Thinkng Ignite is a 12-week cohort programme that equips emerging researchers with applied research capability, and above all with the ability to plan, write and manage funded research proposals. Participants commit around 10 hours a week across four domains: • Research knowledge and techniques • Professional conduct and personal effectiveness • Research ethics, governance and funding • Research engagement, influence and societal impact All courses are delivered on edX and carry verified certificates. Graduates enter the Thinkng research talent pool and the opportunity partner network across industry, government and research organisations. Cohort 1 was open to Nigerian nationals and residents. Applications closed on 9 October 2026.

Research & Knowledge Systems / Research Capacity Development

Delivered on edX under an enterprise licence held by Gawani Advisors Limited. Course providers: • Fullbridge • University of Alaska Fairbanks • University of Adelaide • IBM • Harvard University • HEC Montréal • BoxPlay • KU Leuven

September 1, 2026

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October 9, 2026

WHO SHOULD APPLY • Postgraduate students (Master's and PhD) • Junior faculty (Lecturer I and II) • Early-career researchers in research institutes and contract research organisations • Advanced undergraduates will also be considered Open to Nigerian nationals and residents. Applicants should be able to commit around 10 hours a week for 12 weeks. WHAT YOU NEED TO SUBMIT • Your curriculum vitae • A letter of recommendation from your supervisor • A Research Problem Statement of up to 500 words, written inside the application form against five short prompts. There is no separate document to prepare. • A valid identification document Ask your supervisor for the letter as soon as you decide to apply. Instructions are provided on the form.

Fifty years ago, physical assets such as plant, equipment and inventory made up over 80% of the value of the S&P 500. Today intangible assets, meaning intellectual property, data and brand, account for about 92%. Value has shifted from what a company builds to what it knows and owns. Businesses and industry across Africa need current research to create those assets and compete on innovation. Emerging researchers need a route into the industry challenges with the most potential to be transformative. Neither side finds the other easily, and the cost of that gap is paid in lost productivity and competitiveness. Thinkng exists to close that gap, brokering research, capital and talent. Ignite is the part of that work that strengthens the research talent pipeline, so that businesses have somewhere to turn when they need research done and researchers have somewhere to take their capability.

Thinkng Ignite bridges the gap between academic research skill and private-sector R&D demand. It is built for emerging researchers translating academic capability into industry-ready work. Over 12 weeks, at around 10 hours a week, each cohort works through 17 courses across the four domains. Every course is delivered on edX and carries a verified certificate. WHAT PARTICIPANTS FINISH WITH • The capability to secure research funding. A three-course Professional Certificate from the University of Alaska Fairbanks covering proposal planning, proposal writing and award management, including feedback on your own proposal from practising grant professionals. • Applied data capability in analysis, visualisation and dashboard building, certified by IBM. • Three verified credentials in the core programme, from Fullbridge, the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the University of Adelaide, with two more available through electives from IBM and Harvard. • Entry to the Thinkng opportunity partner network across industry, government and research organisations. THE FEE Cohort 1 costs ₦150,000. Applying is free, and participants pay only if offered a place. The fee covers: • Your place in the cohort • The eight live classes • Verified certification on every course you complete • Expert review of your own grant proposal • A one-year Thinkng platform subscription, giving continued access to opportunity listings after the programme ends IF THE FEE IS A BARRIER Say so in your application. A small number of sponsored places are held for cohort 1, decided after selection and on the same merit criteria as every other place. Asking does not affect your chances. Universities and research institutes can also be invoiced directly from a staff development budget. Thinkng Ignite is delivered by Gawani Advisors Limited (RC 1562093), a company registered in Nigeria. Courses are provided on edX under an enterprise licence held by Gawani Advisors Limited. Certificates are awarded by the institutions named, through edX. Those institutions are course providers and are not partners in, sponsors of, or endorsers of Thinkng Ignite.