PTDF
The Federal Government, through the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, has invited Nigerian researchers to submit proposals for its 2026 Annual Oil and Gas Research Grant Competition.
In its call for research proposals published on November 13, PTDF said the programme is designed to strengthen indigenous research capacity and encourage the development of solutions to challenges facing Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Successful proposals will receive research grants, which will be released in instalments based on the achievement of project milestones.
Here is a guide to the eligibility requirements, research areas, proposal format and application process.
Who can apply?
According to PTDF, applicants must meet the following conditions:
* Must be Nigerian citizens residing in Nigeria.
* Must work in an academic institution, company, research organisation or non-governmental organisation.
* The Principal Researcher must be a senior academic.
* The Principal Researcher must reside in Nigeria, although collaboration with Nigerians living abroad is permitted.
* Collaboration with industry professionals and organisations is strongly encouraged.
* Multidisciplinary research teams are advantageous.
What research areas are eligible?
PTDF has listed eight research themes for the 2026 competition. Applicants are expected to develop proposals that address challenges or opportunities within one of these areas.
1. Energy security, basin development and subsurface excellence
Areas include artificial intelligence-driven seismic imaging, basin modelling, frontier-basin viability, deepwater systems, digital twins and source-rock modelling.
2. Sustainable production, enhanced oil recovery and asset integrity
Proposed research areas include smart wells, predictive maintenance, enhanced oil recovery, carbon dioxide injection, corrosion control, pipeline integrity, robotics and mechatronics.
3. Gas commercialisation, utilisation and flare reduction
The theme covers gas-to-power, gas-to-liquids, mini-LNG and CNG systems, LPG and petrochemical processing, flare monetisation, gas-to-chemicals and the commercialisation of stranded gas.
4. Integrated technologies, renewables and low-carbon solutions
Areas include locally sourced solar photovoltaic materials, hybrid gas-renewable systems, offshore wind, battery storage, microgrids, hydrogen, geothermal energy, waste-to-energy and carbon capture, utilisation and storage.
5. Environmental sustainability, circular economy and ESG
The areas include bioremediation, pollution clean-up using nanotechnology, produced-water treatment, methane reduction, carbon accounting, waste recycling, biodiversity protection, oil spill detection and remediation, and host-community development.
6. Digital oilfield, automation and emerging technologies
Research areas include artificial intelligence and machine learning, industrial Internet of Things, robotics for inspection and drilling, cybersecurity, cloud and edge computing, autonomous operations, digital twins, blockchain, generative AI and large language models.
7. Facilities engineering, infrastructure, local content and industrial systems
Areas include integrated facility management, reliability engineering, brownfield upgrades, energy-efficient operations, local fabrication, additive manufacturing, import substitution, and supply-chain and logistics systems.
8. Energy economics and finance, fiscal systems, policy analytics and human capital development
It includes macroeconomic policy evaluation, oil price volatility, fiscal systems, Petroleum Industry Act modelling, investment optimisation, gas fiscal frameworks, energy-market forecasting, carbon pricing, green finance, stranded-asset risks and workforce development.
How to prepare the research proposal
PTDF requires applicants to follow a prescribed proposal structure. The proposal must not exceed 5,000 words and must contain the following sections: cover page, executive summary, background and problem definition, literature review and gap analysis, research objectives, and methodology.
Other sections include research plan and timeline, commercialisation and adoption plan, research budget and justification, capacity-building components, references, tables and figures, and appendices.
The proposal must not exceed 5,000 words and should use Times New Roman, font size 12, 1.5 line spacing and 2.54cm margins on all sides. Citations and references must follow APA 7 style.
Applicants are also warned not to include personal or institutional identifiers, including names and logos, in their submissions.
How to apply
Interested and eligible researchers can follow these steps to submit their proposals:
Step 1: Visit the application portal
Go to the official PTDF Oil and Gas Research Grant portal at https://oilandgasresearch.ptdf.gov.ng.
Step 2: Create an account
Register on the portal to begin the application process.
Step 3: Select a research theme
Choose one of the eight research themes that best fits the proposed project.
Step 4: Prepare the research proposal
Develop the proposal using PTDF’s prescribed structure. Ensure that it addresses a relevant industry problem and includes clear objectives, a methodology, a timeline, a commercialisation plan and a justified budget.
Step 5: Check the proposal requirements
Review the proposal to ensure that it meets the 5,000-word limit, formatting and APA 7 referencing requirements. Remove all personal and institutional identifiers, including names and logos.
Step 6: Submit the proposal
Complete the required sections and submit the proposal electronically through the PTDF application portal.
Step 7: Monitor the application
Applicants should monitor the portal and their communication channels for updates on the assessment process, shortlisting and possible invitations to defend their proposals.
The deadline is Wednesday, February 10, 2027.
