The Federal Government has approved N10 billion for the 2026 National Research Fund (NRF) grant cycle of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), with applications set to open for eligible researchers.
TETFund announced the funding in a call for concept notes signed by its Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono, stating that the grant will support research projects across 30 priority thematic areas.
The 2026 funding cycle follows the successful completion of the 2025 programme, under which more than N6.09 billion was awarded to support 174 research projects.
TETFund said the application process will begin with the submission of concept notes by principal investigators seeking funding for proposed research projects.
Only principal investigators whose concept notes are evaluated and considered fundable will be invited to submit full research proposals.
Lecturers in public tertiary institutions in Nigeria are eligible to apply, with the entire application process to be completed online.
Eligible applicants are required to access the TETFund National Research Fund portal to prepare and submit their concept notes. TETFund advised applicants to carefully study the research brief and application guidelines before submission.
All submitted concept notes will be assessed by the National Research Fund Screening and Monitoring Committee.
The portal is scheduled to open for submissions on August 31, 2026, while the deadline for applications is October 15, 2026.
The 30 priority research areas cover three broad categories: humanities and social sciences; science, engineering, technology and innovation; and cross-cutting areas.
The cross-cutting areas include issues such as the blue economy, clean and affordable energy, entrepreneurship and wealth creation, among others.
TETFund said the grant is intended to strengthen research and support projects capable of contributing to national development across various fields.
