Call for Research Proposals

1. Introduction

The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), in line with its mandate to build indigenous capacity for Nigeria's oil and gas industry, invites qualified researchers to submit proposals for the Annual Oil and Gas Research Grant Competition.

The programme aims to enhance, retain, and apply Nigerian research capacity toward solving real industry problems and to facilitate technological development in Nigeria's petroleum sector.

A Steering Committee comprising academic and industry experts, policymakers, and professional bodies oversees the competition and ensures high-quality standards.

2. Research Themes (2026 Cycle)

1. 2.1 Energy Security, Basin Development & Subsurface Excellence

   AI-driven seismic imaging, basin modelling, frontier-basin viability, HP/HT and deepwater systems, digital twins, source-rock and charge modelling.

2. 2.2 Sustainable Production, Enhanced Oil Recovery & Asset Integrity

   Smart wells, predictive maintenance, polymer/surfactant/low-salinity EOR, CO₂-EOR, flow assurance, corrosion/scale control, pipeline and subsea integrity, robotics and mechatronics.

3. 2.3 Gas Commercialisation, Utilisation & Flare Reduction

   Gas-to-power, GTL, mini-LNG/CNG, LPG/petrochemical processing, flare monetisation, modular gas systems, CCUS in gas value chains, gas-to-chemicals, stranded gas monetisation.

4. 2.4 Transition Technologies, Renewables & Low-Carbon Solutions

   Local-material solar PV, hybrid gas-renewable systems, offshore wind, battery storage/microgrids, hydrogen (blue/green), geothermal, waste-to-energy, CCUS for natural gas processing.

5. 2.5 Environmental Sustainability, Circular Economy & ESG

   Bioremediation, nanotech cleanup, produced-water treatment, methane reduction, carbon accounting/MRV, digital ESG systems, circular economy, waste valorisation, biodiversity, spill detection and remediation, host-community development & empowerment.

6. 2.6 Digital Oilfield, Automation & Emerging Technologies

   AI/ML optimisation, industrial IoT, robotics for inspection/drilling, cybersecurity, cloud-edge systems, autonomous operations, digital twins, blockchain, generative AI, LLMs, digital governance.

7. 2.7 Facilities Engineering, Infrastructure, Local Content & Industrial Systems

   Integrated facility management, reliability engineering, brownfield retrofits, energy-efficient operations, smart facilities, local fabrication, additive manufacturing, import substitution, supply-chain and logistics systems.

8. 2.8 Energy Economics & Finance; Fiscal Systems; Policy Analytics & Human Capital Development

   Macroeconomic policy evaluation, oil price volatility, fiscal systems, PIA modelling, investment optimisation, gas fiscal frameworks, energy-market forecasting, carbon pricing/markets, green finance, stranded-asset risk, competency frameworks, workforce transition.

3. Proposal Format / Guidelines

1. 3.1 Cover Page

   Research Mission (theme), Project Title.

2. 3.2 Executive Summary (1 page)

   Industry problem, proposed solution, commercialisation pathway, expected impact (technical/economic/environmental/policy).

3. 3.3 Background & Problem Definition

   Industry challenge, evidence of relevance (data/operator needs/regulatory gaps), national priority alignment.

4. 3.4 Literature Review & Gap Analysis

   Current knowledge, existing technologies, identified gaps, novelty, Nigerian situational context.

5. 3.5 Objectives

   Main objective, specific measurable objectives, capacity-building objectives.

6. 3.6 Methodology

   Research design, data sources and availability, tools/models/simulations/experiments, risk mitigation, ethical/data-privacy considerations, stakeholder engagement plan (where applicable).

7. 3.7 Research Plan & Timeline

   Gantt chart, milestones and deliverables, monitoring and evaluation plan.

8. 3.8 Commercialisation & Adoption Plan

   Route-to-market strategy, IP plan, industry role, pilot testing plan, regulatory considerations, expected adoption impact.

9. 3.9 Research Budget & Justification

   Personnel, equipment (with availability confirmation), consumables, data acquisition, travel, institutional charges, digital infrastructure/software licensing, value-for-money justification. All costs should align with the nominal capping of cost categories; namely, Equipment 25%; Personnel 20%; Travel/Collaboration 5%; Dissemination 3%; Institutional charges 10%. These limits are to aid in self-assessment before submitting the proposal.

10. 3.10 Capacity Building Components

    Training plan, knowledge-transfer workshops, expected publications and dissemination. Multidisciplinary collaboration (advantageous).

11. 3.11 References

    Properly formatted citations using recent and relevant literature.

12. 3.12 Appendices

    Additional diagrams, schematics, data, evidence of collaboration or industry interest.

13. 3.13 Formatting Requirement

    Use A4 size paper, 1.5 spacing, Times New Roman (font 12), 2.54 cm margins on all sides.

4. Other Guidelines

A team of academic and industry resource persons will shortlist proposals for oral presentation.

Submissions will be assessed against the following criteria: industry relevance & problem definition, novelty & gap analysis, objectives, methodology & technical merit, research plan & timeline, commercialisation & adoption plan, budget & value for money, team & institutional capacity, among others.

Shortlisted Principal Researchers will defend their proposals before a panel.

Successful proposals will receive research grants, released in instalments based on milestones. Maximum project duration: 24 months.

5. Eligibility

• Nigerian citizens resident in Nigeria working in academic institutions, companies, research organisations, or NGOs.
• The Principal Researcher should be a senior academic, but collaboration with industry is strongly encouraged.
• Collaboration with Nigerians abroad is welcome, but the Principal Researcher must reside in Nigeria.
• Multidisciplinary teams are advantageous.

6. Submission

Proposals must be submitted electronically (PDF) through the PTDF Portal.

Deadline: three (3) calendar months from the date of publication.

Signed:
PTDF Management