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/ˈkuːnguː/  

(n)– Swahili for 'mist' or 'fog', symbolizing the gradual unveiling of possibilities when we get closer.

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KUNGU LABS is a research and design organization supporting impact projects, programs, and organizations in creating lasting change. Founded in 2018,  KUNGU LABS partners with communities and problem-solvers, using social innovation and enterprise to advance environmental, social, and infrastructure justice in more inclusive and sustainable ways.

We believe the people closest to the problem often hold the clearest path to the solution. Our work brings together ethnography (how people live, behave, and make decisions) with design thinking to co-design, pilot, and scale interventions.

Across the world, emerging researchers, designers, and practitioners are seeking meaningful ways to engage with social, environmental, and infrastructure challenges. Yet opportunities for structured, field-based experience, mentorship, and institutional affiliation remain limited—particularly in contexts outside their home countries.

At the same time, many initiatives doing critical work in these areas face multiple constraints: limited budgets (worse now with shrinking donor funding), overstretched staff with little room for reflection, and restricted access to technical expertise that could help refine programs and strategies. Without targeted support, it can be difficult to amplify impact or translate promising practices into scalable solutions.

In response, the Research + Design Residency (R+D Residency) is a curated program for graduate students, practitioners, and faculty exploring social enterprise pathways to address pressing challenges in under-served communities and research sites across Kenya.

The residency is part of the Fellowships & Mentorship service area at KUNGU LABS, where we reinvest resources to cultivate communities of practice and create opportunities for emerging researchers and designers to learn, connect, and contribute toward addressing real-world social and environmental challenges.

The 2026 R+D Residency is seeking  four for partner with initiatives that are tackling pressing social, environmental, or infrastructure challenges in Kenya.

The residency has two goals:
Goal 1: Residents: to provide space and a clearer pathway for institutional affiliation, field access, and collaboration for visiting students, academics, and practitioners interested in social innovation and social enterprise.

Goal 2: Partner Initiatives:  to support initiatives solve their core challenges while giving graduate students, practitioners, and faculty exploring social enterprise pathways an opportunity to contribute their skills and ideas to real-world projects in Kenya.

Highlights

• Initiatives apply to participate in the residency program.

• 10 initiatives are interviewed for the 2026 cohort.

• Up to 4 initiatives are selected; their profiles are shared with shortlisted residency candidates.

• Residents and partners are formally matched and engaged in April

• Remote engagement begins early May, with residents and partner initiatives collaborating on scoping, alignment, and preliminary work.

• Residents travel to Kenya for 4 weeks (June–July) for on-the-ground collaboration and fieldwork.

• A residency talk to shared key learning with stakeholders

• Remote collaboration continues through early August to finalize presentations, reporting, and handover.

Benefits to Partner Initiatives

Each year, up to 4 initiatives will be selected. Partner organizations will receive:

• Professional Expertise – Support from university professors, international practitioners, emerging international researchers and designers at the Master’s and PhD level, bringing professional research and design skills at no cost.

• Research Support – Help with data collection, analysis, and actionable recommendations tailored to your initiative.

• Design Support – Assistance in developing solutions, prototypes, or improving processes together with your team.

• Capacity Strengthening – Access to new ideas, approaches, and skills from researchers and designers.

• Knowledge & Networks – Connection to a network of practitioners, researchers, and other initiatives.

Thematic Areas

We are particularly interested in initiatives aligned with one or more of the following areas:

1. Digital Innovation, Connectivity & Economies (DICE) – digital infrastructure and  technologies to expand livelihoods, inclusion, and community impact.

2. Food & Agricultural Systems (FAS) – Building stronger, more resilient food and farming systems that nourish people and protect the environment.

3. Circular & Regenerative Economies (CREGE) – systems where resources are reused, repaired, and regenerated to reduce waste and support local economies.

4. Culture & Economies (CUES) – Connecting culture and creative activities to identity, community, and social innovation.

5. Healthy People & Planet (HEPP) – Supporting human and environmental health through better systems, services,  and communication practices.

6. Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Systems (WASH) – Promoting access, innovation, and good governance in water and sanitation.

Partner Initiative Criteria

Each year, the residency will select initiatives that:

• Have a clearly defined problem or challenge where a partnership with the residency team could make a meaningful contribution.

• Have a focused scope that can be addressed within a four-month collaboration.

• Have at least one dedicated member staff fluent in English who can engage regularly with the residency team.

Application 

We invite initiatives to apply via our online application form. Please provide detailed responses to help us understand your initiative, challenges, and potential collaboration with residents by December 5, 2025

Online Application Form: Apply Here