ISLAMABAD, Jan 7: The Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) has launched a Rs39 million project for funding of research activities in universities and other development organizations.

A press release issued here in this regard said the project would be executed by Pakistan Science Foundation.

Its objective is to provide more funds to universities and research and development organizations for undertaking basic and applied research on problems having direct relevance to the socio-economic needs of the country.

The project will be funded in the subject areas pertaining to information technology, biotechnology, chemistry (medical chemistry, bio-chemistry, industrial chemistry), engineering sciences, agriculture sciences, electronics, environmental sciences, physics and mathematics.

Scientific research support has been a major function of the Pakistan Science Foundation since its inception in 1973. The foundation has, therefore, developed all the requisite infrastructure in the form of trained manpower for processing and monitoring of programmes, rules, regulations and procedures for management of research grants, and evaluation and monitoring of projects during their implementation.

It also enjoys the cooperation of senior scientists, who have been actively engaged in scientific research, for assessing the technical merits and budgetary requirements of projects submitted to it for funding.

Some research and development organizations under the science and technology ministry, and some organizations like the PARC, under other Ministries, do undertake scientific research work, but their activities are restricted to specific fields.

Similarly, the University Grants Commission provides research grants to university teachers, both in natural and social sciences. These grants, being limited, do not meet the requirement of research workers in universities.

On the other hand, the Pakistan Science Foundation provides funds to the public sector universities and organizations in the country for projects relating to almost every discipline in natural and physical sciences.

Except for the foundation, which is a research-funding agency at the federal level, no other body in the country is undertaking this function in the relevant fields.

Most of the research projects, which will be funded out of funds to be provided under this project, are expected to yield publishable research results in national as well as international journals of repute.

The project also aims at imparting training to researchers, developing manpower in various fields, and strengthening research capabilities of institutions.