TAGDev 2.0 Scholarship 2026/2027 at Gulu University, Uganda | Fully Funded by Mastercard Foundation

Omran Aburayya
1 day ago
9 min read

If you are a young Ugandan or East African student with academic talent, a passion for agriculture, food systems, or technology, and financial barriers have kept a university degree out of reach — the opportunity you have been waiting for is officially open. The (RUFORUM), in partnership with the , has launched the TAGDev 2.0 Scholarship for the 2026/2027 Academic Year at , . This fully funded, comprehensive scholarship supports economically disadvantaged but academically capable students to pursue Bachelor's and Master's degrees at one of Uganda's most unique and community-rooted institutions. From tuition and accommodation to a laptop, internship, and entrepreneurship training, every major cost is covered. Female applicants, refugees, internally displaced persons, and persons with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply. The submission deadline is 1st May 2026 — begin your application today.

🎓 Scholarship Summary

Location: Gulu City
Host Institution: (GU), in partnership with RUFORUM and
Study Level: Bachelor's (BSc) and Master's (MSc)
Target Group: Economically disadvantaged but academically competent students from and East Africa; with special encouragement for women, refugees, internally displaced persons, and persons with disabilities
Fields of Study/Focus: Food Bioscience and Agribusiness, Environmental Science and Natural Resources Management, Information and Communications Technology, Quantitative Economics (BSc); Agri-Enterprises Development, Food Security and Community Nutrition, Environmental Science and Natural Resources Management, ICT for Development (MSc)
Value & Coverage: Fully Funded — tuition, accommodation, living stipend, laptop, research costs, internship attachment, community engagement, field attachment, workshop and conference costs, entrepreneurship training; plus travel documents for refugees and assistive devices for persons with disabilities
Duration: Full duration of the enrolled programme, renewed annually based on satisfactory academic performance
Application Deadline: 1st May 2026
Start Date: 2026/2027 Academic Year
Eligible To: Nationals of and East African countries under the Common East Africa Higher Education Protocol (Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan); refugees and internally displaced persons residing in Uganda
Call ID: RU/2026 GuluUniv./TAGDEV2.0
University Website: www.gu.ac.ug
Scholarship Application Portal: https://rims2.ruforum.org
Contact: mcf.agric@gu.ac.ug | d.ongeng@gu.ac.ug | mcf@ruforum.org

📚 Scholarship Overview

was established in 2001 and was the first public university in northern . It has developed rapidly and is now known for providing quality education across a wide range of programmes. Located in Gulu City, Northern Uganda, about 350 km from Kampala, the university was born out of the need to contribute to rural transformation and peace building in post-war northern Uganda. Its motto — "For Community Transformation" — captures the spirit that makes it a uniquely fitting home for the TAGDev 2.0 scholarship.

In partnership with the , (RUFORUM) in 2016 launched the Transforming African Agricultural Universities to meaningfully contribute to Africa's Growth and Development (TAGDev 1.0), which has made significant strides in agricultural education. TAGDev 2.0 is a scale-up to TAGDev 1.0 and is a 10-year programme (2023–2033) that brings together 12 African universities committed to training the next generation of agricultural leaders and innovators for Africa.

The TAGDev 2.0 scholarship at is a strategic alignment of two missions: RUFORUM and Mastercard Foundation's continental ambition to build agricultural capacity, and Gulu University's deeply rooted commitment to community transformation in one of Uganda's most historically underserved regions. Studying here is not just about earning a degree — it is about becoming a change-maker in a community that has endured and overcome great hardship, and that is now emerging as a hub of opportunity and growth.

📙 Eligible Programmes at Gulu University

Bachelor's Programmes

1. Bachelor of Science in Food Bioscience and Agribusiness

Direct Entry: Principal passes in any two of: Chemistry, Biology, Agriculture, Food and Nutrition, Physics, or Mathematics
Diploma Entry: Second-class/credit National Diploma in agriculture, animal husbandry, veterinary, crop husbandry, or related disciplines from a recognised institution

2. Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and Natural Resources Management

Direct Entry: Principal passes in any two of: Chemistry, Biology, or Geography at Advanced Level, obtained at the same sitting
Diploma Entry: Second-class/credit National Diploma in forestry, agriculture, animal husbandry, crop husbandry, veterinary, beekeeping, Food and Nutrition, Environmental Health, fisheries, or related disciplines from a recognised institution

