregivers and healthcare providers regarding PDM among children living with HIV after discharge from hospital. 2. To describe the role of social, cultural, economic and environmental context in health-seeking behavior after discharge for children living with HIV. 3. To explore perceived risk factors for post-discharge mortality among children living with HIV from the perspective of caregivers and health workers. 4. To describe strategies to prevent PDM among children living with HIV from the perspective of caregivers and health workers.
Uganda 2026-04-02 12:46:45 2029-04-02 Medical and Health Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Waiswa Peter
ID: UNCST-2020-R014921
An effectiveness-implementation trial of a peer mentorship intervention to help women navigate barriers to contraceptive use in rural Uganda
REFNo: HS7355ES

Main objective
: Our main aim is to increase women’s ability to overcome barriers to contraceptive use and to support adoption of self-injectable contraception. After promising findings in our pilot study, we propose to build on our strong, ongoing partnership between Makerere University in Uganda and the University of California, San Francisco to test “I-CAN” intervention on a larger scale.
Objectives
1. To test the effectiveness of a peer mentorship intervention on contraceptive use and contraceptive self-injection (Aim 1).
2. To examine the process of implementing I-CAN intervention; the ICAN’s reach to mentees, differential effectiveness, adoption and maintenance by mentors, implementation fidelity and innovations, and contextual factors (Aim 2)
3. To examine the cost-effectiveness of the peer mentorship intervention versus standard of care (counselling by health facility or community health workers) in supporting contraceptive use and contraceptive self-injection (Aim 3).

Uganda 2026-04-02 12:45:33 2029-04-02 Medical and Health Sciences Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Godwin Godwin Tumuhairwe
ID: UNCST-2025-R021782
PRIVATE FINANCING, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SKILLS AND PERFORMANCE OF VOCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN BUSHENYI DISTRICT IN WESTERN UGANDA
REFNo: SS4955ES

i. To assess how source of financing affects the enrollment and performance of vocational institutions in Bushenyi District, Uganda
ii. To examine the relationship between private financing and resource utilization to vocational institutions training in Bushenyi District
iii. To examine the relationship between financial management skills and the performance of vocational institutions in Bushenyi District

Uganda 2026-04-02 12:35:27 2029-04-02 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
Bendicto Kabiito
ID: UNCST-2019-R000846
‘Peace by Peaceful Means’: Repurposing ‘Akiriket’ for Peacebuilding in Pastoral Karamoja of Uganda
REFNo: SS5040ES

1. To investigate the nature of peace and pro-peace tendencies tenable through Akiriket. 2. To determine how Akiriket can be repurposed for effective and sustainable peacebuilding in a post-gun violence Karamoja, through a participatory approach. 3. To discern peace-building roles women and the youths can and should play in the customary governance-justice context of Akiriket.
Uganda 2026-04-02 12:31:22 2029-04-02 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Daniel Omollo Onyango
ID: UNCST-2026-R023329
Accelerating Women’s Collective Enterprises in Markets (AWCEM) in Uganda. Evaluation design to study the impact of Care’s AWCEM program in Uganda
REFNo: SS4935ES

CARE Uganda, with support from the Gates Foundation, is implementing market linkage supports to enhance sustainable market access for women collectives in Uganda. The study aims to understand how these strategies influence women’s participation and growth in enterprises and markets, and how they advance women’s economic achievement.
The primary objectives of the evaluation are to determine the program’s effects on women’s economic achievement, agency, social and political empowerment, and gender norms, as well as to evaluate the cost and return on investment (ROI) of the intervention. Secondary analyses will explore the added value of specific program components (e.g., product certification, marketing support) and the role of credit access.

Kenya 2026-04-01 14:30:42 2029-04-01 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Amy Suzanne Vatne Bintliff
ID: UNCST-2024-R016090
The impact of a curriculum to facilitate economic empowerment and wellbeing among Ugandan adolescents
REFNo: SS4743ES

To develop, implement, and assess an intervention to promote adolescent financial literacy and career readiness
USA 2026-03-30 13:03:10 2029-03-30 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Victoria Ndyanabangi
ID: UNCST-2021-R012645
IMPAACT 2024- Protocol Titled: Dose Finding, Safety and Tolerability Study of Daily Rifapentine Combined with Isoniazid (1HP) for Tuberculosis Prevention in Children Less Than 13 Years of Age with and without HIV. DAIDS Study ID #38747,IND #171439
REFNo: HS6638ES

To determine weight-band dosing of a once-daily, 28-day regimen of isoniazid (INH) and rifapentine (RPT) (1HP) for the prevention of tuberculosis (TB) in children living with and without HIV.

