Workshop on Project Formulation

Research culture in the country needs to be promoted in order to find different solutions to the problems facing the country, said University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad. He addressed the participants of project formulation workshop organized by UAF in collaboration with the Pakistan Science Foundation at New Senate Hall on Tuesday morning. Dr. Iqrar Ahmad lauded the steps of Higher Education Commission being taken to promote the comparative culture by devising a comprehensive mechanism especially Tenure Track System. He said the TTS meant not only best package and financial benefits to the academia but it brings the best brains and keep them performing. He added “five years back there were only 5 TTS in the University but now more than 180 faculty members become the part of best rewarding system” he added. He said that the research portfolio has increased manifold during the last five which is touching 2 billion rupees from Rs 400 million. He hoped that more than 450 PhDs have the potential to take the challenge and fetch projects of 8 to 10 billion rupees. Chairman Pakistan Science Foundation, Dr. Khalil Ahmad Ibupoto called for horning the skills in project formulation among scientists by overcoming deficiencies. He said only five out of 20 projects submitted for grant before National Scientific Linkage Program (SNLP) were approved owing to deficiencies in the formation. He said PSF has so far conducted six training workshops in various institutions of the country to enhance the professional skills in project formulation and had given training to 325 scientists. Dr. Khalil said UAF scientists were working on numerous research projects worth 36 million rupees awarded by Pakistan Science Foundation. Director, Office of Research, Innovations and Commercialization (ORIC) Dr. Asif Ali Khan told as many as 70 young faculty members were participating in the workshop. He said most of the them were young faculty who keep submitting the projects but could not get the project approved due to missing links in the formulation. He hoped that workshop would yield the benefits and bring more research projects in the University.