RISE (Research, Innovations, Services and Engagement)

The RISE fund is coordinated by Dr. John Ngubiri as Director. RISE, is an initiative which was invented by Professor Oyana with a purpose of improving scholarship in the college. Academic staff preferably in their early career, and students under mentorship are eligible to get this funding. He emphasized the fact that grants awarded by RISE are all based on Merit and are only awarded to the best projects. Grants to be given to staff are assessed externally while student’s projects are assessed internally.

A total of over 1.5 million in grants has been distributed over a period of eight years, with about 90% allocated to staff and 10% to students. Funding is mainly directed towards innovative Information Systems and Technology research applications, though exact distribution percentages are unclear, and some calls receive no applicants. Success rates are generally high, mainly depending on proposal quality and availability of funds.

Staff projects are assessed based on their possibility to secure larger future grants, the potential for providing mentorship, and the creativity and originality of the proposal. On the other hand, student projects focus mainly on the possibility of expanding into business or innovative ventures.

Areas of great interest include Intelligent Systems, Health and Nutrition, Education, Smart Business, and Staff Vigilance. Notably, some staff members demonstrate heightened vigilance, to the extent that there is concern they may exhaust the available seed funding prematurely.

For moving forward, RISE will focus on:

• Aligning initiatives with departmental and school priorities,
• Providing seed funding to foster larger grants,
• Early-stage start-ups and innovations, as they represent accessible opportunities for growth supporting the formalization of start-ups will prevent them from disappearing,
• Leveraging early-stage innovations as low-risk,
• Offer high-reward opportunities.
• Fund these start-ups using endowment resources, with CoCIS acquiring shares to benefit financially.

Dr. John Ngubiri, Director RISE

Research Initiatives through RISE at  CoCIS

The College of Computing and Information Sciences’ RISE research projects concentrate on interdisciplinary, significant solutions. Health agriculture, technology (AI, software engineering), engineering, climate change, and socioeconomic development are important areas of study.  Many of our recipients have used the preliminary data they received from these seed funds to apply for external awards. Strong research outcomes for the College and beyond have resulted from these seeding opportunities. The College’s research capacity has been greatly increased by the successful development of junior researchers’ grantsmanship knowledge and abilities. The three most fascinating and significant initiatives are listed below.

Yo Waste

Yo waste is a location – based mobile application that connects homes and businesses to independent agents for an efficient on-demand rubbish collection and disposal. This is a game-changing technology that has transformed the way waste management is handled in communities. The mobile app enables waste collectors to receive electronic notifications when their services are needed, streamlining the process and reducing administrative burdens. The innovative platform also offers a pay-per-volume model, ensuring that waste collectors are paid fairly for the actual amount of waste collected. With over 10,000 clients, Yo Waste has successfully implemented its solution to achieve a waste-free community at minimal cost, providing accurate data for trend analysis and supporting homes, businesses, haulers, and municipalities.

Mobi Fuel

Mobi Fuel is a tailored solution designed to serve micro fuel consumers who often require credit, addressing the difficulty of tracking individual usage while recognizing their collective demand. Originally targeted at boda boda operators, the platform gained more enthusiasm from fishermen, particularly those at landing sites along the shores of Lake Victoria. Initially leveraging a mobile app for transactions, Mobi Fuel shifted to USSD technology, which proved more convenient for their target clients who often have limited smartphone access. The system is primarily mobile money-based, allowing users to make remote payments easily, thus supporting efficient fuel access and financial flexibility for communities reliant on lake-based activities.

Auto Speech Translator

Auto Speech Translator is an AI-centric system designed for the real-time monitoring and transcription of long-form speech, such as radio broadcasts, speeches, or continuous audio streams. It effectively converts spoken language into accurate text, enabling seamless analysis and understanding of the content. The platform is capable of classifying various aspects of the transcribed data, including named entities, topics, and speech styles, providing valuable insights into the information being monitored. Its capabilities have expanded to large-scale, continuous speech data monitoring, making it a powerful tool for media analysis, surveillance, and linguistic research in diverse environments