NRIF, ACTS Launch Workshop to Strengthen Research Funding and Innovation in The Gambia

By Seedy Jobe

The National Research and Innovation Fund (NRIF), in partnership with the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), on Tuesday opened a three-day workshop aimed at strengthening research funding and innovation systems in The Gambia.

Held under the theme “Promoting Efficiency and Effectiveness in Research and Innovation,” the workshop has brought together researchers, policymakers, university leaders, and development partners to explore ways of improving research financing, strengthening collaboration, and ensuring that scientific research contributes more directly to the country’s development priorities.

Participants will examine strategies for building sustainable funding mechanisms and translating research into practical solutions in sectors including agriculture, health, housing, and digital transformation.

Opening the workshop, NRIF Executive Director Professor Momodou Sallah said effective research funding extends beyond financial support and must be guided by quality, transparency, and measurable impact.

“Research funding is not merely a financial process. It is an intellectual enterprise. Every funding decision reflects judgments about quality, relevance, originality, and potential impact,” Professor Sallah said.

He said NRIF has established a dedicated team of technical and research translation specialists to help ensure that research findings move beyond academic publications and inform policy and community development.

“We want to imbue a culture of research excellence. We want to give based on merit and not based on anything else,” he said, emphasizing the fund’s commitment to merit-based support and high standards.

Representing the Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science, and Technology, Edward Mendy said the government views research and innovation as central to The Gambia’s long-term development agenda.

Although NRIF is still in its early stages, Mr. Mendy said it has made important progress toward establishing a credible national research funding system. He urged participants to use the workshop to forge partnerships that strengthen institutions and generate practical solutions to improve the lives of Gambians.

He added that the ministry remains committed to creating an environment where science, research, and innovation can flourish and position the country to compete in the global knowledge economy.

Dr. Nicholas Odongo, a research fellow at ACTS, said the workshop is supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), which has extended assistance to The Gambia despite the country not yet being a full member of the initiative.

He noted that the SGCI recently secured a new commitment of 57 million Canadian dollars to support research funding across Africa and said its priorities over the next five years will focus on agriculture, health, information and communications technology, energy, and the environment.

Drawing on ACTS’ experience managing more than 260 research projects in 17 African countries, Dr. Odongo said the organization would share lessons to help NRIF strengthen its institutional capacity and avoid common challenges faced by emerging research funding agencies.

“We are not inventing anything; we are just sharing lessons that we have gathered from different parts of the continent,” he said.

Over the next three days, participants will discuss research funding frameworks, grant management, knowledge translation and institutional learning. Organizers say they hope the workshop will strengthen accountability, foster collaboration and help build a research ecosystem capable of producing evidence-based solutions to support The Gambia’s sustainable development.