National Funding Agencies
Higher Education
Commission (HEC)
Higher education sector of Pakistan has been playing an
important role in improving the quality of teaching and developing research
culture through innovative ways. Realizing the need of ensuring the concept of
knowledge economy in true sense it initiated different incentivized programs in
both the public and private sector universities/institutions to motivate and
encourage the potential researchers in almost all disciplines. However, besides
its focus on promoting research culture in sciences it also concentrated on
promoting research culture in social sciences. It, hence, intends to encourage
the creative and talented faculty members to probe into those areas (see the
different thematic areas in attachment) that check the growth, development and
progress of Pakistan. Such encouragement not only helps in addressing the key
issues paralyzing the status of Pakistan but also unearthing those possible
case studies and details which can be translated into national policies and
goals achievements.
Pakistan Science
Foundation
The Promotion of Scientific Research and related activities
is the major objective of Pakistan Science Foundation, which provides funding
for research projects in the areas of Agricultural Sciences, Biological
Sciences, Bio-technology and Genetic Engineering, Chemical Sciences,
Computer/Information Technology, Mathematical Sciences, Environmental Sciences,
Engineering, Earth sciences, Medical sciences and Physics. The Foundation provides
grants to universities and other R&D organizations for projects undertaken
by individuals or groups of scientists. The Foundation has developed requisite
infrastructure for carrying out its research support activity.
The Ministry of
Science and Technology (MoST)
The Scientific and Technological Research Division was
established in 1964 for (i) coordination and implementation of national science
and technology policy; (ii) promotion and coordination of research and
utilization of the results of research; (iii) development, production and
utilization of nuclear energy; and (iv) coordination of utilization of
scientific and technological manpower. The Ministry of Science and Technology
(MoST) has been functioning since 1972. The Division is headed by a Secretary;
its establishment has a sanctioned strength of 176 personnel and 17 on
development side. The work is divided amongst Administration & Finance
Wings and five technical wings; namely, (i) Policy & Coordination, (ii) the
Planning & Development, (iii) the Technology, (iv) the International
Liaison, and (v) the Electronics Wing. Efforts to consolidate achievements in
the priority areas included: Human-Resource Development; Transfer of Technology
from R&D Institutions and Universities to Industry; Food & Agriculture;
Analytical Centers for Industrial Analysis, Industrialization, Health,
Electronics, Ocean Resources, New Materials, Biotechnology, Textiles, and
Pharmaceuticals.
Agricultural Linkages
Program (ALP), PARC
The Government of Pakistan and Government of the United
States of America recalling the close ties in scientific and technological
cooperation which have developed over several decades have gone into an
agreement to create an Agricultural Linkages Program (ALP) to reap the mutual
benefits of agricultural research through joint research projects and exchange
of scientists. The covenant of the Agreement provides that the local currency
generated through the sale proceeds of the wheat will be used by Pakistan
Agricultural Research Council (PARC) to establish the ALP for promoting
research cooperation between Pakistan and the USA in the areas of agricultural
sciences. The Government of Pakistan allowed PARC to establish an Agricultural
Research Endowment Fund (AREF) where all proceeds raised from the sale of US
wheat shall be transferred. Fund received will be invested in government’s
approved schemes/institutes. The income thus generated shall be used for ALP
activities/projects in line with the Pakistan’s long-term research/development
goals for the agriculture sector. The goals focus on food security, poverty
alleviation and promoting broad based equitable and sustainable agriculture.
The Fund provides for all the operational research and development expenditure
including supplies and material and local travel for the research personnel to
be deployed under the projects. Non-recurring expenditure on items of
non-expendable equipment, capital goods, structures and transport facilities
having anticipated usefulness beyond fixed duration of each project will be
purchased sparingly.
National ICT R&D Fund
The emerging information and knowledge age and the
accompanying technological revolution are heralding a new economic and social
order characterized by the development and exploitation of information and
communication technologies (ICT) within all spheres of human endeavor. This era
is giving rise to the emergence of information and knowledge based economies
with traditional economic, industrial and commercial activities being made more
efficient and Productive by incorporating knowledge drivenprocesses.
The knowledge and information economy has emerged as a new
source for the creation of quality jobs, wealth generation and redistribution,
rapid economic development and prosperity as well as a means for facilitating
competitiveness. With the emerging information age, information and
communication technologies are seen by a number of countries as critical for
achieving progress in economic and social development. These technologies are
offering developing countries like Pakistan a window of opportunity to leap-frog
the key stages of industrialization and transform their agriculture dominated
economies into service-sector driven, high value-added information and
knowledge based economies that can successfully compete in the global village.
PAKISTAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
One of the main objectives of the Pakistan Academy of
Sciences (PAS) is the promotion of scientific research in pure and applied
sciences. PAS, therefore, provides research grants to its Fellows and Members
for carrying out research in their respective fields of specialization. The
source of funding is annual grant-in-aid from the Higher Education Commission.
