By Seedy Jobe
The National Research and Innovation Fund (NRIF) has opened applications for D15 million in research and innovation grants, an initiative officials say is intended to support homegrown solutions to some of The Gambia’s development challenges.
Speaking Tuesday on QTV’s This Morning programme, NRIF Director of Programmes Saidina Baboucarr Ceesay said the institution was established by an Act of Parliament in November 2025 as the country’s first national body dedicated to funding research and innovation locally.
“Research is one of the shortest, if not the shortest, ways to development,” Ceesay said.
He said NRIF has three primary mandates: funding research and innovation, strengthening the capacity of individuals and institutions, and using research to advance national development.
According to Ceesay, the fund developed 10 funding windows following consultations with 177 people representing 108 institutions across the country. Participants included representatives from government ministries, universities, civil society organizations, the private sector, and the innovation community.
Applications, he said, will be evaluated through a competitive, merit-based process, with proposals required to score at least 70 percent to qualify for funding.
Ceesay said an independent 11-member technical review committee is being established to assess submissions. Only two NRIF staff members will serve on the committee, an arrangement he said is intended to strengthen transparency and independence in the selection process.
The deadline for applications is Aug. 15, and submissions must be made online through the NRIF application portal. Unsuccessful applicants will also receive feedback to help them strengthen future proposals, Ceesay said.
He noted that much of the research conducted in The Gambia has historically depended on funding from international partners. The establishment of a government-funded national institution, he said, gives Gambian researchers greater opportunities to investigate local challenges and develop solutions tailored to the country’s needs.
Ceesay identified health, agriculture, education, waste management, and youth engagement among the areas where locally driven research could contribute to national development.
He also commended President Adama Barrow and the Minister of Higher Education for supporting the initiative and acknowledged philanthropist Muhammed Jah for what he described as NRIF’s first local donation.
Ceesay further recognized the African Centre for Technology Studies in Kenya for providing the fund’s first external support.
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