Northwest University, Kano, has organised a one-day workshop to equip researchers with the knowledge and practical skills required to develop competitive concept notes for the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) National Research Fund (NRF).
The workshop, organised through the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Development, was themed “Developing Competitive and Award-Winning TETFund NRF Concept Notes.”
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The virtual workshop was held at the Senate Chamber of the university’s Main Campus, with researchers and other members of the academic community.
The programme focused on strengthening participants’ capacity in research proposal development, understanding funding expectations and improving their prospects of securing competitive research grants.
In his welcome address, the Director of Research, Innovation and Development, Professor James Abrak Timbuak, stressed the importance of equipping researchers with the skills to develop high-quality proposals that respond to national development priorities and meet the requirements of competitive research funding.
The Vice-Chancellor of Northwest University, Kano, Professor Amina Salihi Bayero, expressed the university’s commitment to strengthening research, innovation and academic excellence.
Professor Bayero, who attended the workshop despite cancelling an engagement in Abuja, described the programme as an important institutional activity that required her presence.
She said research remained central to the university’s development agenda, noting that the quality of a university was increasingly assessed not only by its teaching and learning outcomes but also by its ability to generate knowledge, address societal challenges and contribute to national development.
The Vice-Chancellor urged participants to actively engage with the facilitator and apply the knowledge gained towards developing stronger research proposals.
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She commended the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Development for organising the workshop and supporting efforts to strengthen the university’s research culture.
Professor Bayero expressed optimism that the training would enable researchers to develop innovative and competitive concept notes capable of attracting TETFund NRF funding and enhancing the university’s research profile.
The workshop featured three sessions facilitated by Professor Mohammed Aliyu Paiko, Vice-Chancellor of Abdulkadir Kure University and President of the Academic and Grant Writing Enclave Society (AGES).
The first session, titled “Assessment of Project Readiness Before Submitting Acceptable TETFund NRF Concept Notes,” examined key issues researchers need to consider before submitting their proposals, including project preparedness, clarity of objectives, alignment with funding priorities, quality and feasibility.
The second session, “Writing NRF Concept Notes for Award-Winning Research Grants,” provided practical guidance on developing competitive concept notes, with emphasis on problem identification, research significance, methodology, expected outcomes and presenting research ideas in line with reviewers’ expectations.
The final session featured a breakout exercise involving participants from the Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) categories.
Participants worked in groups to develop sections of concept notes and presented their outputs for review and discussion.
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The exercise enabled the researchers to apply lessons from the workshop, receive feedback and identify areas requiring improvement in their research proposals.
The workshop ended with closing remarks by the Deputy Director, Research, Innovation and Development, Dr Muhammad Danlami Rabiu, followed by a closing prayer.