NRF Kenya leads first-ever national master-plan for research funding

The National Research Fund (NRF) Kenya is leading the development of the country’s first-ever Masterplan for research funding.

The Masterplan is a strategic step toward transforming Kenya’s research landscape.

Backed by strong government support and international partnerships, the Masterplan aims to align national research investments with Kenya’s development priorities, unlocking the full potential of science, technology, and innovation to drive progress.

At the heart of this initiative is NRF’s commitment to building a transparent, predictable, and effective research funding ecosystem, one that empowers researchers to generate practical solutions to local and global challenges.

Speaking on the initiative, Dickson Andala, chief executive officer of NRF, reaffirmed the Fund’s mandate to mobilise, allocate, and manage resources across all fields of research and innovation.

He said that the Masterplan is grounded in NRF’s strategic objectives and is designed to reshape the research environment to allow knowledge and innovation to flourish.

The Masterplan development process has drawn insights from leading institutions and various private sector actors

During a progress briefing held on 16 July, Shaukat Abdulrazak, principal secretary for Science, Research and Innovation, applauded NRF’s efforts and reiterated the government’s commitment to fostering a more inclusive, evidence-based research agenda.

“We can transform Kenya’s research sector,” he said, encouraging stronger collaboration with the private sector and other stakeholders.

According to Abdulrazak, interactions with the technical advisory committee have highlighted the need to embed research within broader development policies and to leverage partnerships for sustainable growth.

Ratemo Michieka, chair of NRF’s Board of Trustees, described the Masterplan as both timely and necessary. He emphasised that a well-structured national research funding framework is essential, not only for driving innovation but also for ensuring that research directly contributes to Kenya’s socio-economic transformation.

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Published on 17 July 2025

Written by Jackie Opara