ISLAMABAD, Nov 27 : Pakistan and China have opened a new chapter in their fast-growing science and technology partnership with the launch of a joint research call offering up to Rs 10 million per project to boost cutting-edge innovation across key sectors, Gwadar Pro reported on Thursday.
The call is open now till mid-December 2025, according to a document from the Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF).
The initiative, jointly announced by PSF and China’s Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), invites researchers from HEC-chartered universities and public-sector R&D organizations to submit joint proposals in priority fields including artificial intelligence, new energy, new materials, climate resilience, air pollution, food and agriculture, health sciences and Earth sciences.
Pakistani and Chinese researchers must co-design and co-submit their proposals, as individual applications “will not be processed,” PSF notes.
Each project may run for up to two years and is expected to produce at least two joint scientific publications, ensuring long-term research impact.
Beyond funding, the program aims to deepen people-to-people scientific links. Chinese institutions will host at least two Pakistani researchers for extended research stays of over three months, while Pakistani centers will welcome Chinese researchers for up to 60 days annually, this is a move expected to enhance knowledge exchange, lab coordination and joint experimentation.
Pakistani applicants will file their proposals through the PSF’s online portal, while Chinese partners will apply through their Ministry of Science and Technology.
Both sides must submit their applications simultaneously to qualify.
The new call builds on a long, institutionalized history of scientific cooperation between the two countries. PSF and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) first signed a research MoU in 1992, enabling the exchange of scientists, joint studies and shared use of research facilities.
After the agreement was reactivated in 2015, Pakistan and China launched four joint calls, resulting in 47 ongoing collaborative projects across diverse scientific fields, as per PSF.
