>>>>Winners of the 2nd round of Science awards   By John Kasozi and Juliet Waiswa          IN 2004, President Yoweri Museveni introduced the presidential science awards as part of the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology’s (UNCST) mandate to promote the development and application of science and technology for economic transformation. The first Presidential Science and Technology Excellence Awards were presented to winning scientists in 2006. The second set of awards was announced in 2007 and presented to the winners at the closing ceremony of the National Science Week in 2008. UNCST has the obligation to honour scientists and technologists through awards for outstanding achievements and contributions in fields such as basic sciences, social sciences, humanities and technology. Achievements in scientific and technological innovation and application in the fields of agricultural sciences, veterinary sciences, military sciences, natural sciences, engineering, biotechnology, earth sciences, medical sciences, space sciences and information and communication sciences are also recognised. Last year, among those awarded was Prof. Nelson Kaulukusi Sewankambo of Makerere University Faculty of Medicine. He was recognised for his unwavering commitment to leadership in demystifying the dynamics of the HIV/AIDS spread in rural areas. Prof. George William Otim Nape of Africa Innovation Systems was recognised for his dedicated and exemplary research work that led to the control of the cassava mossaic disease. Dr. Philippa Musoke of Makerere University Medical School’s Department of Paediatrics was awarded for her contribution in the fight against HIV/AIDS by demonstrating that a single dose of Nevirapine, HIV/AIDS drug, significantly prevents mother-to-child HIV transmission. Dr. Andrew Kiggundu of National Agricultural Research Laboratories Institute, Kawanda, was awarded for his contribution towards the development of somatic embryonic cell cultures and the successful transformation of the East African Highland cooking banana in Uganda.   Kiggundu (left) with some of the improved banana plants for which he received the Presidential award Those recognised in the field of technology included Joseph Kavuma of Tonnet Engineering Workshop on Gayaza Road and a member of the Uganda Small Scale Industries Association, who was recognised for his outstanding contribution to agriculture through agro-machinery production. Mohammed Basajjasubi Katongole of Mawakato Technical Services and a member of the Uganda Small Scale Industries Association was recognised for his innovative work that has earned local industries, especially the railway company, money by locally availing the required spare parts. Richard Mayombwe of Katwe Dynamo in Kampala was recognised for his innovative work in appropriate technologies for generation of energy at household and industrial level. Prof. Elly Nyabombo Sabiiti of the Faculty of Agriculture, Makerere University was recognised for his contribution to the scientific understanding of ecological dynamics of rangelands, science education and institutional building in agricultural sciences. Others were Prof. Adipala Ekwamu of the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture for his contribution to human resource capacity building in agricultural sciences, Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba of the Faculty of Computing and Information Technology Makerere University for his innovative approach to institutional and human capacity development in computer science and Prof. William Bazeterra Banage of the Faculty of Science Makerere University for his role in institutional building for the biological sciences and pioneering in the teaching of zoology.