A long-standing call from Ghana’s academic and research communities for a dedicated, well-structured fund to support science, innovation, and development finally materialised with the establishment of the Ghana National Research Fund (GNRF).
For decades, scholars, research institutions, and higher education advocates have urged successive governments to commit to a national research financing model that would empower Ghanaian researchers to generate home-grown solutions and compete on the global stage.
That call was answered with the passage of Act 1056 by Parliament, which legally established the Ghana National Research Fund as a corporate body with the mandate to promote, support, and finance cutting-edge research, innovation and research infrastructure across all disciplines. The Act envisioned the GNRF as a mechanism to bridge the often-cited gap between academia and industry, stimulate innovation, and align research with Ghana’s national development priorities.
However, while the legal framework was in place, the Fund itself remained inactive for several years. It was not until 2025 that concrete steps were taken to operationalise the GNRF, an undertaking that required the mobilisation of initial seed funding and the formation of a governing structure, the development of standard operating procedures and the design of transparent grant management systems.
To provide leadership and direction, a Governing Board was appointed in the second quarter of 2025. The Board was tasked with developing strategic and administrative systems, establishing funding mechanisms, and ensuring alignment with international best practices. It was also expected to develop a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to track the impact of funded research projects.
Delivering a keynote address at the 2025 Ghana Tertiary Education Commission Summer School held at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in early July 2025, the Inaugural Chair of the GNRF, Prof. Eric Yirenkyi Danquah, outlined the potential of the Fund to become a springboard for Ghana’s transformation.
He urged national stakeholders to treat the GNRF not just as another government initiative, but as a national tool for innovation and development. “We have the blueprint. The world is watching. Let’s act, together, for Ghana’s transformation through research,” Prof. Danquah declared.
He based this conviction on global and local evidence of the return on investment in public research. Citing data from the United Kingdom, he noted that for every £1 invested in public research, there is a £7 return in economic benefit. In the United States, public funding for basic research has been shown to generate an $8.38 increase in private sector R&D over an eight-year period. These figures, he mentioned, demonstrate how public investment in research can drive national economic growth, stimulate innovation and attract global partnerships.
Prof. Danquah also drew attention to the uneven global research landscape. Africa, home to nearly 19% of the world’s population, accounts for only about 2% of global research output and receives just 1.3% of international research funding. Despite its strong academic institutions, Ghana continues to invest less than 0.3% of its GDP in research and higher education, far below the 1% target set by the African Union.
He argued that Ghana can reverse this trend through the GNRF if the Fund is adequately resourced, professionally managed and guided by principles of autonomy, meritocracy, and transparency. “We must advocate for the allocation of a fixed percentage of GDP to research to ensure long-term, predictable funding,” he said.
As Chair of the GNRF Board, Prof. Danquah outlined plans to establish an operational digital grant management system, conduct annual competitive calls for proposals and implement a rigorous merit-based evaluation process. He also announced the launch of a pilot funding call expected in the first quarter of 2026, which will be anchored around national priority themes.
In addition to its funding model, the GNRF will seek to build strategic partnerships with local and international institutions, including UNESCO, the EU, Mastercard Foundation and the diaspora, as well as explore private sector involvement through R&D tax incentives and matching grant schemes. The Fund also intends to enlist prominent personalities as goodwill ambassadors to promote public engagement with research and innovation.
Highlighting the societal transformation occasioned by research, Prof. Danquah pointed to successful centres such as the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) and the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), both based at the University of Ghana. WACCI alone has trained more than 120 PhD scientists, developed nearly 300 improved crop varieties, attracted $100 million in funding, and published over 300 scientific papers, significantly contributing to food security across West Africa.
“Institutions like WACCI and WACCBIP have demonstrated what is possible when research is well-funded, purpose-driven, and globally connected,” he said.
Prof. Danquah summed his presentation with a passionate call for collective national action, quoting President Kwame Nkrumah’s 1963 declaration on the transformative potential of science and technology, stating, “It is within the possibility of science and technology to make the Sahara bloom into a vast field with verdant vegetation.”
For Ghana, he noted, that possibility lies within reach, if the GNRF is empowered to deliver on its mandate.
Drawing on his presentation, what becomes evident is that the successful implementation of the Ghana National Research Fund could provide vital support across a range of fields, including health, agriculture, energy, climate science, education and the creative arts. From infectious disease control to climate resilience and digital innovation, Ghana’s ability to produce solutions relevant to its development challenges depends largely on how well its research is funded and managed.
In recent years, institutions like the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), which played a frontline role during the COVID-19 pandemic, have suffered funding shortfalls following the withdrawal of support from major partners such as USAID. This has raised concerns about the sustainability of research and surveillance systems critical to public health and national preparedness.
Ghana’s research ecosystem remains vulnerable without a national mechanism like the GNRF to cushion such shocks and ensure long-term support. The Fund, therefore, becomes a critical tool for advancement and to safeguard national resilience.
As Prof. Danquah stated, the GNRF is a generational opportunity to invest in Ghana’s future. The challenge now is to turn political will into consistent financial commitment, backed by systems that empower researchers, attract investment and deliver lasting impact.
