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  
Carolyn Pelnik
ID:
Identifying and Easing Constraints on Microenterprise Location within Kampala, Uganda (Experimental Phase)
REFNo: SS1324ES

The study objectives are as follows:
1. To determine whether business relocation within Kampala can increase profits for mobile microentrepreneurs (primary objective)
2. To identify which constraints might restrict microentrepreneurs’ business locations within the city by separately relieving information and liquidity constraints (secondary objective)
 USA 2022-06-28 16:47:30 2025-06-28 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Shevin  Jacob Thomas
ID:
Oxygen requirements and approaches to respiratory support in patients with COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries: a WHO study
REFNo: HS2399ES

1. To characterize the type and duration of different modalities of respiratory support delivered to patients with suspected or confirmed severe and critical COVID-19 in LMICs. a. To quantify the amount (m3 and L/min.) of oxygen delivered to patients with suspected or confirmed severe and critical COVID-19 in LMICs b. To describe practice patterns in escalation and de-escalation of oxygen therapy and respiratory support for patients with suspected or confirmed severe and critical COVID-19 in LMICs 2. To describe baseline demographics and hospital outcomes of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 3. To describe facility-level characteristics for oxygen delivery and respiratory support
USA 2022-08-23 17:18:56 2025-08-23 Medical and Health Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Jason Pope Neal
ID:
FACILITATING CONSENSUS, CREATING A TOOL: UNDERSTANDING COMMUNITY VALUES OF SCREENING FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING AMONG UGANDAN DOMESTIC WORKERS RETURNING FROM THE GULF STATES
REFNo: SS1334ES

1. Understand how women who have travelled from Uganda to the Gulf States for domestic work view approaches to identifying individuals who have experienced exploitation.


2. Identify the 6 questions that are most sensitive and specific to the human trafficking among women that travel from Uganda to the Gulf States for domestic work.

3. Develop a consensus among key thought leaders as to the types of questions that need to be represented in a screening tool.
 USA 2022-08-19 13:04:25 2025-08-19 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
Lydia Boyd
ID:
Maternal Health Beyond the Clinic: Women's Attitudes about Reproductive Care Providers in Uganda
REFNo: SS1337ES

Qualitative study of women's decision making and access to maternal health providers.
 USA 2022-08-16 14:17:05 2025-08-16 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Macdonald Isabel
ID:
Do anonymous ratings build trust in mobile money agents? Evidence from Uganda
REFNo: SS1344ES

The goal of the research is to determine if mobile money users in Uganda trust anonymous customer ratings, and if these ratings would make users more willing to trust unknown agents. Furthermore, the research will explore the extent to which social stigmas restrict information sharing about agent trustworthiness.
Specific Objectives
Establish whether anonymous reviews increase trust, both in behavioral games and in unknown mobile money agents
Investigate if social stigmas restrict info sharing about agent trustworthiness

 USA 2022-07-15 15:59:49 2025-07-15 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Monica Swahn H
ID: UNCST-2021-R012004
 The Onward Project On Well-being and Adversity (“TOPOWA”): Focus Groups and Photovoice
REFNo: SS1347ES

To identify AGYW’s perceptions of proximal social and environmental stressors and their role in mental health outcomes. This study will focus on answering this objective focus groups discussions and the Photovoice to collect perspectives of AGYW who are 18-24 years and older.
 USA 2022-07-12 12:31:26 2025-07-12 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Moses Dombo
ID: UNCST-2021-R013076
 PERFORMANCE OF THE DECENTRALIZATION POLICY IN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE DELIVERY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN UGANDA Cases of Butaleja, Mpigi and Bushenyi districts
REFNo: A206ES

a) To assess whether administrative decentralization has resulted in improved human resource management (HRM) functions in the three local governments, in the context of agricultural service delivery.
b) To explore whether political decentralization has enhanced citizen participation, voice, and representation in agricultural service delivery.
c) To determine whether fiscal decentralization has been responsive to the revenue collection and management needs of the three local governments, in the context of delivering public agricultural services.
d) To investigate whether, through decentralization, the three local governments have been able to provide enhanced agricultural extension services.

