GRANTS
DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACEUTICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
Most of our research staff has won one or a number of courses or travel grants in addition to the project grants presented below. For more details on the grants and to view the travel grants please go to the individual staff page using the link Faculty Staff Directory Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology Staff and click to view individual staff profiles.
In 2003, The Humboldt Foundation awarded Prof. Charles Esimone an Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship Award for 2 years.
In 2007, World bank Step-B grant awarded Prof. Charles Esimone a World bank Step-B grant while he was at the University of Nigeria Nsukka.
In 2011, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT) awarded Dr. Angus Oli a Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship of $10,000 CAD for a study in collaboration with Prof. C. O. Esimone and Prof. Remigus Agu.
In 2012, The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) in partnership with the International Development Research Center (IDRC) awarded Dr. Angus Oli an African Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship Grant of $10,000 USD in collaboration with Prof. C. O. Esimone and Prof. Remigus Agu.
In 2012, The Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, Canada awarded Dr. Malachy Ugwu a Research exchange award of $10,000 CAD.
In 2013, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) awarded Prof. Charles Esimone a TETFund Research award of ₦ 1,500,000.
TETFund awarded Dr. Moses Ikegbunam a TETFund PhD Research award of ₦ 3,000,000.
In 2015, TETFund awarded Dr. Linda Anagu a TETFund PhD study award of ₦ 30,000,000 for 4 years.
In 2016, the Bioresource Group awarded Prof. Esimone a clinical trails research grant of ₦ 10,000,000.
In 2016, Research Training Fellowship for Developing Country Scientists (RTF-DCS) awarded Dr. Malachy Ugwu a Research Training Fellowship for Developing Country Scientists (RTF-DCS).
DAAD awarded Dr. Moses Ikegbunam a DAAD postdoctoral research grant of €13,200 Euros.
In 2020, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) Committee on Global Health awarded Pharm. Uchenna Ogwalunonye an ACGH Award for Research Support to the sum of $2,000 USD in collaboration with Prof Charles Esimone and Dr. George Chukwuma.
In 2021, Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF) awarded Dr. Linda Anagu an AREF Research Development Fellowship award of £39,575.25 for 1 year.
In 2021, Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (RSTMH), in partnership with the National Institute for Health and Care Research, UK, awarded Pharm. Augustine Onwunduba a RSTMH Small Grant Award of £5,000 for 1 year.
In 2022, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) awarded Dr Angus Oli an Institutional Based Grant of ₦ 1,960,000 for a research study in collaboration with Pharm. Chinelo Ezejiegu.
In 2023, the Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF) awarded Dr. Linda Anagu an AREF Research Development Fellowship 2023 Seed Fund Award of £49,991.29 for 1 year in collaboration with Associate Prof. Samuel C. Wassmer, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Prof. Alfred Amambua-Ngwa, Medical Research Council, the Gambia, LSHTM.
DEPARTMENT OF CLINICAL PHARMACY & PHARMACY MANAGEMENT
Grants awarded to Staff of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Management
1. Dr. Obinna Ikechukwu Ekwunife
Dr. Obinna Ekwunife, a senior lecturer in Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Management was awarded the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) Career Development Fellowship worth 148,000 Euros in 2018. Dr. Ekwunife conducted a cluster-randomized trial titled ‘Adolescent Retention and Adherence Trial’ (ARA Trial) for this fellowship. The trial aimed to improve the retention in care and adherence to antiretroviral therapy of adolescents living with HIV. The trial evaluated an incentive scheme to improve their retention in care and adherence to antiretroviral therapy. The scheme comprised a cash incentive conditioned on meeting the viral load target in combination with motivational interviewing. Motivational interviewing helped sustain the demand for care and adherence to therapy for attitude change. As part of the grant requirement, a PhD student was trained and a training workshop on the design and implementation of a clinical trial will be held at Nnamdi Azikiwe University at the end of the trial.
