5th Annual Grantsmanship and Mentorship Training Programme

Call for Applications

The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research Foundation (NIMR Foundation) is a private, not-for-profit organization established by the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) in February 2020 with the purpose of helping to develop and administer those activities that assist and supplement the mission and mandate of NIMR, the apex medical research organization charged with the responsibility to conduct research into diseases and conditions of public health importance in Nigeria. The Foundation works collaboratively with the Institute to build capacity for medical research in Nigeria through a mix of opportunities for hands-on mentored, capacity development for research.

The Institute, with initial pilot funding from Wellcome Trust in 2019, launched the inaugural Grantsmanship and Mentorship Training Programme (GMTP) for a cohort of 30 early-career researchers. Building on the successes of the maiden edition and leveraging the establishment of the NIMR Foundation in 2020, the program has since expanded, yielding significant positive outcomes in its 2nd, 3rd, and 4th editions held in 2022, 2023, and 2024, respectively. In continuation of this impact-driven initiative, the NIMR Foundation, in collaboration with the Institute, now invites applications from early-career researchers across Nigeria for the 5th Grantsmanship and Mentorship Training Programme in 2025.

PROGRAMME AIM

To build an adequate and sustainable network of committed early career investigators with inter-disciplinary and multi-institutional collaborative approach and proficiency in developing high-quality, competitive grant writing and capacity for healthcare research and development in Nigeria.

WHAT THE PROGRAMME WILL COVER:

1. Understanding of health services research methods
2. Formulation of research questions and hypothesis
3. Selection of appropriate statistical tools for data analysis
4. Ethics and ethics permission in research
5. How to conduct evidence synthesis through scoping and systematic reviews
6. Principles and practice of professional development planning
7. How to search and identify targeted funding agencies and understand funders’ requirements
8. The art and science of writing compelling grant proposals
9. Identification of the technicalities of the peer review process and demonstration using a practice peer review process
10. Training on proficiency in facilitation of micro-teaching session on mentorship.
11. Principles of establishing and managing partnerships and collaborations.

FORMAT OF PROGRAMME

Target audience: The training targets early and mid-career researchers who would like to develop their capacity for Grantsmanship and Mentorship.

Participants number: A total of 30 participants will be selected for the training.

Curriculum: The fellowship training program spans 12 months and is structured into three key phases:

• Online Training (12 weeks): A hands-on, interactive program focused on manuscript writing and development of systematic or scoping reviews. Participants will engage in practical exercises and receive guided instruction on developing a complete manuscript, culminating in a publishable systematic or scoping review.
• In-Person Intensive Grant Writing Workshop (14 days): A rigorous, residential workshop-based session covering essential research competencies, including successful grant proposal development, research ethics, science communication, mentorship, and collaboration.
• Mentored Grant Writing (9 months): A structured capacity-building phase where participants receive one-on-one mentorship from experienced, funded researchers. This phase supports the development and submission of competitive grant proposals to targeted local and international funding bodies.

The program will adopt a group-based, blended learning approach, integrating pre-course self-directed online readings, interactive virtual sessions, collaborative group assignments, reflective exercises, and in-person instruction.

Teaching methods will include didactic lectures, role-playing exercises, structured group discussions, micro-teaching sessions, webinars, peer-review simulations, and guided independent study. Each training day will feature a dynamic mix of instructional sessions, hands-on practical exercises, group work, and networking opportunities, ensuring a comprehensive and immersive learning experience.

Faculty: The grantsmanship and mentorship training programme will be facilitated by a mix of local and international researchers who are well published, have experience serving or managing grant review panels and won grants from local and international funding organizations.

Fees: The Foundation will cover all training expenses for the three-session fellowship program, including accommodation and full board during in-person sessions. In addition, selected fellows will receive small research grants to conduct systematic reviews, along with financial support for publication fees in high-impact journals.

Location and Dates: The online session will take place on Zoom from May 3 to August 2, 2025. The 14-day in-person workshop will be held at the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research, 6 Edmund Crescent, Yaba, Lagos, from August 17 to August 30, 2025. Following the workshop, the mentored grant writing phase will be conducted remotely from September 2025 to April 2026.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?  

