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A Recap on OSSREA’s Major Programmes

Grant Awards

1. SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH GRANT COMPETITION (SSRGC)

The objectives of the Competition are to encourage young scholars to conduct research in the social sciences, to strengthen teaching in the social sciences through the joint participation of faculty and students in field research, and to enhance the subsequent availability of research findings for teaching purposes.

The Competition is generally open to research problems focusing on any topic in the social sciences. However, special consideration will be given in 2006 to proposals focusing on the following themes:

• Higher Education: Crises, Reform and Transformation;

• The Challenges of Globalisation and Poverty;

• Migration Dynamics and Changing Rural-Urban Linkages;

• Political Pluralism and Management of Diversity;

• Population Movements and the Spread of HIV/AIDS;

• Poverty Reduction Strategies and the Social Sector;

• Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) and Institutions;

• Accountability, Ethics and Leadership;

• Civil Society, Multiparty Politics and Democratisation;

• Regional Economic Cooperation; and

• Environmental Issues and their Relations to Development.

Regarding requirements for application, all applicants must be based in Eastern or Southern Africa, currently employed, enrolled in, or otherwise affiliated with a national institution that conducts research. They must hold at least a Master’s degree from an accredited academic institution.

Research grants are awarded on the recommendation of a panel of scholars drawn from Eastern and Southern Africa. The panel reviews all proposals, with the names of the applicants removed. Successful applicants are expected to take up their awards within three months from the date of notification. Normally the award is given for a period no longer than one year and grantees are required to deposit copies of their final research reports with the relevant university library, sponsoring academic department or the national archives in the country where their research was conducted, in addition to submitting to OSSREA.

The first Social Science Research Grant Competition (SSRGC) was held in 1988. Since then OSSREA has been holding the competition regularly. The SSRGC in 2005 is in its nineteenth round. Since 1988, a total of 1239 proposals were received, out of which 263 young researchers were awarded grants.

In 2005, a jury of three members met for two days, from 13 - 14 June 2005, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to select the fifteen winners from a total of eighty-five applicants. The jury members were:

• Prof. Bahru Zewde (Forum for Social Studies);

• Prof. Bizeck Jube Phiri (University of Zambia); and

• Prof. Narend Baijnath (University of South Africa).

Details of the winners’ names and their research topics are given below:

Claudious Chikozho. Policy and institutional dimensions of indigenous water systems innovations under dry climatic conditions: Case studies from the Pangani River Basin of Tanzania. Zimbabwe.

Saif El Din Daoud Abd El Rahman. Macroeconomic adjustment, government interventions and the welfare of the poor in Sudan: Macro policy reform versus good governance: A case study of El Gash and El Rahad Schemes. Sudan.

Hamadziripi Tamukamoyo. Homosexual masculinities, identity and roles: Exploring role taking in same sex relationships among black gay men living in four cities in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe.

Sunungurai Dominica Chingarande. An analysis of the impact of trans-boundary natural resources management on the livelihoods of border communities: The case of ZIMOZA trans-boundary natural resource management area. Zimbabwe.

Anne Akinyi Odhiambo. Assessment of the prevalence and factors associated with stunting in children aged 12-59 months in selected divisions of Uasin Gishu District, Kenya. Kenya.

Richard Wafula Kisaka. Assessing the relevance of indigenous knowledge systems for sustainable agriculture: A case study of Njoro division, Kenya. Kenya.

Christina Shitima. Integrated river basin management in Tanzania: An assessment of adoption among beneficiaries in Wami River Basin. Tanzania.

Aggrey Nganyi Wetaba. Governance issues in Nairobi City Council controlled health care facilities. Kenya.

Chalachew Arega. Lake Alemaya – from water reservoir to arable land: Analysis of environmental changes in Alemaya district, Eastern Ethiopia. Ethiopia.

Hussen Eshetu. The role of non-formal basic education in preventing the spread of HIV to the rural population: Limitations and prospects in Amhara, Ethiopia. Ethiopia.

Edward Mutandwa. Can biotechnological innovations be considered as a vehicle for revitalizing African agriculture? Case of the Zimbabwean sweet potatoes. Zimbabwe.

Lucy Wangui Njagi. Sexual behaviour, risk perception and HIV/AIDS preventive strategies among student-teachers in primary teachers training colleges in central province, Kenya. Kenya.

Kifle Zeleke Kibret. Community responses to HIV/AIDS– related stigma and the resulting discrimination in some selected regions of Ethiopia. Ethiopia.

Wangenge G.Ouma. Income generation and the quality crisis in Kenya’s public universities. Kenya.

Kayiso Fulgencio. Rethinking indigenous knowledge in fisheries resources management: A case study of Wakiso District (Uganda). Uganda.

