As part of efforts to expand Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) research grant portfolio, capacity building, and collaboration, Dr. Jonathan Tumwebaze, Head of Research, Grants, and Innovation, participated in a two-day Inception Workshop on Good Grant Practice Virtual Academy in Nairobi.

The workshop, organized by the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), brought together research directorates from universities and research institutions across Africa. Participants included representatives from various academies of science and researchers from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa, Namibia, DRC, Somalia, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Cameroon, and Nigeria.

The training addressed the growing priority among global funding institutions, particularly those in the Global North, to collaborate with African research universities. However, only a small fraction (about 10%) of research funding from northern foundations and governments currently reaches African research organizations. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, through APHRC, is working to bridge this gap by strengthening grant management capacity in African universities through certified training based on the Good Financial Grant Practice (GFGP) Standard.

The GFGP Standard provides comprehensive guidelines for transparency and accountability in financial management, procurement, human resource management, and governance. Achieving GFGP certification is becoming a crucial requirement for African research institutions aiming to secure major grants from international foundations and governments.

UCU aspires to have its grant management system assessed and certified at the platinum level, positioning the university to compete for large-scale research grants on the global stage.