Research Directorate PDF Print E-mail
Research is part of UMU’s three-track mandate (i.e. teaching, research and community service). Indeed, its research activities touch on all three categories of research relevant to a higher learning institution, namely, student research, and staff research.

The Research directorate is principally responsible for overseeing the management of research in Uganda Martyrs University and is run by a team comprising of the Director, Assistant Director, Editor and Documentation Officer.


   1.      Assoc. Prof. Dr. Charles Ssekyewa - Director Research
   2.      Mrs. Abisagi N. Kasoma - Assistant Director, Research
   3.      Mr. Jude Ssempebwa - Editor
   4.      Mt Leonard Kawuki - Documentation officer


Established in 2008, the Research Directorate is divided into three components namely research, publications and documentation, and was put is in place to achieve the following objectives:

Overall Objective

   1.  Coordinate the implementation of research strategies for complying with the UMU research policy.


Specific Objectives

   1. Regularly update its data base of major issues limiting development among Ugandan communities and coordinate the setting of research priorities, in line with community needs and aspirations, to take care of all development sectors to develop a comprehensive, unified and prioritized research strategy
   2.Initiate and foster multidisciplinary linkage with research centres of excellence, as well as, research programmes / projects, both in country and abroad
   3.Conduct regular internal and external sharing of knowledge in form of seminars, symposia, conferences, and literature exchanges
   4.Establish a research fund to facilitate outstanding research proposals that may not meet set external guidelines, though would be beneficial to enhancing UMU’s growth strategy
   5.Source and run in vivo and in vitro demonstration of the rich African Culture and indigenous knowledge


In order for the research directorate to achieve above specific objectives the following activities will be conducted.

   1. Conduct a review of community needs through regular (10 years intervals) cross-culture and multidisciplinary needs assessment to cover at least all regions of Uganda.
   2. Develop a clear linkage between the Research Directorate,and the School for Postgraduate Studies, Faculties and schools in order to have well packaged human and technological outputs delivered to our stakeholders
   3. Set research priorities basing on identified constraints. Through a participatory process which will involve all faculties and representatives of the community, identified constraints shall be prioritized and research areas, that require immediate action shall be determined
   4.Coordinate development of sound research proposals and create a proposal bank. Researchers in different faculties, schools and departments shall submit information about their written, submitted and funded research proposals to the Research Directorate (RD).
   5. Identify potential research funding institutions/ programmes, and ensure submission of relevant proposals to donor agencies. This will be based on what is already written/proposed or by running new research proposal writing/submission calls
   6. Promote the growth, and manage the UMU research fund by contacting donor agencies, as well as generating some funds through marketing/ exhibiting research products such as the UMU cultural museum, the eco-site, Architecture museum, and sale of journals.
   7.  Facilitate researchers with key research audio-visual tools and research statistical programmes. The RD acquired various research equipments. These facilities shall be labeled and an inventory kept. Interested researchers shall be facilitated with desirable tools according to set guidelines, available in the RD.
   8. Coordinate writing up of research papers, journals, monographs, and posters as well as availing this packaged knowledge to the Out Reach Directorate for analysis and re-packaging for the bottom most member of the community
   9. Coordinate the documentation and publication of research results
  10. Work together with the SPGS to ensure students get involved in staff initiated research, which contribution would form their dissertations. Good dissertations and theses shall be written up into research papers to be submitted and presented during the annual research conference.
  11. Document packaged knowledge of unique and specific nature to the African stakeholder. Articles in Newspapers shall be archived by the Documentation and Publications section of the RD. Books on key issues affecting the African people shall be purchased or acquired through exchange with partner institutions as well as networks and documented by the African Research and Documentation Centre (ARDC).
  12. Conduct seminars and an annual research conference for the sharing of research findings. Every November of the year and before graduation, a research conference shall be convened to share outstanding research findings. Good research papers shall be published in the Journal of Science and Sustainable Development or in the Mutafti Mwafrika monograph.
  13.   Publish research results in at least two journals: Mtafiti Mwafrika (African Researcher Monograph) and the Journal of Science and Sustainable Development
  14. Promote submission of excellent/ outstanding papers to international journals with impact factors
  15. Exchange packaged knowledge with key networks and institutions
  16.Source and maintain a collection of African cultural artifacts for the UMU cultural museum
  17.Exhibit African cultural materials, architecture and knowledge in museums at a fee for outsiders and freely to UMU community
  18. Monitor and evaluate research activities, especially those funded under the UMU research fund
  19.Maintain an internal reward mechanism to recognize outstanding research outputs, preferably in form of research grants, a percentage of which would be awarded to the institute, faculty/department to which the researcher belongs
  20.Develop an electronic research management system


About publications

Journal of Science and Sustainable Development

Biannually, the Research Directorate produces the Journal of science and Sustainable Development (ISSN: 2070-1748). The goal of the Journal is to provide a visible and high impact outlet for definitive articles that discuss the concept of development from an interdisciplinary viewpoint. Therefore, contributions to the Journal typically go beyond the “how we did it” narration of known success stories to link theory to practice whilst spanning over traditional disciplinary boundaries and giving due attention to the role of sustainability in development as well as the dilemmas that characterize some development endeavours, especially in the third world. The Journal gives special preference to conceptual and empirical writing that is relevant to Africa’s peculiar development needs whilst integrating pertinent international developments, debates and challenges, because it acknowledges that the questions, issues, theories, and policies pertaining to Africa’s development require in-depth study, discussion and analysis. Therefore, the Journal provides an outlet for examining these questions, issues, theories, and policies in a rigorous and scholarly manner. To this end, the Research Directorate invites papers from a wide range of disciplines that reflect different research, theoretical, and application perspectives concerning the development of Africa and mankind as a whole.

Mtafiti Mwafrika

Mtafiti Mwafrika, the Swahili synonym for African Researcher, is a monograph series intended to offer a platform where scholars interested in African issues can exchange their ideas, and contribute to the understanding of the African reality. The monograph is published by Uganda Martyrs University Research Directorate. Copies of the monograph are available at Uganda Martyrs University Research Directorate and Library. Abstracts of past issues are also available online, at Uganda Martyrs University website: www.fiuc.org/iaup/ssi/pdf-doc/umu-doc/mtafi ti/bottom.html. Mtafiti Mwafrika is indexed in African Journals Online (AJOL) at: www.ajol.info/journal_index.php?jid=293. Article contributions, as well as enquiries on thematic and stylistic requirements, may be sent to the Editor at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Subscriptions

Journal of Science and Sustainable Development: $50/£30; Personal rate: $10/£7. Electronic access is available for members of institutions with a print subscription. Further details on subscriptions can be obtained from the Editor at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Information on lecturer and student discounts, single issue rates, local sales representatives, and advertising in the Journal are also available from the Editor.


Mtafiti Mwafrika: Issues of Mtafiti Mwafrika cost different amounts. Requests for current price lists, and subscription orders, should be sent to the Editor at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Payments should be effected on Account Number 007517 of African Research and Documentation Centre with Centenary Rural Development Bank.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 10:08