Netherlands Organization for Scientific Development (NOW-WOTRO)
WOTRO and MUST partnership is collaborative research on a number of projects including economic empowerment of women and sustainable MRI system to diagnose hydrocephalus.
Economic empowerment of women (EWP-U): In 2015 Women’s International Cross Cultural Exchange (ISIS – WICCE) partnered with Tilburg University, Mbarara University and Makerere University to conduct research with the aim of identifying the impact of social protection schemes, such as cash transfers on economic resilience in order to influence policy. This project was funded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Development and focused on providing cost benefit analysis of cash transfer programmes and post trauma services for economic empowerment of women in Uganda. The research is focused on populations with high levels of income fragility and trauma, seeking to understand the impact of trauma on their use of cash transfers. Women are a specific focus of this study due to their particular economic and mental health vulnerabilities. This study targeted districts affected by the 20-year war between the Lord’s Resistance Army and the Ugandan government in Northern Uganda including Kitgum, Lira, Soroti and Katakwi.
Sustainable MRI system to diagnose hydrocephalus in Uganda: MUST implemented this project in collaboration with the Netherlands Organization for Science and Research and Penn State University. The major objective of the study is to develop a sustainable low cost MRI for brain imaging. This technology will help in diagnosis of hydrocephalus and other neurological disorders. This research led to PhD training of 1 staff at MUST.