TETFund Opens 2025 NRF Grant Cycle – Calls for Concept Notes from Nigerian Researchers
TETFund Opens 2025 NRF Grant Cycle – Calls for Concept Notes from Nigerian Researchers
Abuja, Nigeria – The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has officially launched the 2025 Grant Cycle of its prestigious National Research Fund (NRF)Concept Notes for multidisciplinary research proposals. The initiative follows the success of the 2024 Grant Cycle, where over ₦25 billion was disbursed to support 158 impactful research projects across the country.
This latest call marks another step in the government’s efforts to promote research, innovation, and academic excellence within the Nigerian academic ecosystem. The NRF is designed to catalyze transformative research capable of addressing the country’s development challenges and advancing national growth priorities.
Thematic Areas for the 2025 NRF Grant Cycle
The 2025 grant focuses on 30 prioritized thematic areas grouped into three broad categories:
Category 1: Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS)
- Citizenship and National Integration
- Conflict, Defense and Security
- Economic Development and Globalization
- Education and Human Capital
- Gender, Equity and Social Inclusion
- Governance, Politics, Law and Ethics
- History, Culture and Identities
- Management, Entrepreneurship and Business Studies
- Languages, Literatures and Media
- Population and Migration
- Social Development and Welfare
- Tourism, Sports and Recreation
Category 2: Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation (SETI)
- 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 Ecosystems
- Transport and Infrastructure
- Water and Sanitation
Category 3: Cross-Cutting (CC)
- Blue Economy
- Clean and Affordable Energy
- Entrepreneurship and Wealth Creation
- Environment, Housing, Urban and Regional Development
- Innovation and Technology for National Defense
- Resource Governance
- National System of Innovation
Eligibility Criteria
Only lecturers in Public Tertiary Institutions across Nigeria are eligible to apply. The Fund encourages multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary proposals with researchers from diverse disciplines. The lead applicant, or Principal Investigator (PI), must hold at least the rank of Senior Lecturer in a university or Principal Lecturer in a polytechnic or college of education.
An additional requirement is that the PI must be institution-based, with their institution serving as both the coordinating center and financial guarantor for the project.
Application Procedure
The entire application process is conducted online. Interested applicants are required to visit the official TETFund research portal: https://nrf.tetfund.gov.ng to begin the submission of their Concept Notes and familiarize themselves with the Research Brief and Guidelines.
Concept Notes will be evaluated by the National Research Fund Screening and Monitoring Committee (NRFS&MC). Shortlisted applicants will then be invited to submit full proposals and defend their projects during a formal evaluation stage. Projects deemed fundable will be recommended to the TETFund Board of Trustees for final approval and disbursement of funds.
Deadline for Submission
The portal will be open for submissions from 1st August 2025. The deadline for submission of Concept Notes is 28th August 2025.
For inquiries, applicants may contact the TETFund NRF Secretariat via the following emails:
- saliu.hg@tetfund.gov.ng
- odugi@tetfund.gov.ng
- abdullahi.bt@tetfund.gov.ng
- zanginas@tetfund.gov.ng
- ugwubs@tetfund.gov.ng
This initiative reaffirms TETFund’s commitment to strengthening research capacity, encouraging institutional collaboration, and positioning Nigerian scholars at the forefront of solving developmental challenges through innovation and evidence-based solutions.
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