1OTH INTERNAL CALL FOR FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES – 2025

2025-10-22

MERU UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1OTH INTERNAL CALL FOR FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES – 2025

Meru University of Science and Technology (MUST) is pleased to announce the launch of three internal funding opportunities aimed at enhancing research output, promoting innovation, and strengthening the university’s capacity to secure external funding through interdisciplinary grant-writing teams:

  1. CALL FOR GRANTS WRITING TEAMS 2025: To strengthen MUST’s competitiveness for external funding.
  2. SMALL INTERNAL RESEARCH CALL FOR PROPOSALS: To support high-impact research aligned with MUST’s strategic goals, SDGs, and national priorities.
  1. Faculty Individual Research Grant:
  2. Student Seed Grant:
  1. INNOVATIONS PROTOTYPE & COMMERCIALIZATION CALL 2025: To incubate and commercialise prototyped innovations.

N/B.:   Application Platform: All applications must be submitted via the online portal:
www.ingrants.must.ac.ke

Email submissions will NOT be accepted except for the Call for Innovations.

An individual may appear in a maximum of TWO teams only.

Double submissions (same proposal to multiple calls) are strictly NOT allowed.

All interested applicants are encouraged to apply as per the following details:

           

  • CALL FOR GRANTS WRITING TEAMS 2025
    • Introduction

Meru University of Science and Technology (MUST) invites interdisciplinary teams to apply for the Grants Writing Teams (GWT) Program. This initiative aims to enhance MUST’s competitiveness in securing external funding by fostering collaborative, high-quality grant proposals aligned with national and international priorities.

  • Objectives of the Call
    1. Strengthen institutional capacity to secure external research and innovation funding.
    2. Promote interdisciplinary collaboration among faculty, researchers, and non-academic staff.
    3. Increase the success rate for securing external funding.
    4. Support the development of competitive grant proposals and respond to at least ten (10) grant opportunities per team within 4 months. NB/. For one year, the team should have submitted at least 30 grants.
    5. Align proposals with the funder’s priorities.
  • Funding and Support

Grant Amount: Up to KES 3,000,000 per team, disbursed in tranches based on milestones and needs of the team.

Support Provided:

  • Financial support covering seed funding for proposal development, honoraria, funds for workshops, travel, and consultants.
  • Access to grant-writing workshops and mentorship.
  • Grant resources and opportunities – www.fundsbeeline.com   
  • Administrative and project management assistance.
  • Internal peer review and feedback sessions.
  • Eligibility Criteria

Team Composition:

  • Up to 9 Members with a minimum of 4 members from different disciplines.
  • Principal Investigator (PI): Must be a full-time academic staff member
  • Other Members of the team: Open to faculty, researchers, research staff and postgraduate students (PhD students preferred).
  • 50% of team members must have submitted a grant proposal in the past quarter.
  • Early-career researchers and interdisciplinary teams are eligible
  • Exclusions:
  • We are only excluding current beneficiaries of MUST internal grants with unresolved deliverables.
  • Deliverables and Expectations
  1. Submit ten (10) full grant proposals to external funding agencies within every 4 months. Total of thirty (30) in a year.
  2. Focus the Team's effort on high-value grant opportunities amount more than USD 100,000
  3. Attend quarterly grants submission meetings according to your work plan, file ‘Back to Office’, Submissions & Financials Reports with RICE Directorate.
  4. Participate in at least two (2) grant-writing workshops: Participate in capacity-building sessions hosted by the Directorate of Research, Innovation, Commercialisation, and Extension (RICE)
  5. Submit interim and final reports on proposal outcomes (successes/feedback).
  • Proposal Format (Team Application)

Submit a 5-page document (Times New Roman, font 12, 1.5 spacing) including:

  1. Team Profile: Names, disciplines, and roles of members.
  2. Track Record: Summary of past grant submissions (agency, amount, outcome).
  3. Target Funding Agencies: List of prioritised calls (e.g., NSF, NIH, Horizon Europe).
  4. Work Plan: Quarterly milestones for proposal development and Submissions Done.
  5. Budget Outline: Allocation for workshops, travel, day-out and consultancy (if applicable).
  6. Specify disciplines, themes, or funding programs that the team will target.
  • Ethical and Compliance Requirements
  • Proposals involving human/animal research must obtain MIRERC approval.
  • All outputs must acknowledge MUST’s support.
  • Intellectual Property (IP) arising from funded projects will be co-owned by MUST and the team.
  • Timeline

Deadlines

Actions

24th  October, 2025

Launch of the call

24th  November, 2025

Submission deadline

25th  – 9th December, 2025

Review and selection

11th December, 2025

Award notification

Project Duration: 12 months from the award date.

