LAGOS — Applications are open for the 2026 Grooming Centre University Research Grant, which will share N20 million among 150 students in Nigerian institutions. The grant will support 50 postgraduate and 100 undergraduate projects. Chimfurumnaya Chukwuekem, Assistant Manager for Research and Development at CREM, announced the opening of applications in Lagos. Applications opened on August 31 and will close on October 23, 2026. The grant is open to final-year undergraduates and postgraduate students, with no restrictions on age, gender, religion or ethnicity. Eligible research areas include financial inclusion, microfinance, rural development, small businesses, digital finance, youth and women's empowerment and poverty reduction. The Chief Operating Officer of CREM Consulting, Clifford Onyeike, said proposals must be original and based on data, and winners will be required to submit their completed projects to the centre. Since 2019, the scheme has supported 659 students.