HEC invites applications for Research Award 2024

Islamabad:The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has invited applications for the Pakistani researchers and scholars to apply for its prestigious ‘Research Awards 2024’.

According to HEC, The deadline for online application submission is ‘December 17, 2024, by 11:59 p.m.’ These awards aim to recognise and reward excellence in research, contributions to intellectual growth, and advancements in social welfare. They also promote high-impact publications.

Winners will receive a certificate and a cash prize. Awards will be presented in three broad disciplinary domains, Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Law, Education, Management, or Public Policy, Physical Sciences, Engineering, Technology, Computer Science, Statistics, or Mathematics, Life Sciences, Biological Sciences, Health Sciences, Pharmacy, Agriculture, or Veterinary Sciences.

The Best Researcher (cash prize: Rs500,000). This award recognises researchers whose work is judged to be of the highest quality and has significantly contributed to intellectual and social development.

While this is a lifetime achievement award, a single publication with substantial impact may also be considered. Outstanding publications with a demonstrated major impact will be key to the selection process.

Similarly, under the Best Young Researcher the cash prize is Rs500,000. This award is given to early-career researchers under the age of 40 who demonstrate exceptional promise in stimulating further research, addressing or resolving social challenges, and enhancing the quality of research in Pakistan.

Both contributions to date and potential for future impact will be considered, with an emphasis on significant discoveries and impactful publications.

However, under Best Publication Award the cash prize will be Rs1,000,000. This award is granted to a publication (book or journal article) that is deemed to have the greatest potential to positively influence human welfare, open new avenues for research, or address critical challenges facing Pakistan and the global community.

The award aims to highlight publications with a lasting impact on research and socio-economic development. It is worth mention here that the applicants eligible for both categories (a) and (b) may apply for only one.

As per general eligibility criteria, the applicant must not have been blacklisted by HEC. The applicant or publication must not have received the same award previously. None of the applicant’s publications should violate HEC’s plagiarism policy.

The applicant must have been a resident of Pakistan for at least three years as of January 1, 2024. The applicant must be under 40 years of age as of January 1, 2024. The applicant must have been a resident of Pakistan for at least one year as of January 1, 2024. Furthermore, the publication must be a scholarly book or journal article.

The publication must not be older than three years as of January 1, 2024. The publication must have no more than three authors. All authors must have been residents of Pakistan for at least three years as of January 1, 2024. Research articles must be published in an HEC-recognised W-category journal.

Research articles must have a minimum citation count of 100. Publications previously submitted for the same award category are not eligible for resubmission. Books must be published by a recognized academic press. All applications must be submitted online through the HEC portal, research.hec.gov.pk(https://research.hec.gov.pk)