FG BOOSTS TETFUND RESEARCH BUDGET TO N10BN, OPENS APPLICATIONS MONDAY

The Federal Government has approved N10 billion for the 2026 grant cycle of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund National Research Fund, representing a 64.2 per cent increase over the N6.09 billion allocated to 174 research projects in the 2025 cycle.

TETFund disclosed this in its 2026 National Research Fund Grant Cycle Call for Concept Notes, signed by its Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono. The Fund said the increased allocation was designed to strengthen research activities and improve the capacity of Nigerian researchers.

According to TETFund, the new funding will support research projects across 30 priority thematic areas. The areas are grouped into Humanities and Social Sciences; Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation; and Cross-Cutting research themes.

The agency said the application process would begin with the submission of concept notes by eligible Principal Investigators. Researchers whose projects are considered fundable will subsequently be invited to develop and submit full research proposals.

TETFund stated that lecturers in public tertiary institutions across Nigeria are eligible to apply for the grants. It also encouraged multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research involving academics from different fields.

Under the guidelines, the Principal Investigator must be based in an eligible institution, which will serve as the coordinating institution and guarantee the proper use of funds awarded for the research project.

The Fund said the application portal would open on August 31, 2026, while the deadline for submitting concept notes is October 15, 2026. TETFund emphasised that there would be no extension of the deadline.

All applications will be submitted electronically through the National Research Fund portal and will undergo assessment by the National Research Fund Screening and Monitoring Committee.

Researchers whose concept notes are successful will be required to proceed to the full proposal stage. TETFund further explained that the Principal Investigator and at least one other member of the research team behind a fundable proposal would be required to defend the project before the screening and monitoring committee.

Following the evaluation process, successful proposals will be presented to the TETFund Board of Trustees for final approval and disbursement.

The increased allocation represents a major expansion of government-backed research funding and is expected to provide more opportunities for academics to undertake studies addressing important national challenges.

The emphasis on science, technology, innovation and cross-disciplinary research also reflects efforts to make research conducted in Nigerian tertiary institutions more relevant to economic development and policymaking.

TETFund's latest funding commitment comes amid growing calls for increased investment in research and development, particularly within Nigeria's public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

With the application window opening on August 31, eligible researchers have been advised to begin preparing their concept notes ahead of the October 15 deadline.