The Foundation facilitates registration of researchers, scientists, and faculty members affiliated with R&D organizations and HEC-recognized universities via the Research Grant Management System (RGMS) (rgms.psf.gov.pk).

The Foundation registers the submitted concept papers and presents them to the relevant Screening Committee, which shortlists them for further processing. The Principal Investigator is notified of the status through RGMS.

Regular scientists, researchers, and faculty members from R&D organizations and HEC-recognized universities may submit concept papers to PSF. The scientist responsible for carrying out the project within the executing organization is designated as the Principal Investigator, while those from collaborating institutions serve as Co-Principal Investigators. Government R&D organizations and/or HEC-recognized universities may also form consortia with industry; however, funds are released only to the government R&D organizations or HEC-recognized universities. International collaborations are encouraged when the foreign partner provides unique added value to the project team.

After shortlisting, the Principal Investigator receives an RGMS notification requesting submission of the full-length proposal proforma.

The Foundation assigns the full-length proposal to two subject experts through RGMS for peer review. Their comments are shared with the Principal Investigator for necessary improvements. The revised proposal is then sent back to the same experts for their final assessment on its suitability for financial assistance.

After the peer review process is completed, the proposal is presented to the Technical Committee, which consists of subject experts in the relevant field. The committee determines whether to recommend the proposal for financial assistance. The Principal Investigator is informed of the decision immediately after the committee meeting.

From submission to final decision, the process generally takes about 2–3 months.

The maximum allowable duration is 3 years.

The funding amount depends on the scope and nature of the proposed study. However, the Principal Investigator can submit projects with budgets of up to 4–5 million under the Research Support Programme, 6–8 million under the R&D-Industry Programme, and 7–8 million under NSLP.

A researcher can submit a maximum of 2–3 concept papers under different PSF funding programmes.

Researchers can have no more than two active projects under different funding programmes or calls.

Once a year, PSF invites research proposals on various scientific topics through its website and the websites of its collaborating organizations.

Eligible individuals are researchers, scientists, and faculty working at HEC-recognized universities, research centers, or R&D institutes in Pakistan.

PSF has established a scientific exchange program in collaboration with the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), with calls for proposals released annually.

From the call’s closing date, it takes approximately 3–4 months to finalize decisions on successful bilateral projects.

For information regarding research grants funded under the CRP, please visit the following link:
https://psf.gov.pk/psdp_crp.aspx

 The maximum duration for CRP-funded projects is up to 2 years.

Proposals are accepted from Pakistani nationals serving as regular or contract scientists, engineers, technologists, or faculty members (with contract duration not shorter than the project duration) at Government R&D organizations or HEC-recognized universities. All research must be conducted within Pakistan.

CRP calls are announced year-round and shared via leading newspapers and the PSF website.

Yes, you may apply for an individual research grant and submit a concept proposal of up to Rs. 10 million.

Yes, you can submit a joint research proposal with other universities for up to Rs. 20 million.

Yes, you can submit a concept proposal under the Triple Helix stream, with industry support in cash or kind, for up to Rs. 20 million.

A maximum of Rs. 20 million can be requested for proposals submitted under the CRP.

Only proposals in Natural, Physical, and Applied Sciences are accepted under CRP.

All societies registered under the Societies Act of 1860 and affiliated with the Pakistan Science Foundation are eligible to apply.

Requests for financial grants must be submitted using the prescribed proforma “PSF-IX-A”. A separate form should be completed for each activity for which funding is requested.

The application for travel grants can be submitted using the prescribed form, which can be downloaded from the following link: https://psf.gov.pk/pnd_travel_grants.aspx.

Regular or full-time employees of government or public sector R&D organizations, HEC-recognized universities, or chartered universities recognized by the HEC are eligible to apply. Applicants must be scientists, technologists, or researchers working in any discipline of science, engineering, or medicine.

The PSF Travel Grant is awarded only for participation in international conferences, seminars, symposia, or workshops in any discipline of science, engineering, or medicine. Grants are not provided for national events.

No, the PSF Travel Grant is only available for oral presentations of research papers. Grants are not provided for poster presentations.

The PSF Travel Grant is awarded only for research papers that have not been previously presented at any forum. Applicants must submit a copy of the full research paper along with a plagiarism report, and the similarity index must be below 20%.

To obtain financial assistance from PSF for organizing national or international seminars, conferences, workshops, or symposiums, applicants must submit PSF Proforma-IX, which can be downloaded from the following link: https://psf.gov.pk/rs_proformas_other_science_promotions.aspx.

Yes, PSF provides funding for scientific surveys, subject to technical and financial evaluation. Only surveys that meet the evaluation criteria are eligible for funding.

The funding amount depends on the availability of funds but typically ranges between PKR 10,000 and 300,000. The exact amount is determined on a case-by-case basis.

PSF provides funding to R&D organizations for constructing or upgrading labs, purchasing equipment, and acquiring chemicals under the “Institutional Support” component of the Research Support section. The funding amount depends on the availability of resources.