The National Research Repository of Uganda - NRU

Welcome to the National Research Repository of Uganda, abbreviated as "NRU". NRU was established in 2021. NRU is a collection of scholarly output by researchers from the UNCST Community, including scholarly articles and books, electronic theses and dissertations, conference proceedings, journals, technical reports and digitised library collections. It is the official Institutional Archive (IA) of UNCST.

Copyright Information:

For information about the publishers' copyright policy on archiving your articles online or in an institutional archive, visit the Sherpa Site at http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo.php The site gives a summary of the permissions normally given as part of each publisher's copyright transfer agreement. If you wish to publish your research findings in the NRU, please contact NRU administrator at admin@uncst.go.ug for details. NRU operates both open access and closed access models. Access to fulltext has been restricted in adherence to the UNCST Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and Copyrights policies.

Other Useful Resources:

Africa Portal is an online repository of open access library collection with over 3,000 books, journals, and digital documents on African policy issues. This is an initiative by the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), Makerere University (MAK), and the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA). Please visit the Africa Portal at http://www.africaportal.org/library.

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Now showing 1 - 5 of 10

Recent Submissions

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    NATIONAL GUIDELINES FOR RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMANS AS RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS
    (UNCST, 2025-09)
    Uganda National Council for Science and Technology
    Participants, Edition 2025 provide a national ethical and regulatory framework for the planning, review, conduct, monitoring and reporting of research involving human participants in Uganda. The Guidelines are a revised version of the 2014 National Guidelines and respond to changes in research practices, emerging scientific developments, new information and evolving ethical and regulatory requirements. They seek to ensure that research is scientifically sound and ethically conducted while protecting the rights, safety, dignity and welfare of research participants and their communities. The Guidelines provide guidance on informed consent, community engagement, privacy and confidentiality, research ethics review, research integrity, data management and transfer, vulnerable populations, genetic and genomic research, biological materials, emerging technologies and other areas requiring ethical and regulatory oversight. They also strengthen coordination among researchers, Research Ethics Committees, regulatory agencies and other stakeholders. The Guidelines are intended to promote high-quality, responsible and trustworthy research in Uganda while supporting national development, innovation and evidence-based policy. Their development was informed by national and international ethical standards and frameworks, including the Sustainable Development Goals, African Union Agenda 2063, STISA and Uganda Vision 2040, and involved broad stakeholder consultation.
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    NATIONAL GUIDELINES FOR JOINT SCIENTIFIC AND ETHICAL REVIEW OF RESEARCH
    (UNCST, 2025-09)
    Uganda National Council for Science and Technology
    The National Guidelines for Joint Scientific and Ethical Review of Research in Uganda provide a comprehensive framework for coordinating and streamlining the scientific and ethical review of research studies that require joint regulatory oversight. Developed by the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST), in collaboration with the Uganda National Health Research Organization (UNHRO) and the National Drug Authority (NDA), the guidelines respond to the increasing volume and complexity of research proposals in Uganda and the need for efficient, coordinated regulatory review. The Joint Scientific and Ethical Review (JoSER) mechanism brings together national regulatory agencies, institutional committees, subject matter experts and relevant stakeholders to undertake a coordinated review of eligible research proposals. The guidelines establish the roles and responsibilities of participating institutions, criteria for studies that may require joint review, procedures for submission, pre-screening, scheduling and conduct of JoSER meetings, review of revised proposals, regulatory decision-making, monitoring and inspection. They particularly address complex and emerging research areas, including innovative treatments, new and emerging technologies, public health emergencies, genetic testing and modification, potentially hazardous materials, and research involving human stem cells or fetal tissues. The guidelines aim to improve the quality and consistency of research review, reduce duplication, optimize approval timelines, strengthen coordination among regulators and safeguard research participants. They apply to qualifying research across health, agriculture and environmental sciences, physical and biological sciences, humanities and social sciences, industrial and engineering sciences, and information sciences.
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    Climate-driven maize yield prediction across Uganda’s ZARDI zones using pooled learning and uncertainty-aware modeling
    (Springer International Publishing, 2026-05-07)
    Taremwa, Danison;
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    Ahishakiye, Emmanuel;
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    Obbo, Aggrey ;
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    Kisozi, Paul Kategaya;
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    Kaggwa, Fred