3. Bachelor of Information and Communications Technology

Direct Entry: Principal passes in any two A-Level subjects at the same sitting, plus a credit in Sub-Mathematics at A-Level or at least a credit in Mathematics at O-Level
Diploma Entry: Credit Class Diploma in computing or its equivalent from a recognised institution

4. Bachelor of Quantitative Economics

Direct Entry: Principal pass in Mathematics and Economics at A-Level, obtained at the same sitting
Diploma Entry: Second-class/credit Diploma in Business-related courses from a recognised institution, with Principal passes in Mathematics and Economics at A-Level

Master's Programmes

1. Master of Science in Agri-Enterprises Development

At least a second-class Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Sciences, Veterinary Medicine, Business Administration, or any Economics-related discipline from a recognised institution

2. Master of Science in Food Security and Community Nutrition

At least a second-class Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Food Science and Technology, Biological Sciences, General Sciences, Veterinary Medicine, or other medical fields from a recognised institution

3. Master of Science in Environmental Science and Natural Resources Management

Admission requirements as specified by — visit www.gu.ac.ug for details

4. Master of Science in Information and Communications Technologies for Development

A Bachelor's degree with at least a Second-Class Lower in Information Systems, Information Technology, Computer Science, Software Engineering, or Computer Engineering from a recognised institution; OR
A Pass/Third-Class Bachelor's degree with a Postgraduate Diploma in Computing disciplines from a recognised institution; OR
Any other Bachelor's degree with at least a Second-Class Upper from a recognised institution

🧩 Structure & Activities

The TAGDev 2.0 scholarship at is a holistic, full-board academic experience built around academic excellence, practical skills, and community impact. The programme integrates the following components:

Degree-level Academic Training — Scholars pursue structured BSc or MSc degree programmes in their chosen field at Gulu University.
Research Support — Dedicated funding enables scholars to conduct meaningful research addressing local and continental agricultural challenges.
Internship and Field Attachment — Organised industry and community placements expose scholars to real agricultural value chains and rural development contexts.
Community Engagement — Scholars are actively embedded in outreach activities throughout their studies, applying academic knowledge to serve their communities.
Entrepreneurship Training — A structured programme builds the mindset and tools to establish agri-based enterprises and create employment for themselves and others.
Workshop and Conference Participation — Scholars attend national and international academic events; indirect costs such as international conference participation are covered directly by the RUFORUM Secretariat.
Laptop Provision — Every successful scholar receives a laptop for academic use.
Special Support for Refugees and Persons with Disabilities — In addition to all standard benefits, refugees and displaced persons (RDPs) receive support with travel documents, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) receive assistive devices to support learning and movement throughout their studies. This makes the Gulu University TAGDev scholarship particularly inclusive.
Virtual Information Sessions — Dates for key information sessions will be communicated in due course by RUFORUM.
Alumni Network — Successful graduates remain connected to RUFORUM and Gulu University as part of the broader TAGDev Programme Alumni community across 12 African countries.

Scholarships are renewed annually subject to satisfactory academic performance at a minimum grade B level. Retaking more than four courses in any year may result in withdrawal of the award.

🎁 Scholarship Benefits

This is a comprehensive, full-board scholarship covering both direct and indirect costs. Here is the complete breakdown:

Full Tuition Fees — All academic fees for the entire programme duration
Monthly Living Stipend — Regular financial support for daily living needs
Hostel/Accommodation — On-campus housing fully covered
Laptop — Provided to every successful scholar
Research Costs — Funding for academic and field-based research activities
Internship and Field Attachment — Costs of practical learning placements
Community Engagement Activities — Support for outreach and service components
Workshop and Conference Costs — Including international conference participation, covered by the RUFORUM Secretariat
Entrepreneurship Training — Full access to enterprise development and business skills programmes
Travel Documents (RDPs) — Refugees and displaced persons receive support with travel documentation
Assistive Devices (PWDs) — Persons with disabilities receive appropriate devices to support their learning and movement

ℹ️ Important: Students currently holding any other scholarship are ineligible for this award. Anyone found to hold a double scholarship will be automatically discontinued. Previous TAGDev scholarship beneficiaries are also not eligible to re-apply.

