President Bola Tinubu. Photo: State House

The Federal Government has approved N10bn for the 2026 National Research Fund Grant Cycle of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund.

TETFund, in a call for concept notes, said the grant would support research projects across 30 priority thematic areas under Humanities and Social Sciences; Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation; and Cross-Cutting.

The fund said the 2026 grant cycle followed the successful completion of the 2025 cycle, which resulted in the award of a little over N6.09bn to support 174 research projects.

According to TETFund, accessing the 2026 NRF grant will begin with the submission of concept notes by Principal Investigators of proposed research projects.

Only Principal Investigators whose concept notes are evaluated and considered fundable will be invited to submit full proposals.

Who can apply?

TETFund said lecturers in public tertiary institutions in Nigeria are eligible to apply for the grant.

It added that multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research involving researchers from various disciplines was encouraged.

The Principal Investigator will lead the research team and be responsible and accountable for the conduct of the research.

TETFund also requires the Principal Investigator to be institution-based, with the institution serving as the coordinating institution and guarantor of the proper application of funds for the project.

How to apply

The application process is entirely online.

Eligible Principal Investigators are required to visit the TETFund National Research Fund portal at nrf.tetfund.gov.ng, where they will be guided through the preparation and submission of their concept notes and, subsequently, research proposals if their concept notes are successful.

Applicants are encouraged to study the Research Brief and application Guidelines before submitting their concept notes.

All submitted concept notes will be evaluated by the National Research Fund Screening and Monitoring Committee.

Principal Investigators with successful concept notes will be notified and invited to prepare and submit full proposals online.

The PI and at least one member of the research team behind a proposal that is screened and adjudged fundable will be invited to defend the proposal before the committee.

Successful proposals will then be presented to the TETFund Board of Trustees for approval and disbursement of funds.

When is the deadline?

TETFund said the portal would open for submission of concept notes on August 31, 2026.

The deadline for submission is October 15, 2026, Nigerian time.
The fund stressed that there will be no extension.

30 research areas covered

The 30 priority thematic areas are grouped into three categories.

Humanities and Social Sciences
Citizenship and National Integration
Conflict, Defence and Security
Economic Development and Globalisation
Education and Human Capital
Gender, Equity and Social Inclusion
Governance, Politics, Law and Ethics
History, Culture and Identities
Humanities, Social Sciences, Technology and Business Interface
Languages, Literatures and Media
Population and Migration
Social Development and Welfare
Tourism, Sports and Recreation

Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation

Agriculture and Food Security
Geosciences
Health and Social Welfare
Industry and Innovation
Information Technology, Computing and Telecommunications
Power and Energy
Science and Engineering
Space Science and Technology
Sustainable Use of Natural Resources and Terrestrial Ecosystems
Transport and Infrastructure
Water and Sanitation

Cross-Cutting

Blue Economy
Clean and Affordable Energy
Entrepreneurship and Wealth Creation
Environment, Housing, Urban and Regional Development
Innovation and Technology in National Defence Capabilities
Resource Governance
National System of Innovation

The call was signed by the TETFund Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny S. T. Echono, PhD, FNIA, OON.

For enquiries, applicants can contact the TETFund NRF Secretariat through [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected].