The Government through the Ministry of Higher Education has awarded D15 million to 17 researchers and innovators to develop practical solutions to national challenges.
The awards were presented Wednesday at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre during the first cycle of National Research and Innovation Fund (NRIF) Funding Awards.
Presiding over the opening ceremony on behalf of President Barrow, Vice President Mohammed BS Jallow described the initiative as major step placing Gambian knowledge, creativity and innovation at centre of development.
“Investment in research is strategic necessity. Development depends not only on infrastructure and financial resources but on ability of citizens to generate knowledge and find solutions,” he said.
He said NRIF, established under National Research Policy 2024-2029, will strengthen research and innovation ecosystem. He urged beneficiaries to deliver practical results that inform policy, support businesses and improve lives.
Jallow called for stronger partnerships among government, universities, private sector, financial institutions, development partners and diaspora to sustain research financing. He stressed transparency, accountability and proper management of public resources to maintain confidence in Fund.
NRIF Executive Director Momodou Sallah said the first cycle marks transition from operational setup to investing in Gambian ideas. Fund received 159 applications after a call was launched on June 15, closing August 15, 2026.
He said 105 applications passed initial screening to technical assessment, while 24 met minimum quality threshold of 70%. Only 17 were funded across seven of ten funding windows due to D15 million allocation.
Fifty-seven applications were excluded for incomplete submissions or failure to meet eligibility, highlighting gaps in proposal-writing capacity. Sallah said Fund will evaluate the first cycle to improve process ahead of second call early next year.
He disclosed that the seven proposals that met quality standards could not be funded due to limited resources.
To address the shortfall, NRIF Governing Board established Endowment Fund with initial target of D100 million, with investment returns to support research long-term.
He said the Endowment Fund will reduce dependence on annual government allocations and short-term donor funding, providing sustainable financing for researchers and innovators.