Projects, received from Fellows on the HEC format, are approved by a PAS-HEC
Joint Committee on the basis of review reports of the subject experts. Presently,
the upper limit of research grant for a Fellow/Member is Rs. 4.00 million. The
Fellow may like to submit a single project of up to Rs. 4.0 million or two
projects, provided their combined cost does not exceed the upper limit.
Research projects funded by PAS produce trained manpower in
the form of M.Phil. and Ph.D. graduates, as well as research publications in
local and international scientific journals. PAS Research Funding also assists
in the institutional development by providing lab equipment, chemical supplies
and other research requisites.
Pakistan Agriculture Research Board (PARB)
Punjab Agricultural Research Board (PARB) is
established to foster an integrated approach for research planning and
efficient allocation of research resource so that the agriculture innovation
system of the province can generate appropriate solutions of the issues faced
to various stakeholders in the food and fiber chain.
Small Grants Programme (SGP)
The
student research grant programme is a component of the SGP which exclusively
supports thesis related research projects. The programme gives a unique
opportunity to students to carry out field research. Almost 50 research grants
have been awarded to students from universities all across Pakistan.
Who do we support?
The programme
supports Bachelors, Masters and MPhil thesis research related to the different
environmental component, species, conservation, natural resource management,
freshwater etc.
Grant
The grant amount for
the student research projects is between PKR 25,000/- and PKR 50,000/-.
Eligibility Criteria
·
The Candidate must enrolled in full time
postgraduate degree Programme at a Higher Education Commission (HEC) recognised
university
·
The student will be required to publish at
least one scientific paper in any HEC recognised Journal in Pakistan or abroad
·
The candidate must not be availing any other
grant for the same research.
If you are applying for the Student Research Grant please provide a Letter of Recommendation from your institute in support of your research. If your project gets approved the funds will be given to the institute.
If you are applying for the Student Research Grant please provide a Letter of Recommendation from your institute in support of your research. If your project gets approved the funds will be given to the institute.
Link: http://www.wwfpak.org
International Funding Agencies
The International Foundation
For Science
One of
the principal recommendations of the Pugwash Conference in Venice1 in 1965 was to establish the International Foundation
for Science ‘in order to address the stultifying conditions under which
younger faculty members in the universities of developing countries were
attempting to do research’. IFS was founded as a Research Council and
registered as a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Sweden in 1972.
In order
to contribute to this goal, IFS provides opportunities for young scientists to
propose research into biological and water resources in low income countries.
These proposals are rigorously assessed by international experts, with
grants and support provided to the very best early career scientists to enable
them to work in their own country and tackle research issues related to local
needs. Local training courses contribute towards strengthening the capability
of developing country scientists to propose, conduct, report and share relevant
and high quality research. The research can involve the study of physical,
chemical, and biological processes, as well as relevant social and economic
aspects and issues related to securing entitlements. It can be theoretical or
applied and will be likely to address aspects of sustainable management,
conservation, or renewable and equitable utilisation of the natural resource
base.
The
United States Agency of International Development (USAID)
USAID’s
mission statement highlights two complementary and intrinsically linked goals: ending
extreme poverty and promoting the development of resilient, democratic
societies that are able to realize their potential. We fundamentally believe
that ending extreme poverty requires enabling inclusive, sustainable growth;
promoting free, peaceful, and self-reliant societies with effective, legitimate
governments; building human capital and creating social safety nets that reach
the poorest and most vulnerable.
THE WORLD ACADEMY OF SCIENCES (TWAS)
TWAS was
founded in 1983 by a distinguished group of scientists from the developing
world, under the leadership of Abdus Salam, the Pakistani physicist and Nobel
laureate. They shared a belief that developing nations, by building strength in
science and engineering, could build the knowledge and skill to address such
challenges as hunger, disease and poverty. From the start, the Academy had
essential support from Italian scientists and political leaders.
TWAS
funds several programmes that provide grants to researchers in some developing
countries for specialized equipment, consumable supplies and Master of Science
students. Grants are awarded to individual scientists and research groups. The
call for 2017 will open on 15 February. The link to apply online will only be
available once the call opens and will no longer be active once the call closes
on 11 May 2017.
The Human Frontier
Science Program (HFSP)
The Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) is an
international program of research support, funding frontier research on the
complex mechanisms of living organisms. Research is funded at all levels of
biological complexity from biomolecules to the interactions between organisms.