To be eligible, you need to provide evidence that:

• You are a citizen of Nigeria (from any of the six-geopolitical zones).
• You are an early career investigator (junior and mid-level researcher) and you have completed your research education (either of below):
• you have been awarded a research doctorate (PhD/DPhil/MD) from a recognized academic institution within the past 6 years
• you have a medical/clinical qualification PLUS research-relevant Master’s degree, both awarded within the previous 6 years
• You are currently employed in Nigeria by a recognized university, hospital or research institution and you spend a significant portion of your employment conducting any type of health care research.
• You have limited or no experience in proposal development and grant-writing
• You have not won any significant local or international research grants.
• You can commit to stepping down the training at your local institution within a period of 3 months after the training.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this training opportunity.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Application should include the following documents:

• A two-page bio-sketch (NIH format) with a minimum of 3 relevant publications in which you are first or second author.
• A one-page structured research concept notes including title, introduction/objectives, methods, and proposed budget (Times New Roman, Size 12, Spacing 1.15).
• Motivation letter of not more than 500 words (Times New Roman, Size 12, Spacing 1.15). It should describe your relevant experience, highlight your strengths, research goals and how this program aligns with your personal development objectives and the Foundation’s goals.
• A Letter of recommendation/Support from Dean/Provost of the Faculty/College OR Director of your Institute addressing ALL of the points below;

1. Endorsement to attend the training programme
2. How the training will benefit the researcher/investigator

• Commitment that applicant will be AVAILABLE and FULLY PARTICIPATE in ALL the activities of the training programme

1. Support for the applicant to step down the training within his/her institution on completing the training programme

Please note the preferred order of authorized personnel for issuing recommendation letters based on your affiliated institution:

• Universities/Academic Institutions – The letter should be signed by the Dean or Provost of the faculty.
• Research Institutions – The letter should be signed by the Director General or CEO.
• Clinicians/Physicians in Teaching or Reference Hospitals – The letter should be signed by the CMAC (Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee).

Successful applicants will be required to provide evidence of completion of the Ethics Course (CITI) prior to the commencement of the workshop.

APPLICATION PROCESS

To participate in the grantsmanship and mentorship programme, kindly follow these steps:

Complete and submit the online application at https://tinyurl.com/5thedition2025

Provide the required documents including the following:

• Short motivation essay of not more than 500 words
• One page research concept notes
• Short bio sketch (maximum of 2 pages)
• A letter of recommendation/support from the Provost/Dean of College/Faculty OR Director of the Institute

Please note that application closes on Sunday, 13^th April 2025 at 11:59 PM WAT

4th Biannual Grantsmanship and Mentorship Training Programme

Call for Applications (Re-Advertised)

The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research Foundation (NIMR Foundation) is a private not for profit organization established by the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) in February 2020 with the purpose of helping to develop and administer those activities that assist and supplement the mission and mandate of NIMR, the apex medical research organization charged with the responsibility to conduct research into diseases and conditions of public health importance in Nigeria. The Foundation works collaboratively with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) to build capacity for healthcare and medical research in Nigeria through a mix of academic scholarship awards and opportunities for hands-on, mentored capacity development for research.

The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) with pilot funding from Welcome Trust in 2019 conducted the maiden Grantsmanship and Mentorship Training Programme (GMTP) for a cohort of 30 early career researchers. To build on successes recorded from the maiden edition of the training programme and following the establishment of the NIMR Foundation in 2020 and the hugely positive outcomes recorded from the 2^nd and 3^rd editions of the training programme held in 2022 and 2023 respectively, NIMR Foundation in collaboration with Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (the Institute) hereby calls for applications from early career researchers from across Nigeria for the 4^th Grantsmanship and Mentorship Training Program.

PROGRAMME AIM

To build an adequate and sustainable network of committed early career investigators with inter-disciplinary and multi-institutional collaborative approach and proficiency in developing high-quality, competitive grant writing and capacity for healthcare research and development in Nigeria.

WHAT THE PROGRAMME WILL COVER:

1. Understanding of health services research methods
2. Formulation of research questions and hypotheses
3. Selection of appropriate statistical tools for data analysis
4. Ethics and Ethics Permission in Research
5. How to search and identify targeted funding agencies and understand funders’ requirements
6. Writing compelling grant proposals
7. Identification of the technicalities of the peer review process and demonstration using a practice peer review process
8. Improving proficiency in training and communication skills including writing plain language summaries
9. Training on proficiency in facilitation of micro-teaching session on mentorship.
10. Principles of establishing and managing partnerships and collaborations.

