The Federal Government has approved the disbursement of N5.1 billion for the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) National Research Fund 2023 Grant Cycle.
This research grant aims to provide funding for researchers addressing critical areas of the economy and the welfare of Nigerians and falls under the TETFund National Research Fund (NRF) 2023 Grant Cycle.
This was conveyed by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, following the report of the TETFund National Research Fund Screening and Monitoring Committee (NRFS&MC).
According to Prof. Mamman, the approved sum includes N3.78 million for the Science, Engineering, Technology, and Innovation (SETI) thematic group, N759,875,400.00 for Humanities and Social Science (HSS), and N583,669,300.63 for Cross-Cutting (CC), with individual grants ranging from N8 million to over N46 million.
The committee recommended funding for 185 research proposals after a rigorous screening process that began in March 2023, receiving 4,287 Concept Notes from prospective applicants.
What he said
Prof. Mamman explained the purpose of the research grant, stating,
- “The National Research Fund (NRF) Grant was introduced by TETFund to encourage cutting-edge research that explores areas relevant to the societal needs of Nigeria, such as power and energy, health, security, agriculture, employment, and wealth creation, etc., in line with its mandate.
- “The intervention received additional impetus under the Renewed Hope Agenda as a veritable tool to grow the economy and improve the standards of living of the Nigerian people.”
Here are details of the approved thematic research areas that will receive funding:
Science, Engineering, Technology, and Innovation (SETI) thematic category
Among the approved research projects under the SETI thematic group are:
- Application of the hydro-biogeochemical framework to develop a national rural water quality assurance plan for sustainable water quality management in Nigeria.
- The development and use of doubled haploid maize lines for improved maize yield and tolerance to armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda).
- The development of an intelligent multi-chamber evaporative cooling preservative system for post-harvest storage of selected fruits in Nigeria and the development of electric vehicles with special tracking features, among others.
Cross-Cutting thematic category
Projects under the Cross-Cutting thematic group include:
- The utilization of scrap tires and plastic wastes as an aggregate conductive material for renewable energy storage systems.
- Development of appropriate technology for the production of aluminium alloy sacrificial anodes for applications in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry.
- Development of an economical low-voltage programmable electroporator and investigating pulse electric field for wound healing and cancer treatment.
Humanities and Social Science category
Under the Humanities and Social Science category, approved projects include:
- Digital financial inclusion for rural households’ consumption structure and well-being in Nigeria.
- Creating access to library resources for students living with vision impairment in an e-learning environment in Nigerian Universities.
- Initiatives for mitigating post-traumatic stress disorder among frontline Nigerian Army Personnel using stress inoculation therapy, among others.
