Since its establishment in the 1980s, OSSREA has been promoting its intellectual agenda through conducting research in various areas of social sciences. As part of its five year strategic plan – 2011 – 2015, OSSREA has now developed research themes that are grouped under five research clusters and focus on theoretical, methodological and policy alternatives. The themes are based on the vision of OSSREA and will be pursued within the framework of OSSREA’s main objectives:  generating and disseminating of knowledge in social sciences; as well as promoting dialogue and interaction between social scientists and policy makers in Eastern and Southern Africa with a view of enhancing the impact of social science research on policy making and development planning.

The identified research themes are centred on various development and governance issues that need the attention of policy-makers and scholars in Eastern and Southern Africa. The issues, inter alia, include poverty, employment, migration, HIV/AIDs, health, education, natural resources, climate change, gender, governance, rural development, corruption, land use, etc.  Around each of these research themes, OSSREA will encourage comparative research within the countries in the region (south-south) and outside the region (north-south) to unearth ‘what works best or bad’, ‘how’ and ‘why’. It will also support innovative methodologies that allows prudent and scientific collection, analysis and interpretation of empirical data; promote theoretical and conceptual reflections that blends thinking of African intellectuals and other scholars in the rest of the world; and press on discovering policy alternatives  to address development and governance deficits in the region. 

In the process of knowledge creation and dissemination, OSSREA will follow a combination of research modalities. These include a) commissioning young and/or senior researchers in African higher education and research institutions to conduct researches, either in group or independently. B) creating network and partnership with universities and research institution outside Africa, especially in the global south, to create north-south research teams c) work with research institutions or planning and research bodies of government institutions to link research and policy; and d) perform collaborative research  with non-government and private sector institutions. OSSREA will disseminate the research results in workshops and other fora involving researchers, technical executives in government and political executives (policy makers). Moreover, research reports, policy briefs, which entail advocacy for policy reforms, as well as scientific publications that will be developed and widely disseminated.

The following are the research clusters and themes.

Cluster 1: Employment and Migration in Eastern and Southern Africa
    1.1 Examining the Impacts of Employment Policies and Strategies
    1.2 Urban Youth Unemployment: Nature and Challenges
    1.3 Employment Promotion for the Youth
    1.4 Rural Youth Employment
    1.5 Rural-Urban Migration
    1.6 The Nexus between International Migration and Development

Cluster 2: Social Policies and Social Development in Eastern and Southern Africa
    2.1 Strengthening Capacity for Implementing Social Policy
    2.2 Innovative Health Care Delivery Initiatives
    2.3 ARV Treatment: Trends and Future Implications
    2.4 Funding Higher Education Institutions

Cluster 3: Gender in Economic and Political Arenas in Eastern and Southern Africa
    3.1. Gender and Energy
    3.2. Gender and Ecotourism
    3.3 Gender and Local Government

Cluster 4: Natural Resources and Rural Development: Key Issues in Poverty Reduction
    4.1. Water Resources Management
    4.2. Production Systems and Natural Resources
    4.3 Tourism and its Relation with Wildlife, Land Use and Rural Development
    4.4 Non-Renewable Resources
    4.5 Biodiversity Management
    4.6 Building Local Capacity on Climate Change Adaptation
    4.7 Managing Coastal Areas for Poverty Alleviation in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO)
    4.8 Transforming International Land Deals into a Vehicle for Rural Development and international Cooperation

Cluster 5: Political Governance and Conflict Management in Eastern and Southern Africa
    5.1 Electoral Systems and Election Violence
    5.2 Political Corruption and the Informal Welfare System
    5.3 Public Sector Strategies for Combating Corruption
    5.4 Civil Society in Conflict Mitigation and Escalation
    5.5 Decentralization Reforms and Conflict
    5.6 Strengthening the Capacity of Fragile States to become Stable and Resilient
    5.7 Making Institutions Work for Post-settlers States