    Abstract Accurate maize yield prediction is essential for agricultural planning and food security, yet remains challenging in data-scarce, heterogeneous agroecological settings. This study investigates climate-driven maize yield prediction across Uganda’s Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (ZARDI) regions using a pooled modeling framework that mitigates the problem of extremely small zone-specific sample sizes. Seasonal climatic variables, including rainfall, temperature, solar radiation, and soil moisture, collected from 2018 to 2021, were integrated with zone indicators and evaluated under a strict leave-one-year-out (LOYO) cross-validation protocol to prevent temporal information leakage. Regularized linear regression (Ridge) achieved the most reliable generalization performance, with a root mean squared error (RMSE) of approximately 0.98 t ha−1 and mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.57 t ha−1, marginally outperforming global-mean (RMSE ≈ 0.99 t ha−1) and ZARDI-mean (RMSE ≈ 1.05 t ha−1) baselines. More complex models, including a constrained XGBoost regressor, did not yield consistent performance gains under LOYO evaluation. Zone-specific analysis revealed substantial heterogeneity, with some regions exhibiting moderate predictive skill (MAE < 0.25 t ha−1), while others showed weak climate–yield coupling and negative coefficients of determination. To address overconfidence in the face of data scarcity, prediction uncertainty was explicitly quantified using conformal prediction intervals based on out-of-fold residuals. Global prediction intervals achieved empirical coverage of 91.7% and 96.3% at the 90% and 95% nominal levels, respectively, indicating well-calibrated uncertainty estimates. Zone-specific interval widths varied markedly, ranging from approximately 0.84 t ha−1 in better-performing regions to over 4.6 t ha−1 in the most uncertain zones. Model interpretability analysis using SHapley Additive exPlanations identified rainfall, soil moisture, solar radiation, and seasonal timing as the dominant drivers of yield predictions, while zone identifiers contributed minimally. The proposed framework provides a transparent, defensible basis for yield assessment and underscores the need to integrate additional agronomic and remotely sensed data to improve predictive skill in regions with weak climate–yield relationships.
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    Herd and shade characteristics associated with thermal stress management in cattle
    (Taylor & Francis Group, 2026-08-19)
    Gad Kwizera;
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    Christopher Mukasa;
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    Davy David Okello Owiny
    Cattle production in Sub-Saharan Africa faces a variety of stresses which negatively affect cattle welfare and productivity. This study examined herd and shade characteristics associated with thermal stress management in Uganda’s cattle corridor. A quantitative observational research design was adopted to study the phenomenon. Quantitative data were collected from 479 cattle–rearing households in the Lira, Soroti, and Kotido areas of the cattle corridor using a questionnaire. Data were analysed using multivariable logistic regression. Findings indicated that exotic breeds, white-coloured-coat cattle, patched-coloured-coat cattle, and the absence of a roof were significantly associated (p < 0.05) with thermal stress management in cattle. Farmers with indigenous cattle did not manage thermal stress. Whereas roofed structures, large canopy trees planted in pastureland, cooling measures such as fans and misters, and access to water at will are recommended practices, they were significantly lacking in the cattle corridor. Based on the findings, agricultural extension agents should refocus their training to address thermal stress in cattle, thereby optimising production and reproduction. This study uniquely examines how breed type, coat colour, and shade-related infrastructure are associated with thermal stress management practices, filling an important knowledge gap in tropical livestock adaptation research.
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    Integrating traditional healers into the emergency care continuum in Uganda: a missed opportunity?
    (African Federation for Emergency Medicine, 2026-05-07)
    Kakande, Reagan;
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    Pelletier, Jessica;
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    Betty, Nambasa ;
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    Zulfiqa, Muhammad
    Traditional healing systems remain central to healthcare delivery in many low- and middle-income countries, including Uganda, where they are deeply embedded within community health-seeking practices. At the same time, Uganda continues to face significant challenges in developing an effective and coordinated emergency care system, with delays in accessing timely care contributing to preventable morbidity and mortality. Traditional healers are frequently the first point of contact for patients, including those with acute and potentially life-threatening conditions. Despite their accessibility and influence, they remain largely excluded from formal emergency care planning. This paper explores the potential for integrating traditional healers into Uganda's emergency care continuum by repositioning them as Tier-1 emergency care actors within community-based response systems. We propose a structured, systems oriented model that emphasizes basic emergency training in danger-sign recognition, clearly defined referral pathways, bidirectional collaboration with biomedical providers, and integration within existing health system frameworks. The model highlights the importance of governance, certification, monitoring, and pilot implementation to ensure feasibility and accountability.However, integration carries important risks, including misdiagnosis, delayed referral, harmful practices, and regulatory challenges. To address these concerns, the proposed approach emphasizes a limited scope of practice focused on early recognition and referral, supported by safeguards such as standardized training, supervision, and policy oversight.This conceptual framework aims to inform future research, pilot programs, and policy discussions on strengthening emergency care systems in Uganda and similar settings. With careful implementation, integrating traditional healers into Tier-1 emergency care structures may reduce delays, improve referral systems, and enhance patient outcomes. PubMed