Submission: Send concept /team application to: www.ingrants.must.ac.ke

 

 SMALL INTERNAL RESEARCH CALL FOR PROPOSALS

    • Introduction

Meru University of Science and Technology (MUST) is launching a Small internal call for research proposals as part of its mandate. The proposed research work must have an application component and potential impact on the beneficiaries.

  • Objectives of the Call
  1. Improve research output in the form of information, products and services that address national needs for socio-economic development.
  2. Increase the roles of scientific research and technological innovation in contributing to the achievement of national and international goals.
  3. Promote collaborative and multi-disciplinary solution-based research with tangible outcomes
  4. Inculcate the culture of research and development through mentorship and peer learning
    • Categories of Fundable Research Proposals

This call consists of two (2) types of research proposals, and their funding limit is as indicated.

  1. Individual project up to Ksh. 350,000
  2. Seed grants up to Ksh. 150,000
    • Thematic Areas

All research proposals should address at least one of the following thematic areas

  1. Any of the 17 SDGs with specific deliverables
  2. Any of the 3 pillars of the Kenya Vision 2030 with specific deliverables
  3. Any of the Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda (2022-2027) with specific deliverables
  4. Agenda 2063, the Africa we want

This call emphasises on establishment of a strong link between academic rigour and a practical knowledge product that is useful for local, national and international consumption. The applicants are required to demonstrate tangible and short-term research outputs that will have significant outcomes on the beneficiaries.

  • Eligible Applicants

Individuals and groups eligible to apply for the individual research project funding are,

  1. full-time academic staff (including staff on contract, technicians in academic division, library staff and TFs) of the University up to grade 13

Individuals and groups eligible to apply for the seed grant research project funding are,

  1. current postgraduate student at the University

The following individuals and/or groups are not eligible to apply,

  1. Members of the University Management Board
  2. Members of the research committee, except those who declare a conflict of interest
  3. Beneficiaries of previous calls with active internal research grants

Postgraduate students should submit their research proposals with their supervisors as principal investigators because of overall project management and contractual obligations.

  • Eligible Cost
  1. The research fund shall cover costs of research permit, data collection, analysis of results, publication, conference registration fees, conference participation costs and facilitation for the researchers.
  2. Subsistence allowances during the research period should not exceed 20% of the total amount awarded.
  3. The researchers must allocate at least 10% of the total budget to the community extension component of the research.

The research fund shall not support any other costs outside those identified in (a). After completion of the project, all capital items bought by the research fund will revert to the University.

  • Plagiarism
  1. All research proposals shall be subjected to a plagiarism test at the University library.
  2. The plagiarism report must be signed by both dedicated officers, as in (a), and the researcher for transparency purposes.
  3. The cut-off acceptable plagiarism levels of the proposals is 15% and will be determined by the Research and Collaboration policy.

 

  • Ethical review

The proposals will be subjected to ethical review by the MUST Institutional Research Ethics Review Committee (MIRERC)

 

  • Deliverables from the Researcher

All successful grantees are expected to deliver as follows,

  1. Submit quarterly progress reports months after receiving the grant.
  2. Publish at least one (1) paper from the research project in a peer-reviewed journal.

Researchers must acknowledge financial support from Meru University of Science and Technology in their publication(s).

  1. Submit a soft copy of the published paper to the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation and Extension.
  2. Submit end of the end-of-the-project report in soft copy (electronically signed) and make a seminar presentation at the end of the research project.
  3. Any patent(s) made out of the research finding must be co-registered between the University and the grantees.
    • Research Proposal Format

The proposal should not exceed fifteen (15) pages in Times New Roman, font size 12, and spacing of 1.5. It must contain the following sections:

  1. Title of the research project
  2. Statement of problem
  3. Specific study objective(s)
  4. Research questions/hypotheses
  5. Justification of the study
  6. Up-to-date literature review
  7. Methodology
  8. Expected outputs and outcomes
  9. References
  10. Work plan/log frame  
  11. Itemized budget
    • Schedule for Proposal Processing

The following schedules will guide the processing of the research proposals

Deadlines

Actions

24th  October, 2025

Call for research proposals launched

24th  November, 2025

Deadline for proposal submission

25th  – 9th December, 2025

Proposal evaluations – internal & external

11th December, 2025

Award of grants

 

  • Duration of Research

The duration of the research is one (1) calendar year

  • Proposal Review Method

Each research proposal will be reviewed by an independent internal and external reviewer. The decision to award an applicant or not will depend on an average score arrived at from the independent scores given by the internal and external reviewers, as well as a pass mark determined by the Research and Innovation Committee, guided by the available financial resources. The proposals will also be subjected to ethical review where necessary. Each successful grantee will be required to sign the research grant contract obtained from RICE.

  • Monitoring and Evaluation

The Directorate of RICE will monitor research projects based on the indicators outlined in the project work plans/log frame. The Directorate of Research will ascertain the compliance with the proposal and expected research impact using a standardised M&E tool

  • Application Procedure

Applicants are required to submit a soft copy (signed electronically) of the proposal and plagiarism report through www.ingrants.must.ac.ke  within the deadline provided.

