Call for Research Proposals – PERIDOT Mobility Grant Programme (Phase XIII)

HEC invites joint Pak-France research proposals from faculty members of public and private universities in Health Sciences, Sustainable Energy, Agriculture & Food Security, and Economics of Climate Change.

The Higher Education Commission invites Pakistani researchers to apply for the Franco-Pakistani Hubert Curien Partnership programme, offering mobility funding for joint research in health, sustainable energy, and climate economics

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has announced a new call for proposals under PERIDOT, the Franco-Pakistani Hubert Curien Partnership (PHC) Programme, inviting researchers from Pakistani higher education institutions to apply for funded collaborative research opportunities with French counterparts.

A Decade of Franco-Pakistani Research Cooperation

PERIDOT was launched in 2014 as a bilateral research mobility programme designed to strengthen scientific and academic ties between Pakistan and France. On the Pakistani side, the programme is implemented by the Higher Education Commission, while in France it is jointly administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development (MAEDI) and the Ministry of Higher Education and Research (MESRI).

The programme’s core objective is to build sustained scientific and technological cooperation between higher education institutions and research laboratories in both countries by supporting the mobility of researchers — enabling scholars to work directly with international counterparts rather than collaborating remotely. Since its inception, PERIDOT has progressed through 12 phases, with the most recent phase concluding in 2025 and resulting in the approval of three mobility partnerships.

This history reflects a broader trend in international academic policy, where mobility-focused funding — rather than direct research grants — is increasingly used to build long-term institutional relationships, encourage knowledge transfer, and support the next generation of researchers through structured exposure to international research environments.

Priority Research Areas

The current call for proposals is focused on supporting research within three identified priority areas:

• Health Sciences
• Sustainable Energy, Agriculture and Food Security
• Economics of Climate Change

These thematic priorities suggest an emphasis on research areas with direct relevance to pressing development and policy challenges facing both countries, particularly around climate resilience and food and energy security.

A key procedural requirement for applicants is that a joint application, developed in collaboration with a French faculty member, must first be submitted to Campus France before an application can be made through HEC. This dual-submission structure is designed to ensure that proposed projects are genuinely collaborative from the outset, rather than unilaterally developed by one side.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for PERIDOT funding, the principal investigator must be a regular faculty member holding a PhD or equivalent professional qualification (such as FCPS, MCPS, or FRCS) at a public or private Higher Education Institution, or hold a contract equivalent in length to the proposed project duration.

Several additional conditions apply. The core costs of the research project itself must be borne by the participating Pakistani and French universities, with PERIDOT funding limited specifically to supporting researcher mobility between the two countries. A particular emphasis is placed on enabling mobility for young researchers, especially doctoral students working under the supervision of the principal investigator. Host institutions must also demonstrate they have adequate capacity, including working space, to accommodate visiting fellows. Approved projects can run for a maximum duration of three years.

Application Process

The application process requires coordinated submissions on both sides. On the French side, a single joint application — developed in English despite the online submission portal operating in French — must be submitted by the French principal investigator through the Campus France website. On the Pakistani side, applicants must submit their application through HEC’s online research portal, uploading the same joint application document that was submitted to Campus France.

Each principal investigator is permitted to submit only one research project proposal per funding cycle. Researchers are responsible for independently identifying and establishing collaboration with a suitable French research partner prior to application.

Funding Structure

PERIDOT funding is structured to cover mobility-related costs rather than the broader research project itself, with HEC and its French counterpart sharing these costs equally. Core research project expenses remain the responsibility of the participating universities and institutes in both countries.

On the Pakistani side, HEC funding covers round-trip international and inland travel expenses for Pakistani researchers, calculated at Rs. 280,000 plus additional costs, along with a living allowance in France set at €125 per day for short stays of up to 10 days, and €65 per day for longer stays exceeding 10 days and up to 1.5 months. The funding structure allows for a faculty applicant to travel in Year 1 and Year 3 of the project, while student mobility is supported in Year 2 and Year 3, with student visits capped at a maximum of 45 days each. On the French side, equivalent support covers travel expenses and living allowances for French researchers visiting Pakistan.

Funding is disbursed annually over a maximum of three consecutive years, contingent on the submission of satisfactory scientific and financial progress reports at the end of each project year.

Evaluation and Selection

Proposals will undergo a merit-based, internationally consistent evaluation process. Expert reviewers will assess applications using a formal scoring rubric that considers relevance to the identified priority areas, the scientific quality of the proposed research, the research track record of the visiting fellow, the suitability of the principal investigator and host institution, the complementarity of benefits to co-applicants, potential for long-term collaboration, and expected impact on economy and society.

The selection process involves two sequential stages: independent review by at least two expert reviewers based in Pakistan, alongside parallel review by experts in France, followed by a joint committee meeting where results from both reviews are shared to identify top-performing proposals.

Monitoring and Reporting Requirements

Successful applicants are subject to ongoing monitoring throughout the project lifecycle. Continued annual funding is conditional on submission of scientific and financial progress reports at the end of each year, and a joint final report must be submitted within three months of project completion. Following successful completion, principal investigators are required to submit a Project Completion Report endorsed by their French collaborating partner.

Researchers seeking further guidance can contact their institution’s designated focal points — the Director of International Relations at French universities, or the Director of the Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC) at Pakistani institutions, with non-ORIC institutions directed to their Director of the Board of Advanced Studies and Research.

🗓️ Deadline: 30 September 2026 (4:00 PM PST)
Apply & learn more: hec.gov.pk/site/PERIDOT