Application Deadline: 23rd October 2026
LOCATION: Nigeria
The Governing Council and Management of Grooming People for Better Livelihood Centre (Grooming Centre), a leading Microfinance Institution in Nigeria, are pleased to announce the 2025 Grooming Centre University Grant Scheme. The aim of the scheme, which is the seventh in the series, is to catalyze research and knowledge development in the areas of financial inclusion, microfinance, rural development, social enterprise, MSMEs, technological development, digital finance, youth in development, women in development, or any other research that is aimed at lifting people out of poverty.
ELIGIBILITY:
The applicant must either be a student at the undergraduate or postgraduate level in a Nigerian tertiary institution whose research study covers any of such areas as financial inclusion, microfinance, rural development, social enterprise, MSMEs, technological development, digital finance, youth in development, women in development, or any other research that is aimed at lifting people out of poverty.
The focus of the research study must be relevant to the Nigerian context, practical, innovative, and capable of promoting any of the above areas of interest in the Nigerian space.
The research must show a high level of originality and imaginative thought and be data inclusive.
(There are no age, gender, religious, or ethnic barriers to application).
The applicant must be a student at an NUC/ NBTE approved Nigerian university or polytechnic.
The applicant must submit a written and signed recommendation from his/her project supervisor.
The applicant must submit a research concept of between 10-20 pages which will include an Introduction, Statement of the problem, Research Questions, Research Objectives, Significance of the Study, Operationalization of terms, Scope of the Study, Literature and theoretical review, Preamble, Conceptual literature, Empirical literature, Theoretical Orientation, Conceptual framework, Hypotheses, Methodology, Preamble, Research Design, Study area, Study population, Methods of data collection, Sample size and sampling technique, Reliability and Validity test, Methods of Data Analysis, Ethical Consideration, References-APA 6along with candidate’s personal profile.
Applicants’ empirical review must be between the timeframes of 2019 and 2025.
The candidate will also submit a final soft copy of the research project on completion of the study.
Applicants are required to submit their research project in Microsoft Word format, using Times New Roman font, size 12, and 1.5 line spacing.
There are no barriers to age, gender, religion, or ethnicity to the Grooming Centre University Grant Scheme.
BENEFIT:
The 2026 University Grant will be awarded to 100 undergraduate and 50 postgraduate students who are presently carrying out their research studies in the areas of financial inclusion, microfinance, rural development, social enterprise, MSMEs, technological development, digital finance, youth in development, women in development, or any other research that is aimed at lifting people out of poverty.
100: Undergraduates
50: Postgraduates