Primary Objectives
Cohort 1 and Cohort 2
To determine the weight-band dosing of RPT taken as part of the 1HP regimen by evaluating:
⎯ PK RPT exposures among children with and without HIV
⎯ Safety and tolerability of the 1HP regimen among children with HIV while receiving twice-daily
DTG and children without HIV through 28 days of dosing

Cohort 2
• To evaluate the effect of RPT taken as part of the 1HP regimen on the PK of DTG
Secondary Objectives
Cohort 1 and Cohort 2
To evaluate the effect of covariates including age, weight, sex, ethnicity, nutritional status, and HIV-1 status on the PK of RPT taken as part of the 1HP regimen
• To evaluate the safety of the 1HP regimen through 24 weeks of follow-up
• To evaluate the palatability and acceptability of the 1HP regimen
• To evaluate adherence to the 1HP regimen

Cohort 2
• To evaluate the safety and tolerability of twice-daily DTG through 42 days among children with HIV who are receiving 1HP
• To evaluate virologic control (less than 200 copies/mL) at Day 42 among children taking a DTG-Based ARV treatment regimen co-administered with 1HP

Uganda 2026-03-30 12:54:54 2029-03-30 Medical and Health Sciences Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
MAURICE ALEX MUHWEZI MURARI
ID: UNCST-2026-R023968
Parenting Styles and Psychological Well-Being among Adolescents in Secondary Schools in Uganda: A Case of Kabale District in Western Uganda
REFNo: SS4926ES

1. To examine the relationship between parenting styles and adolescents’ psychological well-being in secondary schools in Kabale district.
2. To determine the most prevalent parenting styles among parents of adolescents in Kabale District.
3. To assess the relationship between parenting styles and adolescents’ self-esteem, and the mediating role of self-esteem in their psychological well-being.
4. To explore contextual and gender factors within Kabale District that influence the relationship between parenting styles, self-esteem, and psychological well-being of adolescents.

Uganda 2026-03-30 11:02:21 2029-03-30 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
ELETH NYIRANKUSI
ID: UNCST-2025-R021587
PATIENTS’ WAITING TIME AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AT UGANDA HEART INSTITUTE - A PHARMACIST’S PERSPECTIVE
REFNo: HS7234ES

General Objective
To examine patients’ waiting time and the associated factors influencing it from a pharmacist’s perspective at the Uganda Heart Institute.

Specific Objectives

1.To determine the average waiting time experienced by patients at the pharmacy unit of the Uganda Heart Institute.

2.To determine the institutional and operational factors contributing to prolonged pharmacy waiting times at the Uganda Heart Institute.

3.To explore pharmacists’ perspectives on the challenges and potential strategies for reducing patient waiting times.

Uganda 2026-03-30 10:59:36 2029-03-30 Medical and Health Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
PIUS NANYANGA
ID: UNCST-2026-R024505
THE EVOLUTION AND IMPACT OF DIGITAL HEALTH INTERVENTIONS ON CLINICAL WORKFLOWS, AND DECISION-MAKING AT UGANDA CANCER INSITUTE
REFNo: HS7331ES

1.Assess the impact of digital health interventions on the efficiency of
clinical workflows at the UCI.
2. Examine how digital tools influence patient-provider interactions and
contribute to streamlined clinical processes at the UCI.
3.Examine the impact of electronic medical records and clinical decision
support systems on diagnostic accuracy and treatment planning among healthcare
providers at the UCI.
4.
Explore how access to digital health intervention tools and real-time
patient data supports evidence-based clinical decision-making among healthcare
professionals at the UCI
Uganda 2026-03-27 18:07:27 2029-03-27 Medical and Health Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
John Baguma
ID: UNCST-2025-R017835
Optimising protocols for domestic rearing of the palm weevil, Rhynchophorus phoenicis, in Uganda for value added food products and biofertilizer
REFNo: A684ES

To evaluate locally available organic waste materials as ingredients for optimizing rearing of R. phoenicis. 2. To assess the effect of artificial rearing on the nutritional value and organoleptic quality of R. phoenicis larvae. 3. To investigate the effects of incorporating palm weevil larvae into bread at different inclusion rates on microbial safety, nutritional qualities and sensory properties among palm weevil traditional consumers and non-consumers. 4. To investigate the use of R. phoenicis frass at different application rates as an organic biofertilizer in tomato production.
Uganda 2026-03-26 13:12:33 2029-03-26 Agricultural Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
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