FORMAT OF PROGRAMME

Location and Dates: This will be a 21-day residential workshop which will be held at the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research located at 6, Edmund Crescent Yaba, Lagos.

Target audience: The training targets early and mid-career researchers who would like to develop their capacity for Grantsmanship and Mentorship.

Participants number: A total of 30 participants will be selected for the training.

Curriculum: The workshop will be guided by the National Grantsmanship and Mentorship Training Programme Curriculum developed by the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research. For the 21-day period, the successful candidates will be tutored through hands on practical sessions on successful grants proposal writing. The teaching sessions will adopt blended learning approach with pre-course online self-directed reading and onsite teaching and learning methods including didactic lectures, role-plays, group discussions, micro-teaching sessions, online learning/webinars, peer-review simulation sessions, independent study time, home-work and term papers. Each training day will comprise of teaching sessions in the morning, practical sessions in the afternoon and group work and networking sessions in the late afternoon/ evening.

Faculty: The grantsmanship and mentorship training programme will be facilitated by a mix of local and international researchers who are well published, have experience serving or managing grant review panels and won grants from local and international funding organizations.

Fees: The 21-day residential training workshop including training costs, accommodation and full board will be fully sponsored by NIMR Foundation.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?  

To be eligible, you need to provide evidence that:

• You are a citizen of a Nigeria (from any of the six-geopolitical zones).
• You are an early career investigator (junior and mid-level researcher) and you have completed your research education (either of below)
• you have been awarded a research doctorate (PhD/DPhil/MD) from a recognized academic institution normally within the past 6 years
• you have a medical/clinical qualification PLUS research-relevant Master’s degree, both awarded normally within the previous 6 years
• You are currently employed in Nigeria by a recognized university or research institution to develop and conduct any type of health care research.
• You have limited or no experience in proposal development and grant-writing.
• You have not won any significant local or international research grants.
• You can commit to stepping down the training at your local institution within a period of 3 months after the training.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this training opportunity.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Application should include the following documents:

• A two-page bio-sketch (NIH format) with a minimum of 5 publications.
• A one-page structured research concept note including title, introduction/objectives, methods, and budget (Times New Roman, Size 12, Spacing 1.15).
• Motivation letter of not more than 500 words (Times New Roman, Size 12, Spacing 1.15).
• A Letter of recommendation/Support from Dean/Provost of the Faculty/College addressing ALL of the points below;

1. Endorsement to attend the workshop
2. How the training will benefit the researcher/investigator

• Commitment that applicant will be AVAILABLE FOR THE 21 DAYS without break

1. Support for the applicant to step down the training within his/her institution on completing the training workshop.

Successful applicants will be required to provide evidence of completion of the Ethics Course (CITI) prior to the commencement of the workshop.

APPLICATION PROCESS

To participate in the grantsmanship and mentorship programme, kindly follow these steps:

• Complete and submit the online application at http://tinyurl.com/4thedition2024
• Provide the required documents including the following:
• Short motivation essay of not more than 500 words
• One page research proposal
• Short bio sketch (maximum of 2 pages)
• A letter of recommendation/support from the Provost/Dean of college/Faculty

Please note that application closes on Sunday, 7^th July 2024 11:59 PM WAT

3rd Biannual Grantsmanship and Mentorship Training Programme

Call for Applications

The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research Foundation (NIMR Foundation) has the mandate to build and expand capacity for translational research among early career investigators and promote innovation, development and commercialization of home-grown medicines, vaccines and technologies to address the health problems of Nigeria in particular, and Africa at large. The Foundation works collaboratively with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (the Institute) to build capacity for healthcare and medical research in Nigeria through a mix of academic scholarship awards and opportunities for hands-on, mentored capacity development for research.

