Daily Times

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has invited applications from faculty/researchers of public sector Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and eligible private universities to apply for HEC funding under the Seminar Conference Programme.

According to official sources, HEC provides financial grants to the universities in Pakistan to organise national and international seminars, conferences, symposia and workshops.

Through this initiative, the official sources said, HEC intended to develop a culture of research and knowledge sharing among higher education institutions as well as to establish linkages with relevant industrial and corporate sectors; and explore opportunities for national and international collaborations.

HEC has revised policy of the said programme, allowing applicants to apply directly to HEC for funding, the sources added.

They said that funds would be released to the concerned university as per approved award upon filing reimbursement claim within three (03) months of the event.

The official sources said that all public sector universities/degree awarding institutions and eligible private sector universities, notified by HEC, complying the following conditions, i.e HEI must have well-established seminar series.

HEI must have well-established MPhil and PhD programmes. Hosting HEI should have at least 5-8 PhD faculty members.

Call for papers should be announced at least four (04) months prior to the conference.

The conference should have a peer review process (documentary record should be provided to HEC).

The event organiser/focal person must be a faculty member of the university in the relevant discipline of the event theme.

Applications must be submitted in soft form via HEC online portal (hard copy in original) at least 60 days prior to the event date(s) along with the requisite documents.

The head of ORICs /head of research at the respective HEI will endorse the submitted application via HEC online portal: research.hec.gov.pk

It is pertinent to mention here that call for application is open throughout the year w.e.f July 1, 2022.