CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR UCC RESEARCH SUPPORT TO ACADEMIA

Job Description

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) invites applications for academic research support in line with its mandate under the Uganda Communications Act, 2013, particularly Section 5(1)(l), which empowers the Commission to promote research into the development and utilization of new communications techniques and technologies.

The research support initiative also aims to enhance access to communication services for all members of society, including persons with disabilities and other underserved communities, in accordance with the UCC Collaboration Framework (2022–2025).

Through this call, UCC seeks to support high-quality academic research that advances knowledge and contributes to policy and regulatory development in the communications sector.

Strategic Alignment

This call is aligned with the strategic priorities of the Uganda Communications Commission as outlined in the UCC Strategic Plan (2025/26–2029/30), whose vision is “An Inclusive Digital Economy.” The strategic goal of the plan is to ensure accessible, affordable, and secure digital services by 2030.

The research programme also contributes to the realization of Uganda’s broader national development agenda, including Uganda Vision 2040, the Fourth National Development Plan, Digital Uganda Vision, and the Uganda Digital Transformation Roadmap.

UCC seeks to strengthen collaboration between academia, industry, and policymakers to address emerging challenges and opportunities in the communications sector through evidence-based research.

Priority Research Areas

Proposals should address one or more of the following thematic areas:

• A. Sustainability and Green Transition in the Communications Sector Focus on environmentally sustainable communications infrastructure and operations.

• Illustrative Research Directions (non-exhaustive):
• Incentives and frameworks for renewable energy adoption
• Barriers and opportunities for green transition
• Sustainable infrastructure development approaches

• B. Next-Generation Telecommunications Infrastructure and Spectrum Management

• Focus on the deployment and management of advanced communication technologies.

• Illustrative Research Directions (non-exhaustive):
• Policy and regulatory considerations for 5G, 6G and beyond
• Adoption, use cases, and challenges of advanced technologies
• Spectrum management and backhaul evolution

• C. Digital Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Emerging Technologies

• Focus on ICT-driven innovation and digital transformation.

• Illustrative Research Directions (non-exhaustive):
• Innovation ecosystems and entrepreneurship
• Emerging technologies (AI, IoT, data-driven systems)
• Barriers to digital enterprise development

• D. Consumer Protection, Digital Rights, and Online Safety

• Focus on consumer protection and safety in digital environments.

• Illustrative Research Directions (non-exhaustive):
• Consumer protection challenges in digital ecosystems
• Online safety, including risks to vulnerable groups
• Approaches to harmful online content

• E. Access, Affordability, and User Experience of Communication Services

• Focus on inclusivity, accessibility, and service quality.

• Illustrative Research Directions (non-exhaustive):
• Access and affordability of communication services
• User experience and quality of service
• Barriers affecting underserved populations

• F. Consumer Awareness, Participation, and Institutional Effectiveness

• Focus on consumer awareness and institutional performance.

• Illustrative Research Directions (non-exhaustive):
• Consumer awareness and education initiatives
• Stakeholder participation in consumer protection
• Institutional and coordination challenges

Applicants are encouraged to define focused and well-scoped research problems within these thematic areas.

Eligible Applicants

Applications are invited from the following categories of researchers/students:

• a) Undergraduate students whose projects must be supervised by a faculty member, who will provide academic guidance throughout the research process. Undergraduate participation is intended to strengthen research capacity while generating context-specific insights relevant to Uganda’s communications sector.
• b) Graduate students (master’s and PhD) whose research aligns with the highlighted UCC priority areas.
• c) Post-doctoral researchers conducting advanced research in communications-related fields, with potential to contribute to academic and policy development.
• d) Inter-university research teams, comprising academic staff and/or students from at least two tertiary institutions.

Research Support Categories

The research programme will support projects under the following four funding categories:

• I. Lot 1 – Undergraduate Research Support
• Support for undergraduate research aligned with UCC priority areas. This category is designed to build foundational research capacity while encouraging applied, context-specific studies addressing real sector challenges.

• II. Lot 2 – Postgraduate Research Support
• Support for Master’s and PhD research projects that demonstrate rigorous analysis and contribute to academic knowledge and policy-relevant insights in the communications sector.

• III. Lot 3 – Inter-University Research Collaboration
• Support for collaborative research involving at least two tertiary institutions, with the lead institution based in Uganda, aimed at addressing complex and multi-disciplinary challenges in the communications sector.

• IV. Lot 4 – Academia-for-Industry Research
• Support for research teams working with communications sector licensees or operators to address industry-specific challenges through applied research and innovation.