Funding project launched for medical students

LAHORE:An initiative “Pharmevo Clinical Research Grant” has been launched to provide grants to young medical professionals and students to start new research projects in their respective areas to find indigenous solutions for diseases and health issues in Pakistan here on Wednesday.

According to a press release, the funding project “Pharmevo Clinical Research Grant” is a joint venture of Pakistan Journal of Medicine Sciences in collaboration with Clinision, a research organisation while funds for the research projects would be provided by the local pharmaceutical firm Pharmevo.

Under the project, young researchers can apply for grants upto Rs300,000 for their research projects in the area of medical sciences that would be completed within 18 months. Applications for the research grants would be accepted from July first and by November 30, 2021.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, renowned pharmacist and Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pharmevo Syed Jamshaid Ahmed said they were trying to improve the image of pharmaceutical industry in Pakistan by promoting research and academic activities in the country and asked the young medical professionals and students to take advantage of this opportunity to materialize their dreams of conducting research.

Senior medical professionals and health experts have urged the industrial sector, especially the Pakistani pharmaceutical companies to come forward and provide funds to the academic institutions and researchers to conduct local studies.

They observed that in developed countries most of the research projects at the universities were funded by the industry. They deplored that no Pakistani university was among top 500 varsities in terms of conducting research, especially in the field of medical sciences and added that huge financial and material resources were required to initiate quality research to find out local solutions of the health issues and problems being faced by the nation.

Speaking on the occasion, Shaukat Ali Jawaid, editor of Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences said they decided to collaborate with a pharmaceutical firm to help out young Pakistani researchers who wish to conduct research on local health issues but due to lack of resources, could not materialize their dreams. Eminent endocrinologist and member of the Pharmevo Research Advisory Board Dr Syed Abbas Raza said it was a timely initiative to launch a project for conducting local studies saying in most of the countries, industrial sector was funding the scientific and medical researches and providing huge funds to the academic institutions.

Other members of the Research Advisory Board Prof Tayyba Wasim, Dr Shahid Sarwar, Dr Faisal Nazeer Hussain, Dr Imran Hassan, Dr Atiya Bari, Dr Masood Jawaid and MD Pharmevo Limited Haroon Qasim also spoke on the occasion.