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Closing soonResearch grant2026

Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund Round 8 (Mak-RIF 8)

Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Government of Uganda)

Makerere University's flagship government-funded research programme is accepting new research and innovation proposals aligned with Uganda's national development priorities.

Deadline
2 October 2026
Region
Uganda, East Africa
Uganda
Uganda eligible
Who can apply
Makerere University academic staff, Makerere University research staff
Career stage
Early-career researcher, Mid-career researcher, Established researcher
View official opportunity Last verified: 3 September 2026

In 30 seconds

  • How much: UGX 6 billion across the round, with at least 58 awards expected. Per-award ceilings are set in the official call.
  • Who: Makerere University staff holding a qualifying appointment as PI or Co-PI.
  • What: applied research and innovation aligned with Uganda's national development priorities.
  • Biggest condition: the PI/Co-PI appointment rule at Makerere, not simply being based in Uganda.
  • Due: 2 October 2026 (EAT). Applicant sensitisation webinar on 8 September 2026 at 12:00 PM EAT.
  • Duration: as specified in the official Round 8 call.

What this opportunity is

The Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF) is a Government of Uganda allocation channelled through Makerere University to fund research and innovation that responds to national development priorities. It is an internal university competition rather than an open international call.

Round 8 opened on 31 August 2026 with UGX 6 billion available and at least 58 awards expected across the round. It is a project grant scheme: teams propose defined pieces of work with users, outputs and a translation pathway, not open-ended academic exploration.

Because the fund is publicly financed, reviewers look for a clearly Ugandan problem and a credible route from findings to policy, service delivery, products or practice. Award categories and ceilings are set in the official Round 8 call document; check them there before you budget.

What it funds

  • Applied research responding to Uganda's national development priorities
  • Innovation, prototyping and technology adaptation with identified users
  • Health and public health research
  • Agriculture, food systems and engineering research
  • Social science and policy-facing research

Eligibility

Institution
Makerere University. PI and Co-PI eligibility is defined by appointment type in the official call.
Country
Uganda
Researchers outside Makerere
Not specified in the published call summary available to us. Confirm collaboration rules in the official Round 8 document before planning an external partnership.
Career stage
Open to early-career through established researchers holding eligible appointments

Is this a good fit for you?

Methods Bench interpretation, not official funder eligibility.

Apply if

  • You hold a qualifying Makerere University appointment that allows you to serve as PI or Co-PI
  • Your project addresses a specific Ugandan problem rather than a general literature gap
  • You can name the ministry, agency, district, industry or community that will use the results
  • You have a realistic translation pathway to policy, practice, a product or a service
  • Your team can deliver within the duration set in the official call

Probably skip if

  • You do not hold an eligible Makerere appointment and have no eligible Makerere PI
  • The study is descriptive with no identified user of the findings
  • The proposal is essentially a personal thesis or publication plan
  • The budget or scope cannot fit the category ceiling in the official call

What could a competitive project look like?

Illustrative ideas, not suggestions from the funder. They are here to show the scale of work this call can realistically support.

  • A district-level implementation study that tests a delivery change with the health or education office that would use the result.
  • A prototype or technology adaptation with an identified Ugandan user group and a stated pathway to uptake.
  • A policy-facing analysis commissioned or requested by a named ministry, agency or local government unit.

What you need to prepare

Required by the call

  • Proposal submitted through the Mak-RIF process as set out in the official Round 8 call

How the application works

  1. 1
    Check your appointment eligibility

    Confirm that you and your Co-PIs meet the PI/Co-PI appointment rules in the Round 8 call.

  2. 2
    Attend or review the sensitisation webinar

    Held on 8 September 2026 at 12:00 PM EAT.

  3. 3
    Select a category and confirm the ceiling

    Read the funding categories and ceilings in the official call before budgeting.

  4. 4
    Develop the proposal with your intended user

    Agree the problem and the use of results with the ministry, agency, district or community involved.

  5. 5
    Submit through the official Mak-RIF process

    Follow the submission route and format stated on rif.mak.ac.ug.

Key dates

Call opened
31 August 2026
Applicant sensitisation webinar
8 September 2026
Deadline
2 October 2026

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The Methods Bench take

Our editorial reading of the call. The funder remains the authoritative source.

Best suited for
Makerere staff with an applied problem, a named user of the results and a plausible route from evidence to policy, service delivery or a product.
The main hurdle
The appointment rule. Many strong Ugandan researchers cannot lead a RIF application because they do not hold a qualifying Makerere appointment, so the PI question must be settled first.
Start early on
Written engagement with the ministry, district or agency that would use the results, and internal clearance from your college or school.
Watch out for
Submitting a generic descriptive academic study. Without a clear translation pathway, a technically sound proposal still scores poorly in this fund.

Before you start, check

  • Do I hold an appointment that allows me to be PI or Co-PI?
  • Is my problem statement specific to Uganda?
  • Can I name who will use the findings and how?
  • Does my budget fit the ceiling in the official call?
  • Can my college or school clear the submission before 2 October?
  • Have I read the Round 8 call document rather than a previous round?

Working on an application?

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