CONTRIBUTORS
Rita Karoki
Project Officer
Since its inception in 2008, CARTA has been dedicated to strengthening the capacity of African
universities to generate impactful research. By supporting African researchers within its African
partner institutions and strengthening the institutional systems and processes related to research
training and management, CARTA ensures that universities become self-sustainable engines of
knowledge generation and innovation. This commitment extends across multiple levels, from
research capacity strengthening to faculty development, supervision enhancement, governance, and
financial management improvements.
One of CARTA’s most transformative initiatives is its PhD training program, the Joint Advanced
Seminars (JASes), which has become a gold standard in doctoral training. The program operates by
selecting fellows who are staff at partner institutions, equipping them to drive research excellence
and institutional transformation. The impact is substantial: to date, 245 fellows have been enrolled
with 181 fellows graduating (as of the end of 2024), with many of them leading influential initiatives
in their home countries. Beyond supporting them during the PhD journey, CARTA provides
postdoctoral opportunities to its graduates facilitating their transition into independent researchers
and leaders. Cumulatively, the program has granted 84 awards (postdoctoral fellowships and re-
entry grants) to 64 graduates.
CARTA’s mission extends beyond training individuals—it is about transforming institutions to sustain
research excellence. The program strengthens universities by providing structured support for
academic, professional, and administrative staff, supervision training, and associated training-of-
trainers (ToT) programs. The ToTs are part of CARTA’s sustainability efforts, which include
mainstreaming the CARTA interventions and best practices at partner institutions.
Additionally, CARTA collaborates with its African partners to support their assessment and
implementation of Good Financial Grant Practice (GFGP) standards, ensuring best practices in
financial and grant management. These initiatives create a ripple effect of knowledge-sharing across
institutions, ensuring long-term sustainability.
Another milestone is the establishment of research hubs, which serve as centers of excellence to
support multidisciplinary research and collaboration. In 2024, the first hubs were launched at the
University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, and Makerere University, Uganda. These hubs
provide early career researchers and CARTA graduates with the resources, mentorship, and
environments needed to thrive. Charles Kato, a CARTA cohort 3 graduate, leads one of the hubs, the
Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Diseases (TERID) Hub at Makerere.
CARTA research hubs are more than just projects—they are platforms for multidisciplinary
innovation, enabling researchers to address thematic challenges of critical importance to Africa’s
development. By fostering collaboration among CARTA fellows and connecting them to global
networks, these hubs nurture ecosystems where ideas flourish, and solutions are born.
At the forefront of Africa’s academic transformation, CARTA is reimagining how universities train
and support researchers. More than just a capacity-building initiative, CARTA represents a bold and
innovative approach to developing sustainable research ecosystems. By combining institutional
support, interdisciplinary collaboration, and advanced training, CARTA is not only shaping individual
scholars but also empowering universities to become world-class research and leadership centers.
After a four-year hiatus in the recruitment of PhD fellows, CARTA is excited to welcome its eleventh
cohort of 20 fellows in March 2025, supporting them to undertake their doctoral studies in the eight
African partner universities. This has been made possible through the continued support of the
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and a new partner, the OAK
Foundation.
Looking ahead, CARTA remains committed to fostering institutional transformation across Africa. By
expanding its network of research hubs, enhancing training initiatives, and securing strategic
partnerships, the program continues to lay the groundwork for sustainable research excellence.
Through these efforts, CARTA is not only shaping the next generation of scholars but also ensuring
that African universities emerge as global leaders in knowledge production and innovation.