Natural Sciences Linkage Programme

Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), Government of Pakistan and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in November 2002 for cooperation in the field of Natural Sciences. Under the MoU an Endowment Fund "Natural Sciences Linkage Programme" (NSLP), was established for research funding and mutual cooperation in the filed of Natural Science. The handling of the NSLP Endowment funds was assigned to Pakistan Science Foundation, Islamabad from the sale proceeds of agricultural commodities imported under PL-480 & 416(b) programme. A sum of Rs.498.910 million was received to PSF through the Ministry of Finance and by adding the initial profit earned, the Endowment Fund was created with an amount of Rs.500 million in 2007.

PSF is using the profit earned on the Endowment Fund for funding of research projects in Agriculture and related sciences for sustainable agricultural production with emphasis on enhanced benefits to the producers/farmers. The research projects are processed as per the set procedure of Pakistan Science Foundation with technical recommendations of two Pakistani experts and a US expert through the USDA.