HEC announces grand challenge fund for faculties

Islamabad : Higher Education Commission (HEC) invites research proposals from Pakistani faculty members of public and private universities for HEC funding under the Grand Challenge Fund (GCF) Research Grant Programme 2021. The amount of funding for GCF awards is Rs15 to 225 million for a maximum project duration of three years, the official sources told APP on Monday.

They said that HEC announced May 23 as the deadline for project outline submission.

For further information, the faculty members are advised to visit www.hec.gov.pk/site/GCF.

According to officials, the Grand Challenge Fund is a key element of the Higher Education Development in Pakistan Project supported by the World Bank and implemented by HEC.

Grand Challenge Fund is anticipated to promote research excellence in strategic sectors of the economy and will provide funds to selected institutions based upon a competitive, peer-reviewed evaluation of proposals, the sources added.

GCF will support large, multisectoral/ multidimensional research projects, they added.

The GCF, the officials said, is focused on supporting innovation and research in the following areas of national interest which include; food security, water management and sustainability, sustainable energy, sociology and philosophy, development economics, urban planning, climate change and environment, information technology and telecom, innovative governance and reforms.