For enquiries, contact the Directorate at research@must.ac.ke  

 

  • INNOVATIONS PROTOTYPE & COMMERCIALIZATION CALL 2025
    • Introduction

The Meru University of Science and Technology Innovations Incubation and Entrepreneurship Centre invites students and staff innovators to submit their prototyped innovative ideas for incubation and commercialisation support. This call is designed to bridge the gap between research and market by providing both development and commercialisation funding for MVPs.

MUST’s Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship Centre invites staff and students to submit prototyped innovative ideas for incubation and commercialisation support.

  • Objectives of the Call
  1. To identify and support promising, prototyped innovations with high commercial potential.
  2. To accelerate the maturation of prototypes into market-ready products or services.
  3. To facilitate the protection of intellectual property arising from MUST innovations.
  4. To incubate and launch new ventures or license technologies to industry, thereby contributing to MUST's innovation ecosystem and national economic development.

 

  • Funding Tiers and Support

This call offers two tiers of funding to support innovations at different stages of the commercialisation journey:

Tier 1: Prototype Refinement Grant

  • Funding: Up to KES 200,000 per innovation [To support further technical development, validation, and refinement of an existing prototype, Student applicant to include Staff Supervisor].
  • Support Areas Include:
    • Materials for prototype enhancement.
    • Basic functionality and user testing.
    • Initial Intellectual Property (IP) advisory services / Provisional IP protection.
    • Mentorship incubation.

Tier 2: Commercialisation Grant

  • Funding: Up to KES 2,500,000 per innovation MVP. [To support advanced activities directly leading to market entry. This tier is accessible to Tier 1 grantees who demonstrate significant progress or to innovations that are already at an advanced stage. Staff products are encouraged]
  • Support Areas Include:
    • IP Protection: Full costs for patents, utility models, copyrights, or trademarks.
    • Business Incubation: Business model development, market analysis, and venture creation support.
    • Product Development & Market Readiness: Pilot production, packaging, certification, and regulatory compliance.
    • Market Outreach: Development of marketing materials and participation in trade fairs.
    • Eligibility:
  • Applicants: MUST students (applying together with a MUST staff member) and MUST staff.
  • Innovation Stage: Innovations must be at a demonstrable prototype stage or beyond. A functional prototype with preliminary results is required.
  • Team: Applications must be submitted by a team, demonstrating a blend of technical and business/commercialisation expertise.
  • Proposal Guidelines (Max 6 pages):

The proposal must include:

  1. Innovation Name and Team Details.
  2. Problem Statement and Proposed Solution.
  3. Description and Evidence of Current Prototype (e.g., photos, videos, test data).
  4. Target Market and Competitive Analysis.
  5. Clear Commercialisation Pathway (e.g., new venture, licensing).
  6. Project Plan with a Gantt Chart.
  7. Itemised Commercialisation Budget, specifying the requested tier (Refinement or Commercialisation) and justification for each cost.
  8. Elaborate business plan including seed capital and break-even projections.
  • Conditions for Funding
  1. IP Ownership: Any Intellectual Property (IP) developed using this funding will be co-owned by the innovator(s) and Meru University of Science and Technology, as per the MUST IP Policy.

 

  1. Commercialisation Agreement: Grantees, especially those receiving the Commercialisation Grant, must enter into a commercialisation agreement with the University, outlining revenue-sharing models for future sales or licensing.

 

  1. Reporting: Recipients must submit quarterly progress reports and a final comprehensive report, including technical and financial accountability.

 

  1. Participation: Grantees are required to participate in incubation programs offered by the Innovation Centre and all pitching events in the RICE calendar.
  2. Use of Funds: Funds are to be used exclusively for the activities outlined in the approved budget. Any significant deviation requires prior written approval from the Directorate.

 

  • Submission:

Email proposals to innovations@must.ac.ke using your official university email

For enquiries, contact the Directorate on innovations@must.ac.ke

Deadlines

Actions

24th  October, 2025

Call for research proposals launched

24th  November, 2025

Deadline for proposal submission

25th Nov – 9th December, 2025

Proposal evaluations – internal & external

11th December, 2025

Award of grants

 

For enquiries, contact the Directorate at research@must.ac.ke

 

These internal calls provide a critical platform for advancing MUST's research and innovation agenda. We urge all eligible staff and students to leverage this opportunity by constituting robust teams and submitting well-prepared, high-quality proposals. Your participation is key to our collective success. Please be advised that all applications must be received by the stipulated deadline.

 

Thank you.                                                                                                      Date released

Prof. Simon Thuranira, PhD

DVC ARSA, CHAIRMAN RESEARCH AND INNOVATION COMMITTEE