✅ Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for the TAGDev 2.0 Scholarship at 2026/2027, applicants must satisfy the following:

Nationality — Must be a national of or a citizen of East African countries under the Common East Africa Higher Education Protocol: Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, or South Sudan. Refugees and conflict-affected persons from Africa residing in Uganda are also eligible.
Economic Background — Must come from an economically disadvantaged or marginalized community, and/or a conflict or post-conflict area in Uganda.
Age Limits:
- Undergraduate applicants: below 30 years at the time of application
- Master's applicants: below 35 years at the time of application
Academic Qualification — Must meet the admission criteria for the chosen programme at Gulu University (see programme requirements above).
Interest and Commitment — Must demonstrate genuine interest in agriculture, agribusiness, and entrepreneurship; show leadership qualities; and have a clear commitment to agricultural value chains and community transformation.
No Existing Scholarship — Applicants currently receiving any other scholarship of any kind are ineligible.
Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply. So are refugees, internally displaced persons, and persons with disabilities.

📝 Application Procedure

The application is a two-stage process that must be completed concurrently — both the university admission application and the RUFORUM scholarship application must be submitted before the deadline.

Stage 1 — Apply for Admission to Gulu University

Visit the Gulu University application portal at http://apply.gu.ac.ug
Register using your email address or mobile number, then click "Register Now" and follow the prompts (ensure you have access to the email/phone number used)
After registration, a One Time Password (OTP) will be sent to your email and phone number — use it to log in
Log in and click the "Apply Now" button under the appropriate scheme to fill and submit the online form
Diploma and Graduate Entry applicants must attach certified copies of their Transcript and Certificate (in PDF format, not exceeding 1 MB each), named in the format: Surname Academic Documents (e.g., Okello Academic Documents)

Important notes for admission:

Applicants with academic documents in languages other than English must have them translated to English
Applicants who obtained secondary school qualifications outside Uganda should contact the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) to have their qualifications equated to Ugandan grades
Applicants with post-secondary qualifications from outside Uganda should visit the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) website for procedures to equate foreign qualifications

For admission enquiries: admissions@gu.ac.ug | +256774981400 / +256775757303

Stage 2 — Apply for the RUFORUM TAGDev 2.0 Scholarship via RIMS

Access the RUFORUM Information Management System (RIMS) at https://rims2.ruforum.org
Create your account by clicking "Register Here" — an activation email will be sent to you (check your Spam/Junk folder if it does not appear in your inbox)
Log in with your email and password
Navigate to Calls > Scholarship Calls
Select Call ID: RU/2026GuluUniv./TAGDev2.0
Click Apply and begin filling the application form — click "Save Draft" regularly to avoid losing progress
Download and print the completed form, then submit it alongside your Gulu University admission application

For scholarship portal assistance: mcf@ruforum.org

📁 Documents Typically Required

Certified academic transcripts and certificates (O-Level, A-Level, Diploma, or Degree, as applicable)
Birth certificate or proof of age
National ID or valid passport
Proof of residence or origin (for conflict-affected area applicants)
Any other documents specified in the official call document

Participating Universities (TAGDev 2.0 Network)

Gulu is one of twelve partner universities across Africa implementing the TAGDev 2.0 programme. The full network includes:

Uganda: Gulu University, Uganda Martyrs University

Kenya: Egerton University, University of Eldoret

Zimbabwe: Africa University

South Africa: University of the Free State

Malawi: Malawi University of Science and Technology

Nigeria: University of Port Harcourt

Ghana: University of Cape Coast

Cameroon: University of Bamenda

Benin: National University of Agriculture

Morocco: Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique

Each university has its own eligible programmes, admission requirements, and Call ID. Applicants interested in a university other than Gulu should visit https://rims2.ruforum.org and check the specific call document for that institution.

🚀 Extra Tips & Important Notes

Gulu University is a particularly special choice for this scholarship. Located in Gulu City — one of the fastest-growing urban centres in Northern Uganda — the university has become a symbol of recovery and growth in a region that has experienced historical hardship. Studying here connects scholars to a community with deep resilience and a powerful story of transformation.
Students at Gulu University include learners from Cameroon, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zambia, and beyond — many on RUFORUM Mastercard Foundation Scholarships — making it a genuinely diverse East African academic community.
TAGDev 2.0 is not just a scholarship programme — it is a movement for transformation of African higher education institutions. It champions equity, innovation, and leadership, especially among youth navigating challenges of life including poverty, displacement, and climate vulnerability.
The scholarship's special provisions for refugees (travel documents) and persons with disabilities (assistive devices) make this one of the most inclusive scholarship opportunities available in Uganda today.
Falsification of any application document will lead to immediate disqualification. Academic misconduct — including examination malpractice — results in automatic loss of the scholarship.
All scholars are expected to remain connected to RUFORUM and Gulu University as part of the Programme Alumni network upon graduation.
Dates for Virtual Information Sessions will be communicated by RUFORUM — follow their official channels to stay informed.