On Wednesday, the Federal Government granted approval for the allocation of N5,128,180,623 to fund 185 successful research proposals in the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) National Research Fund 2023 Grant Cycle, as stated in a TETFund release.
The approval, conveyed by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, came in response to the recommendations of the TETFund National Research Fund Screening and Monitoring Committee. This committee recommended the funding of the 185 research proposals following a comprehensive screening process that commenced in March 2023.
The screening involved the evaluation of 4,287 Concept Notes submitted by prospective applicants.
The breakdown of the approved funds reveals that N3,784,635,923.00 was allocated for the Science, Engineering, Technology, and Innovation thematic group. Additionally, N759,875,400.00 was designated for Humanities and Social Science, while Cross Cutting received N583,669,300.63. The individual grants awarded ranged from N8 million to over N46 million, demonstrating the diverse funding distribution across the approved research proposals.
The statement highlighted several approved research works categorized under different thematic groups. In the Science, Engineering, Technology, and Innovation thematic group, some of the projects include:
1. Application of the Hydro-Biogeochemical Framework to Develop a National Rural Water Quality Assurance Plan for Sustainable Water Quality Management In Nigeria.
2. Development and Use of Doubled Haploid Maize Lines for Improved Maize Yield and Tolerance to Armyworm (Spodoptera Frugiperda).
3. Development of an Intelligent Multichamber Evaporative Cooling Preservative System for Post-Harvest Storage of Selected Fruits in Nigeria.
4. Development of Electric Vehicle With Special Tracking Features, among others.
Projects under the Cross-Cutting thematic group include:
1. Utilization of Scrap Tires and Plastic Wastes as aggregate Conductive Material for Renewable Energy Storage System.
2. Development of Appropriate Technology for the Production of Aluminum Alloy Sacrificial Anodes for Applications in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry.
3. Development of an Economical Low Voltage Programmable Electroporator and Investigation of Pulse Electric Field for Wound Healing and Cancer Treatment, among others.
Approved projects under the Humanities and Social Science thematic group include:
1. Digital Financial Inclusion, Rural Households’ Consumption Structure and Well-being in Nigeria.
2. Equity and Inclusion: Creating Access to Library Resources for Students Living with Vision Impairment in e-Learning Environment in Nigerian Universities.
3. Mitigating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among Frontline Nigerian Army Personnel using Stress Inoculation Therapy, and others.