The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research with pilot funding from Welcome Trust in 2019 conducted the maiden Grantsmanship and Mentorship Training Programme (GMTP) for a cohort of 30 early career researchers. This was informed by the mandate of the Institute to systematically train critical mass of junior and mid-level researchers who are able to perform high-quality, cutting-edge research and develop home grown solutions to address our health system challenges. To build on successes recorded from the maiden edition of the training and following the establishment of the NIMR Foundation in 2020 and the hugely positive outcomes recorded from the 2^nd edition of the training programme held in 2022, NIMR Foundation in collaboration with Nigerian Institute of Medical Research hereby calls for applications from early career researchers from across Nigeria for the 3^rd Grantsmanship and Mentorship Training Program.

PROGRAMME AIM

To build an adequate and sustainable network of committed early career investigators with inter-disciplinary and multi-institutional collaborative approach and proficiency in developing high-quality, competitive grant writing and capacity for healthcare research and development in Nigeria.

WHAT THE PROGRAMME WILL COVER:

1. Understanding of health services research methods
2. Formulation of research questions and hypotheses
3. Selection of appropriate statistical tools for data analysis
4. Ethics and Ethics Permission in Research
5. How to search and identify targeted funding agencies and understand funders’ requirements
6. Writing compelling grant proposals
7. Identification of the technicalities of the peer review process and demonstration using a practice peer review process
8. Improving proficiency in training and communication skills including writing plain language summaries
9. Training on proficiency in facilitation of micro-teaching session on mentorship.
10. Principles of establishing and managing partnerships and collaborations.

FORMAT OF PROGRAMME

Location and Dates: This will be a 21-day residential workshop which will be held at the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research located at 6 Edmund Crescent Yaba, Lagos.

Target audience: The training targets early and mid-career researchers who would like to develop their capacity for Grantsmanship and Mentorship.

Participants number: A total of 30 participants will be selected for the training.

Curriculum: The workshop will be guided by the National Grantsmanship and Mentorship Training Programme Curriculum developed by the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research. For the 21-day period, the successful candidates will be tutored through hands on practical sessions on successful grants proposal writing. The teaching sessions will adopt blended learning approach with pre-course online self-directed reading and onsite teaching and learning methods including didactic lectures, role-plays, group discussions, micro-teaching sessions, online learning/webinars, peer-review simulation sessions, independent study time, home-work and term papers. Each training day will comprise of teaching sessions in the morning, practical sessions in the afternoon and group work and networking sessions in the late afternoon/ evening.

Faculty: The grantsmanship and mentorship training programme will be facilitated by a mix of local and international researchers who are well published, have experience serving or managing grant review panels and won grants from local and international funding organizations.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?  

To be eligible, you need to provide evidence that:

• You are a citizen of a Nigeria (from any of the six-geopolitical zones).
• You are an early career investigator (junior and mid-level researcher) and you have completed your research education (either of below)
• you have been awarded a research doctorate (PhD/DPhil/MD) from a recognized academic institution normally within the past 6 years
• you have a medical/clinical qualification PLUS research-relevant Master’s degree, both awarded normally within the previous 6 years
• You are currently employed in Nigeria by a recognized university or research institution and a significant part of your job role includes developing and conducting health care research.
• You have not previously participated in similar grant-writing and/ or proposal development training by the Institute or other organization.
• You have limited or no experience in proposal development and grant-writing.
• You have not won any significant local or international research grants.
• You can commit to stepping down the training at your local institution within a period of 3 months after the training

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this training opportunity.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Application should include the following documents:

• A two-page bio-sketch (NIH format) with a maximum of 5 publications.
• A one-page research concept note (Times New Roman, Size 12, Spacing 1.15).
• Motivation letter of not more than 500 words (Times New Roman, Size 12, Spacing 1.15).
• A Letter of recommendation/Support from Dean/Provost of the Faculty/College indicating
• Endorsement to attend the workshop
• How the training will benefit the researcher/investigator
• Commitment that applicant will be available completely for the 21 days training
• Support for the applicant to step down the training within his/her institution on completing the training workshop.

Successful applicants will be required to provide evidence of completion of the Ethics Course (CITI) prior to the commencement of the workshop.

