Main Campus, Nairobi +254 20 8703090 dvc-rio@ku.ac.ke
Kenyatta University

One desk
for all your
research papers.

Seven services. One login. Send a request and follow it until it is signed.

Get started See services
Research Management System
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Ethics proposals
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Data collection requests
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Affiliation Requests
What we handle

Pick a service,
start the file.

Every request lands with the right office on the first try. You get a reference number and email updates.

Letters of Support

Institutional backing for your proposal.

Apply
Conference Hosting

Host or co-host here on campus.

Apply
Ethics Proposal

Clearance from the ethics review desk.

Apply
Data Collection

Permission to collect in the field.

Apply
Publication Incentives

Claim the reward for published work.

Apply
Affiliation Request

Join us as a researcher or fellow.

Apply
Attendance Approval

Clearance to attend an event abroad or here.

Apply
New here?

Open an account and keep all your requests in one place.

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Before you start - Ethics Review

Have these ready.
It saves a round trip.

Most applications are returned for one missing document. Gather these first and your file goes straight into review.

This page covers Ethics Review only. Letters of Support, Data Collection, Conference Hosting and the other services have their own requirements, shown when you start each application. There is no separate form to download - the application itself is the form.
What you will upload
  • Research proposalPDF, signed by you and your supervisor(s)
  • Graduate School approval letterFor your research proposal
  • Turnitin similarity reportFrom your department
  • Proof of paymentKU Finance Office receipt
  • Pre-submission checklistDuly filled and signed
  • Consent formCustomised to your study, or a waiver if retrospective
  • Assent formOnly if minors are involved
  • Your CVAs the last section of the proposal
  • Supervisor's CVOnly if your supervisor is not from KU

Animal studies also require the Occupational Safety Form and the Proposal Submission Form.

Review fees
Level KU students Non-KU students
Local Foreign Local Foreign
PhD5,000$606,000$70
Masters2,000$203,000$30
Undergraduate1,000$101,500$20

Amounts in Kenya Shillings unless marked $.

What you will upload
  • Research proposalPDF, signed by applicant and collaborator(s)
  • Proof of paymentKU Finance Office receipt or other relevant document
  • Pre-submission checklistDuly filled and signed
  • Budget and work planIncluded in the proposal document
  • Consent formOr a waiver for retrospective studies
  • Assent formOnly if minors are involved
  • Applicant's CVPI and Co-Investigator

Animal studies also require the Occupational Safety Form and the Proposal Submission Form.

Review fees
Category KU staff Non-KU staff
Local Foreign Local Foreign
Non funded5,000$6010,000$120
Funded, up to 5M20,000$25040,000$500
Funded, beyond 5M40,000$45080,000$900

Amounts in Kenya Shillings unless marked $.

Where to pay
Account nameKenyatta University / K.UPYT BankNational Bank of Kenya BranchKenyatta University Branch (044)
Bank code12000 Account no.01003059002400 (KES) Swift codeNBKEKENXXXX (FOREX)

Expedited review costs twice the standard fee. Mark “Expedited Review” in your submission subject line.

chairman.kuerc@ku.ac.ke
020 870 4388 / 9
Directorate Complex, 3rd Floor, Wing C, Room 317

Download the templates first. Consent form, assent form, pre-submission checklist and the waiver form.
Forms & downloads
Who reviews your work

Three committees.
One of them is yours.

You do not need to choose. Answer a few questions in the application and your file is routed to the right committee automatically.

Ethics Review Committee
KUERC

For any study involving human participants - interviews, questionnaires, clinical studies, focus groups, or personal records.

  • Human participants of any age
  • Personal or identifiable data
  • Interventions on people
Animal Care & Use Committee
ACUC

For any study involving animal subjects, whether in a laboratory, in the field, or in teaching.

  • Vertebrate animals in research
  • Animals used in teaching
  • Animal housing and welfare
Biosafety Committee
Biomedical

For work with biological material - specimens, pathogens, tissue, or genetic material.

  • Human or animal specimens
  • Import, export or storage of samples
  • Infectious agents and containment

A study can fall under more than one committee. Say so in your application and it will be reviewed jointly.

Eligibility

Who can apply

If your research is conducted at Kenyatta University, uses its name, or involves its students or staff, it comes through this office.

Students

Undergraduate, Masters and PhD candidates whose proposals have been approved by the Graduate School.

Needs a supervisor's signature
Academic & research staff

Members of staff acting as Principal Investigator on a study, whether funded or unfunded.

Applies in their own name
Non-KU researchers

Researchers from other institutions collaborating with KU or collecting data on its campuses. Different fees apply.

Needs a KU collaborator or affiliation
Not sure whether you qualify as a Principal Investigator? The Research Policy sets out eligibility and the grounds for exceptions. Read the policy
How it works

Four steps,
no queues.

The paperwork stays online from the day you submit to the day it is approved.

More about RMS
Step 01
Create an account

Use your KU email. It takes a minute.

Step 02
Choose a service

Seven desks, each with its own form.

Step 03
Attach and submit

Upload your documents and send.

Step 04
Follow the file

Watch each stage until you are cleared.

Already registered

Your requests are
waiting inside.

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Kenyatta University main gate
About

Research,
held together.

RMS is the central platform of the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Outreach. It carries proposals, ethics reviews, clearances and rewards on one rail.

Fewer forms on paper. Less walking. Records you can trace years later.

Read the policy