 USA 2022-09-20 12:52:13 2025-09-20 Agricultural Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
Michael Bermudez
ID:
Perceptions of Makerspace Learning in Uganda: A Qualitative Study
REFNo: SIR121ES

To determine what technology-based products that can potentially help students with disabilities the student participants have collaboratively created during research makerspace sessions,To determine the positive and the negative features of the use of 3D printers and circuit boards according to the student participants’ perceptions,To determine the student participants’ perceptions regarding the use of makerspace technology,To determine the student participants' perceptions regarding the learning process associated with makerspace.,
 USA 2022-07-18 14:39:37 2025-07-18 Engineering and Technology Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Allison Ross
ID:
Behavioral Nudges to Encourage Appropriate Antibiotic Use Among Health Professionals in Uganda
REFNo: HS2429ES

Collect immediate post-intervention and follow up data to analyze and assess the short- and medium-term impact of the behavioral intervention. Implement the behavioral intervention developed in Phase II to impact prescribing behaviors. Develop a culturally appropriate behavioral intervention based on findings from Phase I. Gain an improved understanding of the cultural context around prescriptions in Ugandan hospitals to inform intervention development. Additionally, collect baseline data on prescribing behaviors among staff. Increase adherence to national antibiotic prescribing guidelines among hospital-based health care providers in Uganda by implementing a behavioral “nudge” intervention, contributing to the containment of AMR in the country.
 USA 2022-10-27 7:21:19 2025-10-27 Medical and Health Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Schola  Matovu Nakachwa
ID: UNCST-2022-R011040
 Development of an Intervention Designed to Promote Economic Empowerment, Social Support, and Health of Grandmothers who Provide Primary Care for Grandchildren in Uganda.
REFNo: SS1376ES

To pilot a small intervention as informed by the refined intervention to test its acceptability and feasibility among Ugandan grandmother-caregivers 50 years and older (N=15).,To develop and refine the intervention components based on information gathered in objective 1 and through an iterative feedback process from the CAB. ,To use a formative community-engaged research approach to inform the development of a multicomponent intervention for grandmother-caregivers.,To use a formative community-engaged research approach to inform the development of an intervention that will promote economic empowerment, peer group support, and health education geared towards improving the quality of life andthe mental and physical health of grandmothers who provide primary care for grandchildren affected by HIV/AIDS and poverty in Uganda. ,
 USA 2022-07-25 12:36:36 2025-07-25 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Alison Comfort
ID: UNCST-2022-R011501
 Understanding individual- and social network-level factors affecting infant HIV testing to design social network interventions to increase testing of HIV-exposed infants
REFNo: SS1395ES

Aim 2: Conduct qualitative research to explore the mechanisms linking social networks to infant HIV testing,Aim 1: Estimate individual- and social network-level correlates of infant HIV testing,
 USA 2022-09-08 15:49:03 2025-09-08 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Jenna Grzeslo
ID:
BRAC Girls Talk: Exploring the feasibility of an interactive voice response for Youth Empowerment Program in Uganda
REFNo: SS1401ES

To evaluate the level of usability, accessibility, and relevancy of gamified content to Adolescent Girls and Young Women(AGYW) and to determine the relationship between engaging with IVR-enabled ELA content on early outcomes and proxies for self-efficacy, economic empowerment, and social empowerment. Our second research objective is focused on the relevance of the BRAC Girls Talk content to AGYW. In order to explore this objective, we will conduct focus group discussions (FGDs) with program participants.
 USA 2022-11-29 12:26:24 2025-11-29 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Carolyn Pelnik
ID:
How Important are Investment Indivisibilities for Development? Understanding Land Investment and its Long-Run Impacts in Uganda
REFNo: NS403ES

We are interested in understanding the long-run dynamics of the land market in rural and peri-urban Uganda and how land markets are related to poverty traps. We hope to better understand the extent to which poor households invest in land in order to exit poverty traps. This will help us to evaluate whether land may be a stepping stone to capital accumulation (perhaps via collateral), and the potential for policy intervention that can increase growth and development.
 USA 2022-09-12 18:24:01 2025-09-12 Natural Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Michelle Brown
ID: UNCST-2022-R009670
 Describing the vocal repertoire of L’Hoest’s monkeys
REFNo: NS410ES

To test whether L’Hoest’s monkeys (Allochrocebus lhoesti) contradict the ‘social complexity hypothesis’ by determining whether they communicate in frequencies too low for human hearing.
 USA 2025-02-07 18:02:59 2028-02-07 Natural Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Isabelle Clark Rae
ID: UNCST-2022-R010329
 Social development of infant and juvenile chimpanzees in two communities following permanent fission at Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda
REFNo: NS413ES

To determine the demographic, social and individual-level factors shaping social development in two adjacent communities of different size and composition following a rare permanent fission.
 USA 2023-05-11 13:52:27 2026-05-11 Natural Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
Sarah Walker
ID:
The regional dynamics of deforestation. Evidence from Kenya and Uganda
REFNo: SS1485ES

Given the pervasiveness of insecure land tenure institutions around the developing world, and the role of historical institutions in shaping preferences and behavior, it is important to understand how the design of PES programs may interact with historical land tenure structures. In this project, we design a willingness to accept experiment, and framed field experiment, across three regions of Uganda to answer the following questions:

