Dr. Becky Aloo

Project Title: UK–East Africa Research Management Capacity Strengthening Across the Grant Cycle

Project Background

The two-year project is funded through the British Academy Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) to the tune of £49,994 to strengthen research management systems, grant administration capacity, knowledge exchange, and research culture across partner institutions in the United Kingdom (UK) and East Africa. The project brings together two universities from Kenya, one from Uganda, and two from the UK to enhance institutional capacity across the entire research grant lifecycle. The project addresses common challenges experienced by many universities in the Global South, including limited pre-award support systems, inadequate grant costing and compliance mechanisms, policy gaps required by international funders, limited commercialization of research outputs, and insufficient coordination of research management structures. 

Project Objectives

The project aims to:

1. Strengthen research grant acquisition and management skills across partner institutions. 
2. Enhance institutional systems for pre-award and post-award grant management. 
3. Strengthen knowledge exchange and commercialization of research outputs. 
4. Promote positive research culture and collaborative research practices. 
5. Support the development and operationalization of institutional research management policies and frameworks. 
6. Build sustainable partnerships between UK and East African universities for collaborative research and knowledge exchange. 
7. Enhance compliance with international funder requirements and research governance standards.

Collaborating Institutions

The project is jointly implemented by 5 institutions/partner institutions as listed:

1. University of Eldoret 
2. Kibabii University 
3. Makerere University 
4. Royal Holloway University of London 
5. University of Reading

The project team at the University of Eldoret includes Dr. Becky Aloo (Legal Work Package), Dr. Grace Mureithi (Motivation Work Package), Dr. George Ariya (Knowledge Exchange and Commercialization Work Package), and Dr. Jafred Muyaka (Policy Work Package), with representation from the Legal and Finance Offices for the Legal and Finance Work Packages, respectively. 

Project Activities 

Since the project commenced, three workshops have been successfully conducted, one in Kenya, one in the UK, and one in Uganda. A summary of these workshops is provided below:

1. Kenya Workshop (21-24 July 2025)

The inaugural workshop focused on laying the foundation for the project and strengthening institutional research management capacity. Participants undertook a comprehensive needs assessment and collaboratively defined key work packages. Core thematic areas included finance, legal frameworks, policy development, commercialization, and knowledge exchange. The workshop also strengthened cross-institutional understanding and set the groundwork for coordinated implementation of project activities.

2. United Kingdom Workshop (10-13 November 2025)

This workshop exposed participants to advanced research management systems in the UK. Key learning areas included grant administration structures, research support services, technology transfer mechanisms, innovation ecosystems, and commercialization pathways. Participants also engaged with knowledge exchange and research impact frameworks, gaining practical insights into how universities translate research into societal and economic value.

Photo taken during the workshop session during the Research Management Capacity Strengthening Grant Workshop at the Royal Holloway University of London from 10-13 November 2025

3. Uganda Workshop (9-12 March 2026)

The workshop covered grant writing, research costing and budgeting, intellectual property management, commercialization of research outputs, knowledge exchange, and research integrity. Participants also visited the Makerere University Innovation Hub, where they observed incubation processes, makerspaces, prototyping facilities, innovation funding mechanisms, and commercialization support systems in practice.

A workshop Session at Makerere University (9-12 March 2026) 

Key Achievements of the Project

The project has already made significant contributions toward strengthening research and innovation systems in participating institutions. The major achievements from the project include:

1. Strengthened Grant Writing Capacity: We have held 3 capacity-building workshops, one of which had over 30 researchers from African universities trained in grant writing, pre-award costing, and grant management. The researchers received intensive training in proposal development, research design, budget preparation, narrative CV development, research impact articulation, and grant compliance requirements. 
2. Development of Grant Costing Tool: A flexible pre-award grant costing tool has been developed and shared among partner institutions to improve budgeting accuracy and financial planning for collaborative research grants.
3. Institutional Policy Development: The project has initiated the development of institutional policies related to research management that are currently lacking but are required by international funders
4. Enhanced International Collaborations: The project has strengthened partnerships between UK and East African universities, and created opportunities for joint research, collaborative grant applications, peer learning, and knowledge sharing. Through this project and the created partnerships, a second British Academy grant was won by the University of Eldoret to support researchers in writing and publishing in reputable journals. Additionally, the participating African institutions have access to a database of partners at Royal Holloway University of London to facilitate connections for grant writing and research.

Areas of Focus for the Remaining Phase of the Project

As the project progresses toward completion, focus areas will include consolidation of institutional research management frameworks, finalization of institutional policies and tools, joint collaborative funding applications in the future, documentation and dissemination of project outcomes, and the expansion of networks for international research collaboration. The final project workshop will be held in the UK in October 2026 to review progress, consolidate achievements, and develop sustainability strategies.

Contribution to National and International Development Goals

The UK–East Africa Research Management Capacity Strengthening Across the Grant Cycle project aligns with and contributes to several national and international development priorities.

Contribution to National Development Goals

This project directly advances Kenya’s national development priorities as articulated in Kenya Vision 2030, the Education and Training Sector policies, and the country’s Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) framework, all of which emphasize the role of universities in driving a knowledge-based economy and sustainable development. Particularly, the project has:-

1. Strengthening Research Capacity for a Knowledge-Based Economy

Kenya’s development blueprint emphasizes the transformation of universities into engines of innovation and knowledge production that support national industrialization and socio-economic transformation. The project contributes to this goal by strengthening research management systems and enhancing the capacity for knowledge transfer for relevant research outputs that address national priorities such as food security, health, and economic development. 

2. Enhancing Research Management and Governance Structures

National education and university policy reforms highlight the need to improve governance systems, strengthen institutional management, and enhance quality assurance within universities. In this regard, the project contributes by improving research management structures across partner institutions and strengthening policy frameworks for research coordination and oversight. This enhances efficiency, transparency, and effectiveness in managing research activities aligned with national priorities.

3. Strengthening Internationalization and Strategic Partnerships

Kenya’s higher education policy recognizes international collaboration as a key driver of institutional excellence, capacity building, and global competitiveness. The project has contributed to this through:

1. Structured collaboration between Kenya, Uganda, and the UK institutions 
2. Exposure to international best practices in research management 
3. Strengthening academic and institutional linkages for long-term cooperation 
4. Promoting mobility, knowledge exchange, and peer learning between partner institutions 

This enhances the global integration of Kenyan universities and strengthens their competitiveness in international research networks.

4. Improving Capacity to Mobilize Competitive Research Funding

National STI and Vision 2030 frameworks emphasize increasing research funding and strengthening institutional capacity to attract and manage competitive grants for development-relevant research. The project contributes to this by building skills in grant writing and grant costing to enhance the capacity to secure research funding. This increases the ability of institutions to attract external funding and support evidence-based solutions to national challenges.

Contribution to International Development Goals 

The project directly contributes to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4, 9, and 17. It advances SDG 4 by strengthening research capacity and enhancing the quality of higher education through improved research management systems and skills development. In alignment with SDG 9, the project promotes innovation management and the commercialization of research outputs. Furthermore, it reinforces SDG 17 by fostering strategic partnerships between institutions in Kenya, Uganda, and the UK for knowledge exchange, capacity strengthening, and collaborative approaches to addressing global and local challenges.