NAIROBI, Kenya — The National Research Fund (NRF) has opened applications for the Postgraduate Research Grant for the 2025/2026 financial year, targeting Master’s and doctoral students as part of efforts to strengthen science, technology, and innovation in Kenya.
In a notice issued on Tuesday, January 27, the Fund invited eligible postgraduate students enrolled in both public and private universities across the country to apply for the competitive grants.
The NRF, a statutory body established under the Science, Technology and Innovation Act, 2013, said the funding aims to support high-quality research that advances innovation, promotes evidence-based policymaking, and contributes to inclusive national development.
“The grants are intended to support research that responds to national development priorities and strengthens Kenya’s research and innovation ecosystem,” the Fund said.
Funding Structure
Under the programme, funding will support only the research component of postgraduate studies, not tuition or coursework.
Successful doctoral research projects will receive up to Sh2 million over a period not exceeding three years, while Master’s research projects will be funded up to Sh500,000 for a maximum duration of one year.
NRF noted that priority will be given to projects aligned with national development goals and the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
Eligibility Criteria
The Fund emphasised that the grants are open exclusively to Kenyan citizens who are registered in recognised universities within Kenya.
Applicants are required to carefully review the detailed funding guidelines published on the NRF website before submitting their proposals.
“Only proposals that meet the eligibility and thematic requirements will be considered during evaluation,” NRF said.
Application Process and Deadline
Applications must be submitted strictly online through the NRF Grants Management System at grantsportal.nrf.go.ke. The Fund cautioned that manual submissions will not be accepted.
The deadline for submission of research proposals is March 6, 2026, at 11:59 pm.
NRF said only successful applicants will be contacted once the evaluation and selection process is complete.
Further inquiries may be directed to the National Research Fund headquarters at NACOSTI Plaza, Upper Kabete, Nairobi.