2. GENDER ISSUES RESEARCH GRANT COMPETITION (GIRGC)

The primary objective of the Competition is to encourage young scholars to conduct research which will contribute to the elucidation and understanding of gender issues as they relate to development. A secondary objective is to encourage the availability of research findings, particularly for policy-makers as well as for teaching purposes.

In principle, the Competition is open to both women and men; however, women are strongly encouraged to apply. Proposals may be submitted by young researchers from any of the disciplines in the social sciences, with a focus on gender issues.
Although the themes are subject to change from year to year, the predominant research area focuses of the programme consist of the following:

• Gender and Democracy;

• Labour, Gender, Class and Ethnicity;

• Changing Gender and Generational Relations in AIDS-Ravaged Community;

• Entrepreneurship;

• Framework and Policy for the Integration of Women in Development;

• Sexuality and Reproductive Health;

• The Informal Sector;

• Political Mobilisation and Good Governance; and

• Agriculture, Industry and the Service Sector.

Requirements for applications include that applicants must be based in Eastern or Southern Africa, and be currently employed, enrolled in, or otherwise affiliated with a national institution that conducts research. They must also hold at least a Master’s degree from an accredited academic institution. However, female applicants not affiliated with research institutions but have a BA degree and prior research experience are considered for the competition.

Research grants are awarded on the recommendation of a panel of scholars drawn from Eastern and Southern Africa. The panel reviews all proposals, with the names of the applicants removed. Successful applicants are expected to take up their awards within three months from the date of notification. Normally the award is given for a period no longer than of one year, and grantees are required to deposit copies of their final research reports with the relevant university library, sponsoring academic department or the national archive(s) in the country where their research was conducted, in addition to submitting to OSSREA.

The first gender issues research grant competition (GIRGC) was held in 1989. Since then OSSREA has been holding the competition regularly. This makes this year’s competition the seventeenth round. Since 1989 a total of 1168 proposals were received, of which 256 young researchers were awarded grants.

In 2005, a jury panel of three members met for two days, from 13 - 14 June, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and selected fifteen winners from a total of sixty-six applicants. The jury members were:

• Dr. Regina G. M. Karega (Kenyatta University);

• Dr. Grace Bantebya Kyomuhendo (Makerere University); and

• Dr. Maria Louise Mostert (University of Namibia).

Details of the winners’ names and their research topics are given below:

Nelia Matinhure. Changing gender and intergenerational relations in an AIDS ravaged community: The case of Mutasa District in Manicaland Province in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe.

Maureen M. Mweru. Changing lifestyles in an era of AIDS: Women migrant factory workers in Thika, Kenya. Kenya.

Tebarek Lika. Housing policy options for poor women in the Ethiopian urban slums: Reflections on the ongoing condominium housing projects and slums clearance and upgrading schemes in the city of Addis Ababa. Ethiopia.

Maureen Nakirunda. Gender equity and transformative agricultural biotechnologies: Effect on intra-household decision making and resource allocation in Uganda. Uganda.

Tapiwa Chagonda. Masculinity in academia- A survey of male academics at the University of Zimbabwe, the National University of Science and Technology and the GWERU Midlands State University. Zimbabwe.

Sheima Hassan Abdulla Ahmed. Knowledge of unmarried adolescent females about reproductive health risks related to Sexual behaviour in Muslim societies in Khartoum, Sudan. Sudan.

Helen Lwemamu. Gender and work challenges in the informal sector of Uganda: A case study of the disabled in Mubende District. Uganda.

Demoz Nigatu Asfaw. Is HIV/AIDS the Gamble girls must take in order to survive? Uncovering the roles of Ethio-American men in persuading the sexual risk-taking behaviour of adolescent girls in Gondor town of Ethiopia. Ethiopia.

Tabby Njeri Karanja. A review of the application of Gender Analysis Tools and Methods by R and D Institutions: The case of Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI). Kenya.

Elizabeth Ngumbi. From consolidation to isolation: Impact of HIV/AIDS on socio-economic status of widows in rural Gucha district, Kenya. Kenya.

Emmanuel Manyasa. Social capital, ethnic conflicts and economic empowerment of rural women in Kenya. Kenya.

Jackline Chepkech Lokurosia. An investigation of barriers to participation in anti-female genital mutilation initiatives by the Pokot of Rift Valley province, Kenya. Kenya.

Elizabeth Mwakasangula. Examining the participation of women in promoting effective local governance in Tanzania: A case study of Morogoro rural areas. Tanzania.

Chikalanga Mweemba Davies. AIDS orphans and the aged/elderly women in Zambia. Zambia.

