Kyambogo University
Kyambogo UniversityResearch & Innovation Fund
Request for Proposals · FY 2026/2027

Competitive Research Grants Scheme & Evidence-Based Research and Innovation Fund

Kyambogo University invites full-time academic staff to submit research and innovation proposals aligned with the University Research Agenda, the National Development Plan IV and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Apply Online → Download the Call
Released25 July 2026
Webinars31 Jul & 7 Aug
Deadline28 August 2026

About the scheme

Strengthening research capacity and evidence-based innovation at Kyambogo University.

The Competitive Research Grants Scheme (CRGS) supports early- and mid-career researchers to develop independent research projects, increasing the volume and quality of research, enhancing capacity to supervise graduate students, and building successful grant-writing capacity.

Additionally, Government funds secured for FY2026/27 support the Evidence-Based Research and Innovation Fund (KyU-RIF) — increasing research-based innovation outputs, promoting knowledge transfer through commercialization, publications and patents, and generating scalable models that create decent jobs.

Funding streams

Two streams, five categories. Multi-year projects budget for one financial year at a time.

Stream 1 · Competitive Research Grants Scheme

UGX 25M (Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences) · UGX 40M (Science-based)

  • One-time award for early- and mid-career researchers.
  • Up to UGX 5M extra for small equipment (on justification; remains University property).

Stream 2 · Evidence-Based Research & Innovation

Up to UGX 240M · multi-disciplinary

  • Early Innovation & Proof of Concept — UGX 50M–80M
  • Evidence Generation & Validation — UGX 80M–120M
  • Position for Scale-Up & Systems Impact — UGX 120M–240M

Thematic areas

Proposals must fall under one of these priority themes and a specific sub-theme.

Theme 1: Sustainable Agriculture, Food Systems and Bioeconomy

  • Climate-smart agriculture
  • Food systems transformation
  • Agricultural mechanization
  • Agricultural value addition
  • Circular bioeconomy

Theme 2: Inclusive Education, Human Capital Development and Lifelong Learning

  • Education policy
  • Inclusive education
  • Digital learning
  • TVET transformation
  • Lifelong learning

Theme 3: Governance, Public Policy, Business Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Economic Transformation

  • Public sector transformation
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Digital economy
  • Industrial competitiveness
  • Labour markets

Theme 4: Environment, Climate Change, Water, Energy and Natural Resource Sustainability

  • Climate adaptation
  • Water resources
  • Environmental health
  • Renewable energy
  • Biodiversity

Theme 5: Peace, Security, Justice and Community Resilience

  • Peacebuilding
  • Justice systems
  • Cybersecurity
  • Disaster risk management
  • Community safety

Theme 6: Regional Integration, Global Partnerships and International Development

  • Regional trade
  • Migration
  • Diplomacy
  • Global health

Theme 7: Creative Arts, Culture Heritage and Creative Economy

  • Cultural heritage
  • Creative industries
  • Cultural entrepreneurship
  • Arts for development

Theme 8: Sustainable Cities, Communities and Infrastructure Development

  • Smart cities
  • Transport
  • Housing
  • Sanitation
  • Infrastructure resilience

Theme 9: Science, Technology, Engineering, Innovation and Digital Transformation

  • Artificial intelligence
  • Biotechnology
  • Advanced manufacturing
  • Digital technologies
  • Health technologies
  • Innovation ecosystems

Theme 10: Public Health, Mental Health, and Health Systems Strengthening

  • Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing
  • Public Health
  • Infectious and Non-Communicable Diseases
  • Maternal, Child and Reproductive Health
  • Health Systems Research
  • Digital Health
  • Disability and Rehabilitation
  • Community Health

Eligibility

Who can apply

  • The Principal Investigator (PI) must be a full-time academic staff member of Kyambogo University.
  • The PI must hold a PhD and be actively in service (not on study or sabbatical leave).
  • A researcher may be PI on only one application, and a team member on up to three.
  • Evidence-based grants are multi-disciplinary — collaboration with government, civil society, industry and other universities is encouraged (external members provide a letter of support). Solo applications are not allowed.
  • Prior grantees may apply, but awards depend on all existing projects being completed and accountabilities cleared.
  • PIs are encouraged to include a registered graduate student and a grants administrator on the team.
  • Female academic staff are strongly encouraged to apply.

How to apply

Applications are submitted online only

  1. Register on the grants portal and create your account.
  2. Complete the online application form for your chosen funding category.
  3. Attach your detailed budget (MS Excel), CVs and letters of support.
  4. Submit before 28 August 2026, 11:59pm EAT.

Go to the application portal →

How your proposal is evaluated

Every application is reviewed competitively against published criteria.

Selection process

  1. Administrative review (eligibility & completeness).
  2. Independent external expert peer review.
  3. Technical panel assessment, due diligence & budget review.
  4. Final funding recommendation by the Research Grants Committee.

Applicants are notified of the outcome at the end of each stage. The efficiency and effectiveness of the budget is itself a major evaluation criterion.

Evaluation criteria

CriterionWeight
Scientific excellence and technical quality20%
Innovation and originality15%
Feasibility and implementation capacity20%
Dissemination, potential development and societal impact15%
Evidence generation strategy15%
Capacity strengthening5%
Community engagement and co-creation5%
Cross cutting issues5%
Total100%

Downloads

Read the full call and prepare your application offline before submitting online.

PDFRequest for ProposalsFull call document · FY2026/27 DOCApplication TemplateOffline drafting guide

Prefer Word? Download the call as a .docx.

Ready to apply?

Create an account or log in to start your FY2026/2027 proposal.

Apply Online →