The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Birnin Kebbi (FUBK), Prof. Muhammad Zaiyan Umar, has urged researchers at the University to take advantage of the 2026 National Research Fund (NRF) Grant Cycle of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and submit their Concept Notes before the October 15, 2026 deadline.
The Vice-Chancellor made the call while speaking to the FUBK Bulletin on Monday, stressing the importance of researchers utilising available funding opportunities to advance research and contribute to national development.
FUBK Bulletin reports that TETFund has approved ₦10 billion for the 2026 NRF to support research projects in Nigeria's public tertiary institutions, providing an opportunity for researchers to secure funding for innovative and impactful studies addressing national development priorities.
The 2026 NRF covers 30 priority thematic areas under three broad categories: Humanities and Social Sciences; Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation; and Cross-Cutting. TETFund is particularly encouraging multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research.
The initiative follows the 2025 NRF Grant Cycle, under which TETFund awarded over ₦6.09 billion to 174 research projects.
Lecturers in public tertiary institutions are eligible to apply, with the Principal Investigator required to be institution-based and responsible for the conduct of the research and proper utilisation of the grant.
The application process involves the submission of Concept Notes, which will be screened by the National Research Fund Screening and Monitoring Committee (NRFSMC). Successful applicants will proceed to submit full proposals and may be invited to defend their projects before the Committee.
With the Concept Note submission deadline fixed for October 15, 2026, TETFund has stated that there will be no extension.
The Vice-Chancellor therefore encouraged FUBK researchers to prepare and submit their Concept Notes ahead of the deadline, particularly proposals addressing relevant thematic areas and demonstrating strong, innovative and solution-oriented approaches to national development challenges.
The application portal is https://nrf.tetfund.gov.ng. For enquiries, applicants may contact the TETFund NRF Secretariat through the official email contacts provided in the Call for Concept Notes.
This is an updated follow-up to the story published in the 3 September 2026 issue of the FUBK Special Bulletin.