2. Dr. Maureen Ugonwa Anetoh
Dr. Maureen Ugonwa Anetoh is a senior lecturer in Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Management. She received the Tertiary Education Trust Fund worth ₦1,512,900 in 2022 to carry out a clinical trial titled, ‘Effect of a hospital-based maternal counseling guide on exclusive breastfeeding in Anambra State Nigeria: A cluster randomized controlled trial’. The trial aims to develop, implement, and evaluate the effect of an intervention to address the low practice of exclusive breastfeeding in southeast Nigeria. This is in a bid to improve the knowledge, attitude, and practice of exclusive breastfeeding practice by mothers to attain the World’s global target of a 50% exclusive breastfeeding rate by 2025 which will contribute to a reduction in infant morbidity and mortality. The trial is currently ongoing.
3. Ven. Dr. Samuel Uzodinma
Ven. Dr. Samuel Uzodinma, a lecturer in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Management was awarded the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (RSTMH) in partnership with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) worth 4944 GBP in 2021 to carry out a clinical trial titled- ‘impact of pharmaceutical care on health outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in community pharmacy setting: A cluster randomized controlled trial’. The study aims to assess the impact of community pharmacy-based pharmaceutical care diabetes programs on some health outcomes of type 2 diabetes in a Nigerian city. Also, it assesses the patient’s willingness to pay for the pharmaceutical care services and cost- the benefit to the community pharmacists. The trial is ongoing.
4. Pharm Ifeoma Jovita Nduka
Pharm. Ifeoma Jovita Nduka of the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Management, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences was awarded a grant of 4,510.11GBP from the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (RSTMH) in partnership with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) in 2021. The grant is to enable her to conduct a research study titled ‘Cost-effectiveness analysis of breast cancer screening in Nigeria’. The utmost aim is to assess the rationale for national mammography screening for all women in the country, thereby providing evidence for government policy maker in Nigeria for possible implementation of nationwide mammography screening. The research study is ongoing.
5. Pharm Ifeoma Blessing Umeh
Pharm Ifeoma Blessing Umeh, a Lecturer I in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Management won the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (RSTMH) in partnership with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) worth 4980 GBP in 2021 to carry out a research study titled, ‘Cost-benefit analysis of a population-based screening for prostate cancer in Anambra State, Nigeria’. The study aims to estimate the cost and benefit of a population-based prostate-specific antigen (PSA) mass testing for prostate cancer for early detection of prostate cancer in Nigeria. The data from the study will add significantly to the understanding of the evidence-based approach to decision-making and policy to enhance the uptake of early detection of prostate cancer in Nigeria. The research study is ongoing.
6. Pharm Tobechi Richard Orji
Tobechi Richard Orji, a graduate assistant in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Management received a six-month externship training on Data Health Analytics and Insights from DataLabs Abuja in collaboration with IQVIA and SANOFI in 2022 worth 7200 Euros which covered the course fee for data analysis and a monthly stipend. The training aimed to equip Tobechi with the requisite knowledge to be able to train African youths in academia, science, and public health in using data and maximizing data to draw analysis on health and make health interventions.
DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACEUTICAL & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
Felix Ahamefule Chibuzo Onyegbule (BSc Chemistry, MSc Pharm. Chemistry, PhD Pharm. Analysis), a Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry.
Carnegie research fellowship (grant) on Natural Product Chemistry/ Anti-diabetes drug candidate research and characterization; OAU Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Travel Grant Award for the 3rd Stakeholders Meeting and High Level Forum of African Network for Drugs and Diagnostics Innovation, Nairobi, Kenya. Travel Grant Award for the 8th International Conference of African Materials Research Society (AMRS), Accra, Ghana.
Fortunatus C. Ezebuo (B.Sc., M.Sc. PhD.)
1. Research Assistant: Drug Repurposing for Lassa Fever Virus: A New Treatment Option. National Research Fund (NRF), 2019 Grant. Grant Number: TETFund/DR&D/CE/NRF/STI/24/VOL1 https://unizik.edu.ng/tetfund-national-research-fund-nrf-grant-2019-awarded-to-prof-ikemefuna-cuzochukwu/
2. African-German Network of Excellence in Science (AGNES) Junior Researcher Grant (JRG) 2020 to support part of research and/or publication and apply for Georg Forster Research Fellowship. https://agnes-h.org/2020-agnes-junior-researcher-grantees/
3. Recipient of many travel/support grants especially from the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS), DrosAfrica, and European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL).