Call for Research Proposals
Theme: Social Aspects of Sexual and Reproductive Health
Funding Opportunity under the UCoBS Project
About the Fund:
The University as a Facilitator for Community-Based Sustainable Solutions to Demographic Challenges in Southwestern Uganda (UCoBS) is a 10-year transformative initiative supported by the Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR-UOS). The project is a collaborative effort between Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), and other Flemish higher education institutions.
About Project 4 – Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) & Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH):
This subproject aims to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) outcomes in southwestern Uganda. It employs interdisciplinary, institutional, and operational research methodologies, with a focus on clinical and community-based mixed-methods research. The project also integrates innovative outreach and education strategies targeting adolescents, mothers, healthcare workers, policymakers, and community members.
The interventions focus on:
- Enhancing access to and utilization of adolescent reproductive health and family planning services
- Improving the quality of obstetric and newborn care through data-driven approaches
- Reducing gender-based violence (GBV)
- Training healthcare workers in labour monitoring, neonatal resuscitation, obstetric scanning, and maternal care
Capacity-building is a key component, with opportunities for staff and student exchange between MUST and Flemish institutions, supporting advanced research and PhD supervision.
Call Details
- Purpose: To support short-term research projects focusing on adolescent reproductive health within the broader theme of social aspects of sexual and reproductive health.
- Funding Amount: €2,000
- Eligible Applicants: Members of the MUST community (Postgraduate students and Academic staff)
- Number of awards: 1
- Duration of the Advert: 5nd June 2025 – 10th June 2025
- Notification of Award: 14th June 2025
What We Will Fund:
We invite proposals that address key issues in adolescent sexual and reproductive health, including improving access to SRHR services, enhancing sexuality and reproductive health education and awareness, promoting positive behavior change, addressing gender dynamics and community attitudes, strengthening social support systems, and supporting the mental health of parenting adolescents. Projects may focus on one or more of these areas and should align with the goals of Project 4 and contribute to community-based and evidence-informed solutions for improvement of adolescent reproductive health outcomes.
How to Apply:
submit your application to the program manager at [email protected]
Deadline for proposal submission: 14th June 2025
This funding opportunity is part of UCoBS’s commitment to empowering researchers to generate locally relevant, impactful knowledge that informs health policy, improves service delivery, and promotes gender equality in southwestern Uganda.
2 Responses
The search for awareness can also possible for undergraduates
Why not incorporate them into the project because some of us are already part of the MUST peer project and have already identified some of the community challenges regarding adolescents , menstrual health among others
It caters for PhDs and a few masters due to a few demands in meeting the specific objectives of the project, which are research-oriented. Though we have trainings that we also conduct favoring students, so if you can keep checking our website or MUST website, you might gain a lot.
Thank you for reaching out