APPLICATION PROCESS

To apply to participate in the grantsmanship and mentorship programme, kindly follow these steps:

• Complete and submit the online application at

  https://tinyurl.com/2023GMTP

• Provide the required documents including the following:
• Short motivation essay of not more than 500 words
• One page research proposal
• Short bio sketch (maximum 2 pages)
• A letter of recommendation/support from the Provost/Dean of College/Faculty

Please note that application closes on Sunday, 6th August 2023 11:59PM WAT

2nd Biannual Grantsmanship and Mentorship Training Programme

Call for Applications

The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) in collaboration with NIMR Foundation will be hosting it’s biannual Grantsmanship and Mentorship Training Programme, aimed at building an adequate and sustainable network of committed early career researchers with inter-disciplinary and multi-institutional collaborative approach and proficiency in developing high quality, competitive grant writing and capacity for healthcare research and development in Nigeria.

WHAT THE PROGRAMME WILL COVER:

1. Understanding of health services research methods
2. Formulation of research questions and hypotheses
3. Selection of appropriate statistical tools for data analysis
4. Ethics and Ethics Permission in Research
5. How to search and identify targeted funding agencies and understand funders’ requirements
6. Writing compelling grant proposals
7. Identification of the technicalities of the peer review process and demonstration using a practice peer review process
8. Improving proficiency in training and communication skills including writing plain language summaries
9. Training on proficiency in facilitation of micro-teaching session on mentorship.
10. Principles of establishing and managing partnerships and collaborations.

FORMAT OF PROGRAMME

Location and Dates: This will be a 21-day residential workshop which will be held at the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research located at 6 Edmund Crescent Yaba, Lagos. The expected dates for the training are between 9^th October 2022 and 30^th October 2022.

Target audience: The training targets early and mid-career researchers who would like to develop their potential for Grantsmanship and Mentorship

Participants number: A total of 30 participants will be selected for the training.

Curriculum: The workshop will be guided by the National Grantsmanship and Mentorship Training Programme Curriculum developed by the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research for the sessions. For the 21-day period, the successful candidates will be tutored through hands on practical sessions on successful grants proposal writing. The teaching sessions will adopt blended learning approach with pre-course online self-directed reading and onsite teaching and learning methods including didactic lectures, role-plays, group discussions, micro-teaching sessions, online learning/webinars, peer-review simulation sessions, independent study time, home-work and term papers. Each training day will comprise of teaching sessions in the morning, practical sessions in the afternoon and group work and networking sessions in the late afternoon/ evening.

Faculty: The grantsmanship and mentorship training programme will be facilitated by prominent researchers who are well published, have experience serving or managing grant review panels and won grants from local and international funding organizations.

Fees: The 21-day residential training workshop including transportation, accommodation and full board will be fully sponsored by NIMR Foundation.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

To be eligible, you need to provide evidence that:

• You are a citizen of a Nigeria (from any of the six-geopolitical zones).
• You are an early career investigator (junior and mid-level researcher) and you have completed your research education (either of below):
  • You have been awarded a research doctorate (PhD/DPhil/MD) from a recognized academic institution normally within the past 6 years
  • You have a medical/clinical qualification PLUS research-relevant Master’s degree, both awarded normally within the previous 6 years
• You are currently employed in Nigeria by a recognized university or research institution to develop and conduct any type of health care research.
• You have limited or no experience in proposal development and grant-writing.
• You have not won any significant local or international research grants.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this training opportunity.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Application should include the following documents combined as a single .pdf file:

• A two-page bio-sketch (NIH format) with a maximum of 5 publications.
• A one-page research concept note (Times New Roman, Size 12, Spacing 1.15).
• Motivation letter of not more than 500 words (Times New Roman, Size 12, Spacing 1.15).
• A Letter of recommendation/Support from Dean/Provost of the Faculty/College indicating
  • Endorsement to attend the workshop
  • How the training will benefit the researcher/investigator
  • Commitment that applicant will be available for the 21 days without break
  • Support for the applicant to step down the training within his/her institution on completing the training workshop.

Successful applicants will be required to provide evidence of completion of the Ethics Course (CITI) prior to the commencement of the workshop.

APPLICATION PROCESS

To apply to participate in the grantsmanship and mentorship programme, kindly follow these steps:

• Complete and submit the online application at https://tinyurl.com/GTMP2022
• Provide the required documents including a single PDF file containing the following:
  • Short motivation essay of not more than 500 words
  • One page research proposal
  • Short bio sketch (maximum 2 pages)
  • A letter of recommendation/support from the Provost/Dean of college/Faculty

Application has commenced and the deadline is Sunday 11th September, 2022 11:59PM WAT.