Centres of research excellence at CARTA African partner universities, where early- and mid-career researchers conduct high-quality, policy-relevant research in specific thematic areas aligned with regional development priorities.
A CARTA Research Hub is a dedicated centre of expertise at a CARTA African partner university, organised around a specific thematic area of strategic importance to the continent. Each hub consolidates the scientific expertise already built up across the CARTA network, brings in new collaborators where needed, and embeds doctoral and postdoctoral training inside live research programmes.
The Research Hubs are one of the four strategic objectives of CARTA2025, the consortium’s third strategic phase. They build on more than fifteen years of CARTA investment in research-capacity strengthening and move partner universities from being recipients of training toward becoming sustained engines of African-led knowledge production. CARTA provides small-scale seed support for establishment; long-term sustainability is a core objective each hub pursues independently.
Currently, CARTA supports 2 establishment hubs supported by the Science for Africa Foundation, with backing from Wellcome Trust and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office through the EDCTP2 programme funded by the European Union. CARTA has additionally awarded seed grants to develop further hubs.
The journey began in December 2022 with a Call for Expressions of Interest. Of 13 applications received, five teams were awarded preparatory grants in July 2023 to develop full research concepts. Two consortia – led from Makerere University and the University of the Witwatersrand – were competitively selected to launch the first establishment hubs in 2024. Each hub is led from a CARTA African partner university, includes at least one other African partner and one non-African partner institution, builds on the expertise of CARTA graduates, and embeds CARTA’s interventions to strengthen research, research training, and research management capacity.
Every CARTA Research Hub is a platform for embedding the research of early-career scholars. Fellows affiliated with a hub conduct their research within an active programme, access mentorship from established scientists, participate in CARTA’s Joint Advanced Seminars (JASes), and receive hands-on training in research design, data analysis, grant writing, and policy engagement. The first postdoctoral fellowship cohort at the two establishment hubs was launched in 2024.
The Research Hubs are a deliberate step toward institutionalising research excellence within African universities. As they mature, they are designed to sustain themselves through competitive grants, host successive cohorts of early-career researchers, and translate findings into evidence that informs policy across the continent. They will feature prominently in CARTA’s strategic direction beyond CARTA2025.
Related: CARTA Strategic Objectives · Theory of Change · Fellows and Graduates · Opportunities
Each CARTA Research Hub is designed to deliver against four interlocking objectives:
Conduct high-quality, multi-disciplinary research in a specific thematic area, in line with national and regional development priorities.
Provide the administrative, procurement, financial, and grant-management support that early- and mid-career researchers need to grow into research leadership.
Leverage the scientific expertise of CARTA graduates and partner faculty, and bring in new collaborators – including external institutions – to extend each hub’s reach.
Engage with policy and decision makers so that research priorities are aligned with regional needs and the evidence the hubs generate is put to use.
Two establishment hubs are currently operational, with grants running from August 2024 to December 2026. CARTA has also awarded two seed grants to develop additional hubs, summarised below.
The Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases Research Hub in East Africa, led by Dr. Charles Kato at Makerere University, Uganda. The hub strengthens Africa’s response to infectious disease threats – including Ebola, malaria, cholera, neglected tropical diseases, and antimicrobial resistance – through research, training, and policy engagement. Partners include the University of Rwanda and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute. Learn more →
The Transformational Discovery via CARTA Outcomes-based Research training and Scientific Excellence Hub, led by Prof. Robert Breiman and nested within the Infectious Diseases and Oncology Research Institute (IDORI) at the University of the Witwatersrand. The hub integrates research on infectious diseases and oncology, addressing the rising cancer burden in sub-Saharan Africa and the role microbial infections play in cancer development. Partners include Makerere University, Kampala Cancer Registry, Uganda Cancer Institute, Human Hood Clinics, Rwanda Cancer Registry, Research for Development, Rwanda Biomedical Centre, the South African National Cancer Registry, and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. Learn more →
The CARTA Open Science Data Hub, led by Jude Igumbor at the University of the Witwatersrand. The hub pilots a secure, cloud-based platform for storing, managing, and sharing qualitative and quantitative research data in ethically compliant and legally sound ways — enabling both open science and controlled access across the CARTA network. Learn more →
The Social Exclusion Research Hub, led by Beatrice Maina at APHRC, Nairobi. The hub focuses on understanding and addressing the social exclusion of adolescents in Africa, building on APHRC’s prior work through the Swedish-funded Challenging the Politics of Social Exclusion (CPSE) project. Learn more →