FIRAT Offers USD 200,000 SnapGenius Research Facility to Boost Research Excellence in African Universities

Kigali, Rwanda – January 31, 2026

The Foresight Institute of Research and Translation (FIRAT) has announced a major continental research infrastructure support initiative valued at approximately USD 200,000, aimed at strengthening research productivity, quality, and global visibility across selected African universities and higher education institutions.

The programme is supported by the Foresight Foundation International (FFI) as a partner foundation enabling expanded access to advanced research productivity infrastructure across Africa.

About the Initiative

The initiative provides fully sponsored institutional access to SnapGenius, FIRAT's AI-powered Research Operating System, designed to support the entire research lifecycle, from study design and data analysis to scientific writing and publication. The support is being delivered as in-kind research infrastructure rather than direct financial grants, reflecting a strategic shift toward sustainable, system-level research capacity strengthening across African higher education.

SnapGenius operates as a unified Research Operating System by integrating:

• Research design tools
• AI-assisted data collection
• Automated statistical analysis
• Interpretation and visualization
• Structured scientific writing within a single governed workspace
• An assisted research publication library

By reducing workflow fragmentation and technical bottlenecks, the platform enables researchers and institutions to increase research output, strengthen methodological rigor, enhance consistency in scholarly outputs, and significantly shorten time-to-publication.

Institutional Impact

According to FIRAT, the initiative directly supports institutional priorities related to:

• Improved undergraduate research training
• Increased postgraduate research throughput
• Enhanced global competitiveness
• Alignment with international university ranking and evaluation frameworks
• Stronger translation of research into policy, innovation, and development impact

Participating Institutions

As part of FIRAT's broader continental research capacity enhancement agenda, the SnapGenius Research Operating System facility is being extended to 17 universities and polytechnics across Africa, spanning Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia.

East Africa

• Rwanda: University of Rwanda
• Uganda: Makerere University, Kabale University, Kampala International University

Southern Africa (Zambia)

• University of Zambia
• University of Lusaka
• Cavendish University
• UNICAF University

West Africa (Nigeria)

• University of Lagos
• University of Ibadan
• University of Jos
• Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta
• Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
• Newgate University, Minna
• Federal University of Transportation, Daura
• Summit University, Offa
• Yaba College of Technology
• Moshood Abiola Polytechnic
• Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro

Regulatory Engagement

Beyond direct institutional deployment, the initiative also engages higher education regulatory and coordinating bodies, including:

• Nigeria's National Universities Commission
• Higher Education Council of Rwanda
• National Council for Higher Education in Uganda
• Inter-University Council for East Africa
• Higher Education Authority of Zambia

These engagements are intended to align institutional-level research productivity improvements with national and regional higher education quality, innovation, and competitiveness frameworks.

A New Era of Research Excellence

"Research excellence today depends as much on systems as it does on talent. By equipping African universities with advanced research operating infrastructure, we are enabling institutions to compete more effectively in global knowledge production and innovation."

— FIRAT

Institutional deployment of the SnapGenius Research Operating System is currently underway. FIRAT confirms that Vice-Chancellors, Rectors, and agency leadership across participating countries have begun receiving the sponsored access packages, with internal allocation to research units and researchers proceeding through established institutional governance structures.

The initiative represents the first phase of FIRAT's 2026 continental research systems strengthening agenda, with further expansion planned through cross-institutional research programmes, innovation challenges, and evidence-driven development collaborations.

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For more information about SnapGenius, visit snapgenius.tech