Government is expected to officially launch the Ghana National Research Fund (GNRF) in 2026 aimed at awarding grants to aid local solution-oriented research works for national development.
This comes on the heels of decades of calls by local researchers for the country to establish a national funding scheme to support local research projects, citing concerns on security breaches and less impactful scientific investigations on local development.
Following its enactment in 2020, the Ghana National Research Fund Act was only operationalized in June 2025.
A subsequent appointment of administrators and a governing board was constituted to supervise the Fund’s operations.
The Fund has since received a seed money of 50 million cedis from the President for the establishment of the office.
Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the locally-developed agricultural-base device, FarmSense, at the KNUST, Acting Administrator of the GNRF, Prof Abigail Opoku Mensah revealed plans are underway to commence the disbursement of grants to support research works in 2026.
The Fund would also facilitate the commercialization of projects to foster national growth.
“We are looking for impactful research. We are trying to hopefully pilot grants next year, and officially launch the Ghana National Research Fund which would open rooms for individuals, research institutions to apply,” she noted.
The research fund would invest in four thematic areas, including medical research, social sciences, IT amongst others.
Prof Opoku Mensah indicated that the office would in due course make calls for applications from local researchers.
“They will be calls depending on the priority of research areas/themes the technical committees would advise. They will go through the process – evaluation – and those who qualify will receive the funding,” she noted.
Prof Opoku Mensah further reiterated the government’s commitment and resolve to promote local research.
Source: Emmanuel Bright Quaicoe