1. What is the optimal design of an avoided deforestation PES program in Uganda?
2. How do land tenure institutions impact the design of an avoided PES program in Uganda?
3. How does the security of land tenure impact deforestation behavior and trust in Uganda?
 USA 2022-12-05 12:03:29 2025-12-05 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
James Hintson
ID: UNCST-2022-R010009
 Service Delivery and Public Infrastructure in Northern Uganda
REFNo: SS1476ES

The primary objective of the study is to describe and explain increases in service delivery, public infrastructure, and state-society interactions in Northern Uganda over time. The secondary objectives are to document community leaders’ satisfaction with the expansion of service delivery and public infrastructure construction, and to validate a separately collected dataset on public infrastructure throughout sub-Saharan Africa over time, as derived from satellite imagery.
 USA 2022-10-19 10:58:32 2025-10-19 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
Pooja Chitneni
ID: UNCST-2021-R012955
 Development and assessment of an HIV disclosure intervention for men in Uganda - Aim 1
REFNo: HS2682ES

Aim 1. Identify the unique HIV disclosure needs and preferences among MWH to support HIV disclosure. ,
 USA 2023-04-03 20:55:31 2026-04-03 Medical and Health Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
Peter Ferrarone Timothy
ID:
Helping nurses overcome structural drivers of absenteeism in Uganda: A survey and discrete choice experiment
REFNo: HS2529ES

4.2 Objectives and research questions
1. To explore factors internal to the Ugandan health care sector that may be leading nurses to be absent from work
a) What job characteristics or conditions of employment are most influential in encouraging nurses / managers / midwives to not attend work?
b) Are there non-monetary job characteristics that are particularly important to nurses?
c) Are there substantial differences between nurses / managers / midwives that lead to differences in attendance and are there incentives to address these differences?
d) If so, does the effectiveness of interventions to overcome absenteeism vary according to these differences between nurses / managers / midwives?
e) Are there incentives encouraging nurses to be absent across the system and do these affect different groups of nurses / managers / midwives differently?
f) What effect, if any, does employment setting (urban versus rural) have on absenteeism and an individual’s decision to be absent?

2. To explore factors external to the Ugandan health care sector that may be leading nurses to be absent from work
a) What individual, social, structural, and contextual factors are most influential in encouraging nurses / managers / midwives not to attend work?
b) How do health worker characteristics influence service provider preferences in relation to incentives and other potential policy interventions to overcome absenteeism?
c) Are there substantial differences between nurses / managers / midwives that lead to differences in attendance and are there incentives to address these differences?
d) Does the effectiveness of interventions to overcome absenteeism vary according to these differences between nurses / managers / midwives?
e) Are there incentives encouraging nurses to be absent across the system and do these affect different groups of nurses / managers / midwives differently?
f) How does intrinsic and extrinsic motivation affect attendance at work?
g) What do health workers believe and perceive (from personal experience of word-of-mouth) is currently being done to combat absenteeism and what do they believe will be the most feasible policy solutions in the future?
3. To identify feasible policy interventions that are most likely to be taken up and impact behaviour
a) What are the experiences and perceptions of health care service providers of monetary and non-monetary incentives and other factors affecting service provider motivation and performance to inform the design of policy interventions to overcome absenteeism and ensure the delivery of quality health care services in Uganda?
b) Are there characteristics of health facilities that influence service provider preferences in relation to incentives and other potential policy interventions to overcome absenteeism?
c) What proportion of health workers would choose to attend work rather than be absent if presented with specific (hypothetical) job characteristics? How does this vary across the population?
d) What trade-offs, if any, are nurses willing to make between these attributes to identify the optimal combination of these factors for packages of policy interventions that can be implemented in light of local resource constraints to align the incentives facing frontline health care providers especially in rural settings to address the issue of absenteeism?
e) Are nurses / managers / midwives willing to trade between “carrot” and “stick” interventions to reduce absenteeism?
f) Is salary the main incentive? Are there non-monetary incentives that are likely to have an impact on nurse absenteeism?
g) What is the range of feasible and affordable policy interventions that are likely to be effective in addressing health worker absenteeism?
h) Is changing individual or group incentives likely to lead to less absenteeism?

 USA 2022-12-14 14:10:49 2025-12-14 Medical and Health Sciences Non-Clinical Trial Degree Award
Monica Swahn H
ID: UNCST-2021-R012004
 The Onward Project On Well-being and Adversity (“TOPOWA”): Pilot Study of Wearables
REFNo: SS1560ES

The objective of this study is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of using consumer-grade wearable wrist devices to assess sleep and activity space of adolescent girls and young women in slum communities in Kampala, Uganda. This objective will be answered through wearables wrist devices, daily diaries, focus groups discussions and a survey to collect the experiences of AGYW who are 18-24 years of age.
USA 2022-12-23 18:08:19 2025-12-23 Social Science and Humanities Non-Clinical Trial Non-degree Award
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