Wonder Nyanjowa. The impact of HIV/AIDS care -giving on women’s participation in informal sector economy and household food security: A case study of Mbare, Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe.

3. POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP GRANT PROGRAMME

The post- doctoral fellowship grant programme is one of the new programmes initiated in 2004. The programme is expected to be run annually until 2007. The aims of the programme are:

• To provide opportunities for African PhD holders to work in the region and thereby discourage brain drain;

• To enhance the teaching and research capacities of universities and other research institutions in the region;

• To promote the scholarly exchange of ideas in the region;

• To provide a forum for African PhD holders to research and dialogue with policy makers in the region; and

• To enhance the utilisation of primary research and to encourage its circulation among universities and research institutions in the region.

The announcement for the second round competition for Post-Doctoral Fellowship Grant Programme was made in February 2005 and the deadline for submitting applications was set for September 2005.

A total of 34 applications were received. Please see the list of applicants for the Post-Doctoral Fellowship grant programme for 2005 below:

Table 1. Profile of Applicants for the Post-Doctoral Fellowship Grant: 2005

Country	Sex				Designation
	Female	Male	N/S	Total	Prof.	Assoc. Professor	Asst. Professor	Senior Lecturer	Lecturer	Researcher	Not Specified	Total
Ethiopia	0	6	0	6	0	0	2	0	2	0	2	6
Kenya	7	5	0	12	0	0	0	2	9	0	1	12
Lesotho	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1
Malawi	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1
Namibia	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1
South Africa	1	4	0	5	0	0	0	2	2	0	1	5
Sudan	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1
Tanzania	0	3	0	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	3
Uganda	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1
Zambia	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1
Zimbabwe	0	2	0	2	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	2
Total	8	25	1	34	0	0	2	5	20	0	7	34

4. The SABBATICAL GRANT PROGRAMME

Having recognized the fact that African scholars based in various institutions in the region often go outside the region for their sabbaticals, OSSREA introduced the Sabbatical Grant programme in 2004. The programme intends to facilitate sabbaticals for the concerned scholars in various research institutions and universities in the region and hence strengthen the teaching and research capacity in the region. The specific objectives of the programme, therefore, are the following:

1. To provide African scholars with an opportunity to undertake research within Africa, thereby encouraging South-South cooperation;

2. To promote a culture of collaboration and scholarly exchange between universities and research institutions in the region;

3. To enhance the research capacities of academics and researchers in the region; and

4. To facilitate the dissemination and use of research findings in the region.

In 2005, the jury for the Sabbatical Research Grant Competition will meet in November to select the winners out the seventeen applicants. The winners will be invited to attend a workshop that will be organised for them on 12 December 2005.

The purpose of the workshop is to discuss the proposed studies and to offer the grantees an opportunity to elaborate on the details of their revised research proposals.

5. SENIOR SCHOLARS RESEARCH GRANT PROGRAMME

The Senior Scholars Research Grant Programme provides senior scholars with an opportunity to carry out research that is on par with international standards. This opportunity is provided in recognition of the fact that universities in the region face constraints with regard to funds available for research.

The programme was initiated to retain the capacity built in the region and to redirect the contribution of senior scholars from consultancy work to high quality research activities that are of policy relevance and academic significance.

The senior scholars research grant was launched in 2001. To date OSSREA has awarded a total of 23 senior scholars research grants since the programme commenced. In 2001, a total of 42 applications were received and four were awarded the grant. In 2002, 21 applications were received and three were selected. In 2003, 71 applications were received. Out of these nine winners were selected. In 2004, a total of 37 applications were received and seven were selected.

From the 23 grantees, 12 have submitted their first draft reports. Out of these, four have been published before the end of 2005 and more are expected to be published in 2006. It is important to note that prior to publishing, the research reports are subject to the critical review of scholars. Please see the tables below for information on the profile of applicants for the Senior Scholars Research Grant Competition.

Table 2: Profile of Applicants for the Senior Scholars Research Grant: 2001-05

Table 3: Profile of the Winners of the Senior Scholars Research Grant: 2001-04

Training Programmes

1. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY TRAINING

OSSREA has recognised the need for upgrading the research skills of its members so as to build the research and teaching capacity of institutions in Eastern and Southern African countries. To that end, OSSREA has established the Research Methodology Institute at its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to offer short-term training in social science research methodology. The course covers topics on the emerging thinking in social science research, ethical issues in social science research, mainstreaming gender and environmental issues, developing research proposals, choosing study approaches and designs, planning and managing social science research, and writing research reports. Three Research Methodology Modules have been developed for this purpose.

The Institute has been organising annual training programmes on social science research methodology since October 2000. So far, 249 individuals have been trained through the programme.

