Because of the scarcity of funding, health research has to be directed to major health problems. Priorities should go to those health problems that cause a large burden of disease and for which cost-effective interventions are available. Therefore, if the disease burden is large, a cost-effective intervention exists and experts believe that such an intervention can be developed; there is a case for greater investment in application of that intervention. The setting of research priorities therefore has to first identify the major disease problems in the country and what effective measures should be applied. After this pilot testing can be done before national application.

IMTU shall, therefore fund or support funding of research proposals that are within IMTU priorities, as well as, the research that aims at solving health problems or advancing knowledge and shall encourage collaboration within and across departments and national and international institutions. The following are IMTU research priorities:

• IMTU graduate tracer studies
• Recruitment and retention of University staff
• Socio-cultural practices in health including breast feeding
• Disabilities (blindness and deafness)
• Child and youth problems (adolescent sexuality, sexual abuse, drug and substance abuse)
• Nutritional disorders both macro and micronutrient, anemia, iodine deficiency, vitamin A deficiency
• Maternal and Child Health
• The epidemic of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus
• The epidemic of cancers (Cervix, Breast, Prostate, Liver, and lung)
• Emerging and neglected tropical diseases (Ebola, Dengue and Rift Valley Fever)
• Control of communicable diseases (Malaria, Schistosomiasis, Filariasis, Onchocerciasis, Trypanosomiasis)