The Department of Informatics and Information Technology (DIIT), College of Natural and Applied Sciences (CONAS) at SUA, is delighted to celebrate the remarkable achievements of four of its staff members who have successfully secured funding for their innovative research projects under the Sokoine University of Agriculture Research and Innovation Support (SUARIS) grants.
The SUARIS grants, awarded annually over the past four years, provide funding across three categories: commissioned projects (up to 80 million TSH), medium projects (up to 30 million TSH), and small projects (up to 20 million TSH). This year, DIIT is proud to announce that four of its academic staff members have secured medium project funding for the period 2025 to 2027:
- Dr. Neema N. Lyimo will lead her team on the project titled “Future Agricultural Resilient Mapping: Leveraging Geospatial Technology and Citizen Science for Crop Field Mapping and Acreage Estimation.” This research aims to transform agricultural resilience through advanced geospatial technology and community engagement.
- Dr. Farian Ishengoma will spearhead the project “Integrating Water Pressure Sensors and Artificial Intelligence Algorithms for Efficient Water Leak Detection and Identification in the Post-Meter Distribution Network of SUA Campuses (Smart Water Leak Detection and Identification).” Their research promises to address water management challenges using state-of-the-art AI-driven solutions.
- Mr. Hussein Mkwazu will lead the project “SmartCampus Explore: Applying a Social Semiotic Approach to Revolutionize Access to University Resources with ICT Solutions.” This project seeks to enhance accessibility and interaction with university resources through innovative ICT applications.
- Ms. Bertha M. Lebalwa will serve as a leader for the project “Towards Deploying Low-Cost Soil Testing Devices for Rural Farmers Powered by AI and Machine Learning (TESTER).” This research focuses on empowering rural farmers with affordable, AI-powered soil testing technology to improve agricultural productivity.
Securing four SUARIS phase 4 grants is a massive achievement for DIIT and highlights the department’s growing leadership in research and innovation at SUA. These grants also highlight the interdisciplinary collaboration and impactful research being carried out not only within DIIT but also across other departments at SUA.
The department extends its heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Lyimo, Dr. Ishengoma, Ms. Lebalwa, and Mr. Mkwazu, along with their respective teams, for their exceptional efforts and success. We also acknowledge the importance of SUARIS in fostering a thriving research culture at SUA and providing opportunities for faculty to address real-world challenges through innovative solutions.
This milestone reflects not only the talent within DIIT but also its commitment to advancing SUA’s mission of excellence in education, research, and community engagement. We look forward to seeing the transformative impact these projects will bring over the next three years.
Once again, congratulations to our esteemed colleagues and their teams for their outstanding contributions to research and innovation at SUA!
