Research Facilities

UWA currently has limited research facilities at Mweya in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Rabongo Forest in Murchison Falls National Park and in Kidepo Valley National Park. In collaboration with UWA, Makerere University runs the Makerere University Biological Field Station in Kibale National Park and Mbarara University runs the Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. These have to be contacted directly for access to their facilities, which would be at an additional cost.

Research and monitoring Priorities
The Uganda Wildlife Authority research priorities reflect the organization's mandate of conservation and development under four main themes:

1. Ecology: species, habitat, fire, hydrobiology and disease
2. Biodiversity: inventories, vegetation dynamics and mapping
3. Social-economics: local communities, human-wildlife interactions and cost-benefit sharing
4. Development: policy, tourism, use rights and trade

Similarly, monitoring activities are prioritized under the fields of:

1. Ecology: wild animals, vegetation and meteorology,
2. Social-economics: demographic and resource use
3. Management: illegal activities, problem animals and patrol coverage
4. Development: concessions, tourism and pollution

Detailed priorities for each of the Pas are available at UWA HQ, and are provided on request by the monitoring and Research Unit.

Service available at the Monitoring and Research Unit.

1. Information on wildlife management areas
2. A Management Information System (MIST)
3. A Library
4. A research database for easy retrievial of information on all research projects, research organizations and personnel.

Research Clearance Procedures.

Anyone intending to conduct research in Wildlife Protected Areas or on Wildlife in general should download fill in application forms, attach a detailed proposal and CV, and submit them in duplicate to UWA.
The research Unit through the e-mail address This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

PROCEDURES FOR CLEARING RESEARCH PROPOSALS.
Anyone applying to conduct research in UWA's protected areas must follow the procedures outlined below:

1. Obtain research application forms from UWA HQ, PAS, the Internet or any other place UWA may designate. Application forms will be submitted together with copies of research proposals and a CV of the principal researcher atleast 3 months before the proposed date of commencement of the research.
2. The application form will be completed in duplicate (1-copy deposited at UWA's HQ and 1 sent to the protected area where the research is to be carried out).
3. Students in higher institutions of learning wishing to conduct their research in UWA protected areas will need a letter from thier institutions of affiliation, certifying their studentship. So do students from outside Uganda.
4. The proposals will be vetted by the protected area of interest and experts in the particular field of concern, before research approval by UWA. The experts could be within or outside of the organization. Proposals from undergraduate students will be vetted by UWA HQ alone since these are usually for a very short period of time and do not involve detailed research methods or in- depth analysis to be of much use to park management . Note: Foreign researchers are required by law to seek clearance from Uganda National Council for Science and Technology after approval from UWA
5. All researchers are to submit progress reports to UWA at specified intervals and a final report at the end of the research.
6. Researchers are required to deposit a refundable fee at UWA HQ. This will be given back on submission of the final report. A researcher, whether local or foreign, who fails to submit a report will not be accepted to carry out any other research within UWA's PAS again.
7. Fees*:

FR – Foreign Non- Student Researcher FSR – Foreign Student Researcher
FRA/V- Foreign Research Assistant /Volunteer
UNSR – Ugandan Non Student Researcher
UPhDS – Ugandan PhD Student
UMSCS – Ugandan MSC Students

*Changes may be made without prior notice. Other services e.g accomodation, equipment hire and specimen export are charged separately as indicated below.

OTHER FEE CATEGORIES

Camping fee
A block figure of 100,000/= per month will be charged per research group of up to ten individuals. Any extra person will be charged UG Sh. 50,000/= per month.

This fees structure will come into force with effect from 1st March 2010. Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) has separate charges for a research permit.

Other forms of accommodation
PAs with vacant staff houses will be rented at 50,000/= per room per month. Water and electricity will be paid separately.

Ranger guide fees
The guiding fee as in UWA tourism tariffs shall be charged.

Specimen collection, export and import

UWA will charge fees for any specimen collected at the following rates;

• Live specimens: Use rights License fee of $100, export permit fee of $100 will be charged and the value of the specimens at the existing rate will be charged.
• Derivatives (e.g. dung, skin samples, blood samples, plant parts), a permit application fee of US $ 20 each time a researcher applies for an export permit shall be charged plus specimen collection fee of US $ 50 per Kilogram or less, and in case of liquid samples US $ 50 per Litre or less. Researchers wishing to collect > 6 kg of derivatives will pay a fee of US$300 per permit.

Research Assistants and Volunteers

Any foreign research assistant/volunteers will be cleared and charged as an independent researcher. However, depending on the relevance and importance of research project to the management, UWA deserves a right to waive off access fees.

Number of Researchers on a Project

Individual researchers with different research topics under one major research project should apply and be cleared independently.

Long-term research projects shall be cleared for a maximum period of three years and will then be renewed upon satisfactory performance. The criteria for renewal will consider, among others, reasons for extension, research relevance and implications to the ecosystem and wildlife.

Application for research projects developed and implemented by the research institutions will be done by the head of the Institution and cleared under the names of the Institution. Implementation must follow MoU provisions where they exist. Where the MoU does not exist, consideration will be done on a case-by-case basis. In addition any research institution planning to have students on their research programmes should communicate it to UWA and provide their time schedule and particulars in two months advance.

Researchers’ Visitors

• A limited number of four visitors per year per researcher will only be granted free park entrance. Other services required by researchers’ visitors will be paid for at tourist rates.
• Any researcher expecting to get a visitor should seek the Executive Director’s permission in writing two months in advance.
• Researchers wishing to have their visitors accompany them to research sites should seek permission from the office of the Conservation Area Manager.

Monitoring and Research Funding.

The monitoring and Research Unit recieves opertional and capital development funds from the Uganda Wildlife Authority and from externally funded projects. These funds are not enough for all the research and monitoring required. To increase its financial resources, UWA has established a Research Fund into which it contributes part of its non-research revenues and all application and user free plus any applicable royalities.

Your Contribution to Research.