Key elements of HFSP’s mission are:
·
Support for innovative, cutting edge research at the
frontiers of the life sciences
·
Encouragement of high risk research
·
Promotion of international collaboration in the spirit of
science without borders
·
Support for financial and intellectual independence for early
career researchers
The East-West Center
The East-West Center promotes better relations and
understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the
Pacific through cooperative study, research, and dialogue. Established by the
U.S. Congress in 1960, the Center serves as a resource for information and
analysis on critical issues of common concern, bringing people together to exchange
views, build expertise, and develop policy options. The Center is an
independent, public, nonprofit organization with funding from the U.S.
government, and additional support provided by private agencies, individuals,
foundations, corporations, and governments in the region.
The Center for Environmental Risk Assessment (CERA)
CERA was established by the ILSI Research Foundation in
2009. CERA builds on that organization's strengths of risk assessment,
tripartite engagement, and the dissemination of new scientific
knowledge. The Center's research and capacity building projects are
focused on genetically engineered (GE) organisms used in agricultural and food
production.
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Act
(ACIAR Act)
ACIAR was established in 1982 via the
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Act (ACIAR Act), described at the time as ‘An Act to
encourage research for the purpose of identifying, or finding solutions, to,
agricultural problems of developing countries’. It was updated by the ACIAR Amendment Act 2007 as part of the
Government’s response to the Review of Corporate Governance of Statutory
Authorities and Officeholders (Uhrig report).
Our core business is brokering and funding
research partnerships between Australian scientists and their counterparts in
developing countries. In doing so, we typically invest in:
·
research projects enabling both individual researchers and
institutions to learn by doing
·
extension and communication activities to share research
findings widely
·
improving uptake through communicating technical information
in practical ways
·
applied training for developing-country farmers and
researchers
·
building capability in research, policy analysis and
formulation in partner countries.
National
Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, (NESTA)
·
We combine our knowledge, networks, funding and skills to
back new ideas that tackle big challenges. We operate across the globe and
across sectors (including education, healthcare, the arts, technology, and
economic policy), working with others to turn these good ideas into reality:
·
We see - we spot opportunities in challenges.
·
We spark - we generate novel ideas to solve big problems that
matter to everyone.
·
We shape - we provide the help needed for promising ideas to
grow and adapt.
·
We shift - we join with others to back world-changing ideas.
European
Research Council (ERC)
The ERC complements
other funding activities in Europe such as those of the national research
funding agencies, and is a flagship component of Horizon 2020, the European
Union's Research Framework Programme for 2014 to 2020.
ERC grants are
awarded through open competition to projects headed by starting and established
researchers, irrespective of their origins, who are working or moving to work
in Europe. The sole criterion for selection is scientific excellence. The aim
here is to recognize the best ideas, and confer status and visibility on the
best brains in Europe, while also attracting talent from abroad.
The
International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
A Crown corporation, we support leading
thinkers who advance knowledge and solve practical development problems. We
provide the resources, advice, and training they need to implement and share
their solutions with those who need them most. In short, IDRC increases
opportunities — and makes a real difference in people’s lives.
Working with our development partners, we
multiply the impact of our investment and bring innovations to more people in
more countries around the world. We offer fellowships and awards to nurture a
new generation of development leaders.
International
Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB)
Funding opportunities are made available
through the Collaborative Research Programme (CRP) - ICGEB Research Grants,
which is a dedicated source of funding aimed at financing projects addressing
original scientific problems of particular relevance for the host country and
of regional interest.
Established in 1988, the programme aims to stimulate
collaborative research in Member
States and with the ICGEB Component laboratories, to promote
training of young scientists and to facilitate the creation of appropriate
research facilities.
The programme provides support for research projects in basic science, human healthcare, industrial and agricultural biotechnology and bioenergy.
A call for applications is launched yearly.
The programme provides support for research projects in basic science, human healthcare, industrial and agricultural biotechnology and bioenergy.
A call for applications is launched yearly.
The
Social Science Research Council (SSRC)
The Social Science Research Council is an independent,
international, nonprofit organization founded in 1923. Governed by a board of
directors, it fosters innovative research, nurtures new generations of social scientists,
deepens how inquiry is practiced within and across disciplines, and mobilizes
necessary knowledge on important public issues.
The
Academy of Finland
The
Academy of Finland’s mission is to fund high-quality scientific research,
provide expertise in science and science policy, and strengthen the position of
science and research. We are an agency within the administrative branch of the
Finnish Ministry of Education, Science and Culture.
We work
to contribute to the renewal, diversification and increasing
internationalisation of Finnish research. Our activities cover the full
spectrum of scientific disciplines.
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end
hunger and malnutrition in developing countries. Established in 1975, IFPRI
currently has more than 600 employees working in over 50 countries. It is a
research center of the CGIAR, a worldwide partnership engaged in
agricultural research for development.
Vision and Mission
IFPRI’s vision is a world free of hunger and malnutrition.
Its mission is to provide research-based policy solutions that sustainably
reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition.
