Afinancial institution, Grooming Centre, has concluded plans to award N20 million research grant scheme to undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The scheme is managed by the Centre for Research in Enterprise and Action in Management (CREM).

Speaking in Lagos to announce its 2023 university grant, the Chief Operating Officer, Centre for Research in Enterprise and Action in Management (CREM), Mr. Clifford Onyeike, said the scheme was the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of the centre.

He said the grant would be awarded to 100 undergraduate and 50 postgraduate students carrying out their final year research in  microfinance, rural development, inclusive finance, social enterprise, micro small and medium enterprises (MSME) and women in development.

Onyeike said  the grant was aimed at catalysing research, knowledge and management “by providing monetary incentives through a grant system to 150 undergraduate and postgraduate students undertaking their research works in the aforementioned sectors each year.”

He noted that application  would open on June 26 and would  close on August 18. He said the  research must show a high level of originality, imaginative thought and data-inclusiveness.

“Applicants must be either a student at the postgraduate or undergraduate level in a Nigerian tertiary institution whose research study is in the area of microfinance, rural development, inclusive finance, social enterprise, MSME and women in development. The focus of the research study must be relevant to the Nigerian context, practical, innovative and should be capable of promoting any of the above areas of interest in Nigeria,” he said.

Head of Special Projects, Grooming Centre, Chikezie Egbulefu, said each of the 50 postgraduate potential beneficiaries who could come from any part of the country and university or polytechnic would get a sum of N200, 000, while their undergraduate counterparts would get N100,000 each.

He said: “Applicants must submit a written recommendation from his/her project supervisor to benefit from the N20 million available.

“The applicant must submit a research concept of between 10 to 25 pages which will include an introduction, a literature review, and research methodology along with the candidate’s personal profile. Awardees will be required to submit final soft copies of the research project on completion of the study. There is no age, gender, religious or ethnic barrier to the application.”

Egbulefu said many students in the country would want to carry out  problem-solving research but are hampered  by lack of funds,hence the grants would  assist them.

Credit: The Nation News