The Federal Government has approved ₦10 billion for the 2026 National Research Fund (NRF) grant programme administered by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
TETFund announced the funding as part of its call for concept notes for the new grant cycle. The announcement was contained in a statement signed by the Executive Secretary of the agency, Sonny Echono.
According to TETFund, the 2026 programme will support research projects across 30 priority thematic areas covering a wide range of disciplines and national development issues.
The latest funding follows the completion of the 2025 National Research Fund programme, through which more than ₦6.09 billion was allocated to 174 research projects.
For the 2026 cycle, researchers seeking funding are required to begin the application process by submitting concept notes outlining their proposed projects.
TETFund explained that only principal investigators whose concept notes are assessed and considered suitable for funding will proceed to the next stage, where they will be invited to submit detailed research proposals.
Lecturers and researchers in public tertiary institutions across Nigeria are eligible to apply for the grant, with the entire application process scheduled to take place online.
Applicants are expected to access the TETFund National Research Fund portal, prepare their concept notes and submit them electronically. Prospective applicants have also been advised to carefully review the research brief and application guidelines before completing their submissions.
All concept notes submitted for consideration will undergo assessment by the National Research Fund Screening and Monitoring Committee.
The online application portal is scheduled to open on August 31, 2026, while the deadline for submission is October 15, 2026.
The 30 priority research areas are grouped into three major categories: Humanities and Social Sciences; Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation; and Cross-Cutting Issues.
The cross-cutting research themes include areas such as the blue economy, clean and affordable energy, entrepreneurship and wealth creation, among other subjects considered important to Nigeria’s development.
The ₦10 billion research fund is expected to provide researchers in public tertiary institutions with greater financial support to conduct studies aimed at finding solutions to some of the country’s pressing challenges.
Through the programme, TETFund is seeking to strengthen research capacity in Nigerian institutions while encouraging studies that can generate practical solutions, support innovation and contribute to economic and social development.
