Pakistan-US Science and Technology Cooperative Program

United States Department of State

United States Agency for International Development

Government of Pakistan

Ministry of Science and Technology

Higher Education Commission

Proposal Deadline: To be announced for summer 2008 – please check this page later this spring for further application details and deadline date.

Update, February 6, 2008: The 2007 proposal review and project selection process is now complete, and we are pleased to announce 19 new grant awards! Please click here for details.

In 2003, the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Government of Pakistan and the United States Department of State signed a comprehensive Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement that established a framework to increase cooperation in science, technology, engineering, and education for mutual benefit and peaceful purposes between the science and education communities in both countries. In 2005, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) joined with the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) to support the joint Pakistan-U.S. Science and Technology Cooperative Program. This program, which is being implemented by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences on the U.S. side, is intended to increase the strength and breadth of cooperation and linkages between Pakistan scientists and institutions with counterparts in the United States.

Each country has contributed funds to support Cooperative Program projects under this Agreement that would enhance the ability of the science and technology community to positively contribute to human and economic development in Pakistan.

In November 2005, 11 projects were selected for funding, receiving a combined total of more than $4.9 million from the Pakistani and US sides, and in December 2006, 13 more projects were funded for a total of more than $5.2 million. In the program’s latest round, 19 new grants were awarded in February 2008. The US-side budgets of the grants have ranged from $40,000 for a one-year project to $350,000 for each of several three-year projects. On the Pakistani side, budgets have ranged from $30,000 to $500,000.

The total amount of funding available for the 2007 program cycle from HEC, MOST, and USAID has not yet been determined but is expected to be at least equal to the amount available in 2006 ($3.5 million on the Pakistani side and $2 million on the US side). Applicants are urged to keep this funding ratio in mind in designing their projects, as each country uses its funds only to support its own side of project budgets. In addition, applicants are reminded that priority is given to projects in which the main locus of activity is in Pakistan, not the United States, so budgets should be allocated accordingly.

Projects funded under this solicitation should contribute to building capacity in Pakistan and strengthening US-Pakistan cooperative relationships in one or more of the following ways:

Improving the quality, relevance, or capacity of education and research at Pakistani institutions of higher education in science and technical fields.
Improving the capacity of Pakistani public and private science institutions to support industry competitiveness.
Increasing the capacity of science and technology to improve the well-being of ordinary Pakistani people. Topics include, but are not limited to basic education, basic health, nutrition, water/sanitation, environment, and economic development.

Proposals should clearly explain how the project would facilitate capacity building at the institutional level in Pakistan. Projects that would only enhance the capabilities of their individual participants, with no demonstrated broader impact, will be at much lower priority for funding. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to review the lists of projects funded in 2005 and 2006 to gain a better understanding of the types of activities supported under this program.

PI Eligibility Limit: Proposals are to be developed by partnerships that should include at least one Pakistani partner and one US partner. Projects involving participants from only one country (Pakistan or the United States) are ineligible and will not be reviewed. In developing proposals, proposing partners are urged to take advantage of the widest range of Pakistani talent capable of contributing to the achievement of objectives. In particular, partners should explain in their proposals how they will encourage the participation of women and ensure that they are provided equal opportunities for involvement in the proposed projects, whether as co-investigators, post-doctoral researchers, students, trainees, or conference participants.

Topical Eligibility Limit: Due to US government regulations, the program cannot fund research involving “testing or breeding, feasibility study, variety improvement or introduction, consultancy, publication, or training in connection with the growth or production [of a crop] in a foreign country for export if such export would compete in world markets with a similar commodity grown or produced in the United States." Before preparing their proposals, applicants intending to submit proposals involving research on citrus crops, sugar cane, or cotton are advised to e-mail a brief explanation of their proposed projects to pkcontract@nas.edu for an advance determination of eligibility by program staff in consultation with USAID.

Anticipated Type of Awards: Requests for funding can vary in amount and length but should not exceed three years. In order to achieve significant progress towards one of the program objectives, proposals are generally expected to involve multiple individuals and contribute to building strengths of key institutions in Pakistan. Project funding is generally expected to be in the range of $100,000 to $300,000 per year (combined total for the Pakistani and US partner institutions). Capital costs for the construction of new buildings will not be covered. Salary costs for senior individual participants are expected to be covered from other sources, but salary support for junior team members and technical support staff may be included as appropriate. An annual progress report will be required. Continuing-year funding of multi-year projects will be contingent upon a merit-based annual evaluation of progress.

Proposals should include all activities and costs necessary to achieve the results stated in the application. Leveraging of resources is encouraged; therefore, the entire cost of the project should be included. Applicants are required to disclose any other funding received or applied for from other sources that would support the proposed project.

Projects funded through this solicitation will not be given any preference for funding under future USAID-supported programs.

Selection Criteria: Proposals will be evaluated in separate peer review processes organized by the Pakistani and US sponsors according to 1) relevance to the goals enumerated above under “Program Objectives,” 2) the scientific and technical merit of the proposal, 3) the cost-effectiveness of the program, 4) the capabilities of the participating institutions and individuals to successfully complete the project, and 5) the nature and quality of the collaboration, including the demonstrated commitment of the proposing partners to ensuring the participation of women in the project. Final funding decisions will be reached by consensus among the Pakistani and US sponsors. Priority in USAID funding allocation will be given to proposals that meet the above criteria, and contribute to broader development objectives in health, education, agriculture, economic growth and competitiveness, environment and democracy/governance.