Faculty Member Wins External Research Grant

By Victoria Mumbi

Ms. Harriet Mwango, a faculty member in the School of Science, Engineering and Health, has won a competitive external research grant, marking a major milestone for both her work and the University’s research ecosystem.

The award, valued at Ksh 2 million, is supported by the UK Digital Access Programme (UK DAP) under the AI Challenge Program 2025, with KICTANet serving as the UK Kenya implementing partner.

Ms. Mwango’s project, titled “ Integrated AI-Driven Soil Fertility Assessment and Fertilizer Supply Chain Optimization for Smallholder farmers in Kenya” will run from the signing of the award letter through 31st March 2026.

In 2025, Ms. Mwango received a Daystar University internal research grant which provided critical seed funding to test and validate her idea, build early evidence of its viability, and lay the groundwork for commercialization.

That internal investment led into a globally validated, externally funded project, demonstrating the power and effectiveness of Daystar’s Research, Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship (RICE) pipeline.

This success clearly reflects the DRICE model in action:

  *   Internal funding that supports early-stage innovation and risk reduction.
  *   Commercialization that enables real-world relevance and scalability.
  *   External funding that provides independent validation and global confidence.

Ms. Mwango’s achievement underscores Daystar University’s commitment to research that goes beyond ideas to deliver solutions, attract international partnerships, and create sustainable impact.

Her win is a strong signal of a research university that intentionally converts scholarship into innovation to serve society.

Daystar University congratulates Ms. Harriet Mwango on this outstanding accomplishment.