In the Financial Year (FY) 2025/2026, Soroti University has received a special funding – The Research and Innovations Fund (RIF)”– from the Government of the Republic Uganda to support high impact applied/translational/development research that contributes to the socio-economic transformation agenda of the country. The Fund is reserved for research and innovations that lead or contribute to   marketable and scaleable products, technologies or approaches to solve identified problems in our communities. In Quarter 1 of FY 2025/2026, Soroti University has allocated UGX200 million (Two hundred million Schilligs only) for research and research-supporting activities.

Soroti University is therefore requesting proposals from all its eligible staff.  The proposals should clearly be linked to provisions in the fourth National (Uganda) Development Agenda (NDP IV), SDGs, and Soroti University Research and Innovations Agenda 2024/2025 – 2029/2030.  The main objective of the RIF is to support research and innovations that contribute to better delivery of national development programs. 

1. Eligibility

All teaching and non-teaching staff of Soroti University with at least a Masters degree are eligible to apply.   Multi-disciplinary and engendered teams are encouraged.  Only staff of Soroti University can apply as Principal Investigators (PIs).  Employees of other Ugandan institutions (like universities, research organizations, local governments, NGOs, etc) can be co-opted into research teams as co-investigators. A member of staff cannot be a PI in more than one proposal.  However, the PI can be a team member in a maximum of two other proposals. Non-PI staff can be members in a maximum of three proposals. All proposals should include at least one undergraduate student (where applicable). Female staff and those who did not receive Grants in SUN-RIF Round One, are encouraged to apply.

• Management of the Fund

The RIF is managed by a Grants Management Committee (GMC) appointed by Soroti University Top Management. The GMC is responsible for sourcing, selecting and issuing grants to winning research teams. The grants shall be awarded in four categories as follows:

1. Category 1 – Applied Research: In this category, the University looking for proposals that address specific and practical problems in our communities. The research should generate tangible benefits to the targeted communities by applying scientific principles to real-world contexts. In this Category, the University proposes to fund 6 to 8 proposals, each with a budget ceiling  of UGX50 million.

• Category 2 – Translational Research. Though translational research  can be viewed  as a sub-set of Applied Research (Category 1), for the purpose of this RFP, The University is seeking proposals  where researchers and innovators have  already obtained requisite data as a proof-of-concept, and now require funding to validate their studies to a level of scientifically tested prototype(s)  that can scaled at industrial level. The applicant should provide a summary of what was achieved in the prior research clearly justify and show the point at which the present proposal is continuing from.  A letter of support from the previous funder (if possible) may be submitted. In this category, the University proposes to fund 2 to 3 proposals, each with a budget ceiling of UGX50 million.

• Category 3 – Institutional Development Research: In this Category, we are seeking proposals that lead to development of new tools/approaches/technologies/methods/models for better delivery of services in Higher Education Institutions.  In this category, The University proposes to fund 2 to 3 proposals, each with a budget ceiling of UGX20 million.

• Category 4: Master’s Degrees Focused Research.  Soroti University does not currently have Masters degree programs. Yet supervision of graduate students (Masters, Ph.D) is a requirement for promotion of staff to the ranks of Associate and Professors. Currently, there are few Associate Professors and Professors in Soroti University, especially at the School of Health Sciences. In this Category, we therefore, propose to fund Masters degree students registered in a relevant graduate medical program in other public universities on condition that the students are not already funded and qualified staff of Soroti University are accepted    as their co-supervisors, and co-authors in all publications. The research funds for students shall be managed by a staff of Soroti University who will be a co-supervisor. The funds shall be utilized to support only field data collection, field supervision, data analysis, thesis writing and preparation of manuscripts.  In this category, the University proposes to fund 2 to 3 Masters students, with a budget ceiling of UGX15 million per student.

Find more details from the files attached below