The Federal Government has approved ₦10 billion for the 2026 Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) National Research Fund (NRF) Grant Cycle, opening a fresh opportunity for researchers in Nigeria’s public tertiary institutions.
TETFund said the 2026 funding will support research across 30 priority thematic areas, covering Humanities and Social Sciences, Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation, as well as cross-cutting areas.
Who is eligible?
According to TETFund, applicants must meet these key conditions:
Lecturers in public universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in Nigeria are eligible.
The applicant must serve as the Principal Investigator (PI) of the proposed research.
The PI must be institution-based, with the institution serving as the coordinating institution and guarantor for proper use of the grant.
Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research teams are encouraged.
For the PI, the applicable rank requirement is Senior Lecturer or above in a university, or Principal Lecturer or above in a polytechnic or college of education, according to TETFund’s published NRF eligibility requirements.
How the application works
The 2026 exercise begins with the submission of a research concept note, rather than a full proposal.
- Create an account on the TETFund NRF portal.
- Prepare your concept note according to the research brief and guidelines.
- Submit the concept note online.
- TETFund’s National Research Fund Screening and Monitoring Committee (NRFS&MC) will evaluate submissions.
- Only PIs whose concept notes are considered fundable will be invited to submit full proposals.
- Successful applicants may subsequently be required to defend their proposals before the committee.
When does the portal open?
The 2026 NRF portal is scheduled to open on Monday, August 31, 2026, while the deadline for submission of concept notes is October 15, 2026.
TETFund says there will be no extension of the deadline.
Where to apply
The application is entirely online through the official TETFund National Research Fund portal:
[TETFund NRF Application Portal]
New Principal Investigators can create an account directly through the portal.
Important: This is not a general grant for students, private-sector researchers or members of the public. The eligibility is tied to lecturers in public tertiary institutions, with the PI meeting TETFund’s specified institutional/rank requirements.