MUST One Health Small Research Grants 2026: Greater Virunga Landscape
Mbarara University of Science and Technology (SOH-PPR-GVL Project)
Small research grants of up to US$10,000 for graduate students and multidisciplinary teams conducting One Health research in the Greater Virunga Landscape.
- Deadline
- 12 September 2026, 11:59 PM EAT
- Funding
- Up to USD 10,000
- Duration
- Up to 12 months
- Region
- Uganda, Rwanda, DR Congo, Greater Virunga Landscape
- Uganda
- Uganda eligible
- Who can apply
- Master's students, PhD students, Multidisciplinary research teams
- Career stage
- Master's student, Doctoral researcher, Early-career researcher
In 30 seconds
- How much: up to US$3,000 (master's), US$5,000 (PhD) or US$10,000 (research teams).
- Who: master's students, PhD students and multidisciplinary or operational research teams.
- What: One Health, zoonotic disease, surveillance and pandemic preparedness research.
- How long: up to 12 months.
- Biggest condition: the work must sit in the Greater Virunga Landscape project scope.
- Due: 12 September 2026 at 11:59 PM EAT.
What this opportunity is
This programme is run by Mbarara University of Science and Technology under the SOH-PPR-GVL project, which strengthens One Health capacity in the Greater Virunga Landscape spanning Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
It funds small, defined studies rather than large projects. Three award tiers exist: master's students, PhD students and operational or multidisciplinary research teams.
The timeline is fast. The call opened on 18 August 2026, closes on 12 September 2026, review runs 18 to 30 September, notification is on 1 October and contracting on 10 October 2026.
What it funds
- One Health research at the human, animal and environment interface
- Zoonotic and emerging infectious disease studies
- Disease surveillance and outbreak preparedness research
- Operational and multidisciplinary research by teams
Eligibility
- Applicants
- Master's students, PhD students and operational or multidisciplinary research teams
- Geography
- Greater Virunga Landscape: Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo. Confirm exact project eligibility in the official call.
- Duration
- Up to 12 months
- Award tiers
- US$3,000 master's, US$5,000 PhD, US$10,000 research teams
Is this a good fit for you?
Methods Bench interpretation, not official funder eligibility.
Apply if
- Your study sits within the Greater Virunga Landscape scope
- The question is answerable within 12 months
- You fall into one of the three applicant tiers
- Your budget fits your tier ceiling
- The work addresses One Health, zoonoses, surveillance or preparedness directly
Probably skip if
- Your study site or scope falls outside the project's geography
- You need more than 12 months or more than your tier ceiling
- The work is purely clinical or laboratory science with no One Health framing
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 cross-sectional survey of zoonotic exposure risk among a defined occupational group at the human-wildlife interface.
- An operational study of how quickly suspected outbreak signals move through the existing surveillance chain.
- A mixed-methods study of community reporting practices for animal deaths in a specific district.
What you need to prepare
Required by the call
- Application as specified in the official MUST call
How the application works
- 1Confirm your tier
Master's, PhD or research team; each has its own ceiling.
- 2Check the geographical scope
Confirm the study site falls within the Greater Virunga Landscape as defined in the call.
- 3Prepare the application
Follow the format and annexes required by the official call.
- 4Submit by 12 September 2026
Review runs 18 to 30 September, with notification on 1 October.
Key dates
- Call opened
- 18 August 2026
- Deadline
- 12 September 2026
- Proposal review
- 18 September 2026
- Notification
- 1 October 2026
- Grant contracting
- 10 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
- Graduate students in Uganda, Rwanda or DRC whose thesis work already touches zoonoses, surveillance or preparedness in the Virunga landscape.
- The main hurdle
- The short window. From the 12 September deadline to contracting on 10 October, everything moves quickly, so supervisor sign-off and ethics planning cannot wait.
- Start early on
- Supervisor endorsement, site permissions and a realistic 12-month workplan.
- Watch out for
- Proposing a study outside the project's geography, or a budget above your tier ceiling.
Before you start, check
- Which tier am I applying under?
- Is my study site inside the Greater Virunga Landscape?
- Can the study finish within 12 months?
- Is my budget within the tier ceiling?
- Do I have supervisor or institutional support in time?
Working on an application?
We can help you sharpen the research question, study design, methods, analysis plan or the full proposal. Methods Bench is independent and is not affiliated with this funder.
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