As many as 22 Pakistani scholars have been awarded a total of $490,000 worth of grants by the United States government for research on various fields related to economic development and markets.
The 22 winning proposals were selected from more than 180 research applications from all over the country and abroad. The selection was made by a 15 member selection committee comprising of internationally acclaimed scholars with extensive research experience in Pakistan and abroad, says a press release issued here by the US embassy Islamabad.
“This is yet another example of US support for Pakistan’s development priorities. We believe that this research will help lay foundations to the growth of Pakistan’s economy, thus contributing to a more prosperous future for the people of this country,” said Richard Albright, US Embassy Coordinator of Civilian Assistance Programs addressing the recipients of the grants.
The 22 grant recipients are the winners of the nationwide grants competition sponsored by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and organised by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in cooperation with the government of Pakistan under the joint Pakistan Strategy Support Program (PSSP).
The grants program aims to encourage the involvement of Pakistan’s academic community in developing research-based policy to facilitate sustained economic growth. Through the Pakistan Strategy Support Program, USAID will provide up to $2.4 million in grants to support policy research over the next three years.
Seven of the grant recipients will conduct research in the field of economic governance, four will conduct research on the topic of creative cities and regions, two grantees will conduct research on the topic of youth and communities, and nine grantees will focus on the topic of markets.