The trainees are drawn from different countries in Eastern and Southern Africa and are selected on the basis of the application materials they submit. Generally, applicants who submit the required application materials along with relevant research experience (preferably within the social sciences) are selected. However, preference is given to applicants from learning and research institutions. Certificates of attendance are given to the trainees at the end of the training.

In the year 2005, the OSSREA Research Methodology Training workshop was officially opened by OSSREA’s Executive Secretary, Dr. Alfred G. Nhema, on Tuesday, 11^th October 2005. The workshop, which was conducted from 11 to 22 October 2005, was held in Addis Ababa, and a total of 35 successful applicants, out of over 185 applications from all member countries, were selected to take part in the intensive two-week training programme. The training workshop was officially closed on Saturday, 22^nd October 2005, where the participants were awarded certificates. Details of the winners’ names and their respective research institutions are given below:

1. Bekele Workie Ayele, University of Gondar, Ethiopia.
2. Mahider Tesfu, Water Aid Ethiopia, Ethiopia.
3. Jeylan Wolyie Hussein, Alemaya University, Ethiopia.
4. Getahun Fenta, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.
5. Sewmehon Demissie, Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute, Ethiopia.
6. Meseret Daniel Desta, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.
7. George Makori, Egerton University, Kenya.
8. Julliet Wanjiku, World Agroforestry Centre, Kenya.
9. Chrispus Koinange Wawire, Kenyatta University, Kenya.
10. Njoroge P. Ngugi, Moi University, Kenya.

11. Malefa Rose Malefane, The National University of Lesotho, Lesotho.

12. Faidess D. Mwale, University of Malawi, Malawi.

13. Stan Gottlieb Kaunda, National Research Council of Malawi, Malawi.

14. Nicia Ibramogy Giva, Edwardo Mondlane University, Mozambique.

15. Viriato Nazare Vincente Chevane, Edwardo Mondlane University, Mozambique.

16. Claassen Pamela, University of Namibia, Namibia.

17. Kamaaludin Axmed, HornAfrik Media Inc., Somalia.

18. Alfred Runezerwa Bizoza, National University of Rwanda, Rwanda.

19. David Mokotedi Ntshabele, Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa.

20. Nonceba Nolundi Mabovula, Walter Sisulu University, South Africa.

21. Niba Mercy Bi, University of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa.

22. ElSedig Ebaawi Ahmed, Ministry of Science and Technology, Sudan.

23. Hala Hassan Siddig, Badya Center for Integrated Development, Sudan.

24. Hadia Abd Elrahman Babiker Ali, University of Juba, Sudan.

25. Shabangu Patrick, Swaziland Infant Nutrition Action Network, Swaziland.

26. Ally Ahmed Msaki, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

27. Leondada Mwagike, Mzumbe University, Tanzania.

28. Africanus Calist Sarwatt, Institute of Rural Development Planning, Tanzania.

29. Eve Namisango, Makerere University, Uganda.

30. Rogers Bariyo, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda.

31. Alice Nakiyeba, Busoga University, Uganda.

32. Phillip Taru, Bindura University of Science Education, Zimbabwe.

33. Sinqobile Ncube Chumi, University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe.

34. Martha Mutisi, Africa University, Zimbabwe.

35. Percyslage Chigora, Midlands State University, Zimbabwe.

The trainers for the 2005 Research Methodology Workshop were:

1. Prof. Maximilian Mmuya, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University of Dar es Salaam;

2. Prof. Victor Muzvidziwa, Dean of Faculty of Social Science, University of Zimbabwe;

3. Associate Prof. Butte Gotu, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Addis Ababa University;

4. Dr. Hirut Terefe, Department of Sociology & Social Anthropology, Addis Ababa University.

2. GENDER TRAINING INSTITUTE

The Gender Training Institute is one of the new programmes to be launched by OSSREA in December 2005. Its objective is to enhance gender awareness among educational institutions, research organisations, non governmental organisations and the general public through training.

One of the key elements of the training programme will be on mainstreaming gender. The need to mainstream gender has been acknowledged as one of the means of addressing the problems of gender power imbalance and gender-related concerns comprehensively. Gender mainstreaming is an elusive concept and is often misunderstood by many, hence, the proper knowledge on how to mainstream gender often lacks in most institutions.

Training Themes

The training programme will focus on the following issues:

• Definition of gender and gender concepts
• Gender mainstreaming and tools for gender mainstreaming
• Gender and society/gender construction
• Gender analysis in social science research
• Developing gender sensitive curriculums
• Advocacy on gender issues

The first training programme will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in December 2005. The training will be attended by successful applicants from Eastern and Southern Africa. It is expected that the trainees will eventually play a key role in their respective organisations in developing gender mainstreaming strategies.

OSSREA’s S