AICAD Research & Innovation (R&I) is the collaboration hub of the African Institute for Capacity Development (AICAD), dedicated to turning evidence into practical solutions through training, research, and knowledge sharing. AICAD's mission focuses on strengthening human capacity to reduce poverty and support sustainable development across Africa.

Who we are (AICAD). AICAD is a regional international institution serving East Africa. It is supported by the Governments of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, with its headquarters hosted at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Juja, Kenya. Country offices operate in Kenya (Egerton University), Tanzania (Sokoine University of Agriculture), and Uganda (Makerere University), embedding university linkages into daily work.

What we do (R&I). R&I provides a one-stop platform for joint studies, pilots, training, and open calls, and promotes open science and responsible data practices. In 2023, AICAD was selected to host the Africa Open Science Platform (AOSP) Eastern Africa node, reinforcing our commitment to data-driven collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Partnerships in action. Recent collaborations include faculty training on Data Ethics and Responsible Research delivered with the Ethical Data Initiative, and postdoctoral fellowship opportunities run with the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), examples of how we convene universities and research partners to build capacity at scale.

How we work. We follow a four-stage cycle, Discover, Co-Design, Deliver, Diffuse: co-defining problems with frontline stakeholders; aligning research questions, evaluation designs, and compliance; executing projects with milestone reviews; and sharing data, toolkits, and policy briefs to enable replication and scale-up.

Priority themes. Our collaborations regularly engage topics such as agrifood systems; health and public services capacity; climate and water; digital transformation and public management; skills, jobs, and entrepreneurship, pairing interdisciplinary expertise with rigorous evaluation to maximise both academic quality and policy relevance.

Why partner with us?

• University-embedded network across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda enables rapid teaming with leading faculties and research groups.
• Delivery focus ensures that research outputs translate into policy and practice through pilots, training, and open dissemination.
• Open science posture and clear rules on data, ethics, authorship, and IP/benefit-sharing help multi-institution teams work efficiently.

On this site, you can explore Partners, Projects, Training, Publications, Impact, and Grants & Calls, or propose a new joint initiative that addresses real-world needs. To see how we support founders and campus innovation, visit Entrepreneurship & Innovation initiatives.