Health Related Research at HEC: An Overview

[Virtual Presenter] Good morning, everyone. It is my pleasure to present to you the Higher Education Commission in Islamabad and their support of research for health-related innovations, led by Ms. Noshaba Awais. This presentation will explain how the Higher Education Commission is helping to encourage and fund innovators, inventors, and aspiring entrepreneurs in Pakistan..

[Audio] Ms.Noshaba Awais of the Higher Education Commission of Islamabad has been instrumental in incentivizing research in healthcare. Pakistan currently has a notable standing in clinical areas such as maternal and baby healthcare, contagious diseases, incurable diseases, psychological health and health care superintendence. The government, international aid agencies as well as private firms are all increasing resources for healthcare research. From 2010 to 2020, there has been a noticeable rise in publications from 2,845 to 6,070, a sign that Pakistani researchers are engaging in collaborations with international researchers and achieved a 27% collaboration rate in 2019. Still, there are various impediments, such as inadequate funding, infrastructure and access to research facilities, which obstruct further development..

[Audio] Ms. Noshaba Awais, working with the Higher Education Commission in Islamabad, has developed the Research Grant Management System (RGMS) to facilitate research initiatives in higher education institutions. This system consists of several components - NRPU, GCF, CPEC, TDF, LCF, IMG, ICRG, TTSF, RRG, and ISF - that provide a comprehensive framework to enable research and have demonstrated positive outcomes. The HEC is investing in the RGMS to ensure that higher education institutions are provided with the necessary tools to conduct and produce meaningful and effective research..

[Audio] HEC Islamabad, headed by Ms. Noshaba Awais, provides many research grants to aid health-related innovations. These grants range from the National Research Program for Universities to the Pak-France Peridot Research Program. They provide substantial funds for research across all disciplines, from quick-response initiatives like the Grand Challenges for Pakistan and the Sustainable Development Goals to joint industrial-academic projects and being supportive of the entrepreneurial environment in Pakistan..

[Audio] The Higher Education Commission in Islamabad, led by Ms. Noshaba Awais, is seeing considerable progress in its research endeavors. The table shows the impressive research grants that have been accepted since 2003, costing a combined total of PKR/million 25,614.67. Programs such as NRPU and TDF have been functional for a few years, while CPEC-GRG and ISF were both initiated in 2021. A total of 4,916 initiatives have been subsidized, indicating the impressive endeavor the Higher Education Commission is making to promote the healthcare sector through reinforced research..

[Audio] Ms. Noshaba Awais, the program director of the Higher Education Commission in Islamabad, has spearheaded numerous research endeavors to further enhance the health sector in the country. Through the National Research Program for Universities (NRPU), the higher education commission has approved 13 completed, 179 closed and 225 ongoing projects.Analyzing the financial years 2013-2023, the commission has efficiently funded a total of 417 projects within the 10 year period with a peak in funding occurring in 2017-2018 where 91 projects were granted. Ms. Noshaba Awais' initiatives have been crucial in ameliorating the health sector and upgrading the lives of people in the country..

[Audio] Ms. Awais has had a monumental effect on the nation of Pakistan, with her coursing of the Higher Education Development Project. To date, the Higher Education Commission has issued 108 awards for research awards, of which ten were provided for health-related progresses. These awards have comprised of Research Grants, Research Reserve Grants, Graduate College Fellowships, Leverage Computing Fellowships, Talent Transformation scholarships, and Innovation Seed Funds. The implementation of Ms. Awais’s project has proved to be a landmark achievement in Pakistan to further improve its medical service for its residents..

[Audio] Ms. Noshaba Awais has been crucial to the success of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Islamabad, in providing research for health-related innovations. Through the Technology Development Fund (TDF), 202 projects were funded, with nine of them directly related to health sciences. The fourth call of the TDF alone funded 495 projects, among them 111 related to the health sciences. Ms. Noshaba Awais has played an important role in facilitating an environment in HEC Islamabad that allows for the conducting of health-related research and making of innovations..

[Audio] The Higher Education Commission in Islamabad, Pakistan is actively striving to encourage healthcare research and innovation. Ms. Noshaba Awais has been leading this effort, putting forward ideas and initiatives around funding, collaboration, capacity building, environment, priority areas, and community engagement. Her objectives include providing access to research facilities, giving incentives to researchers, and forming policies to promote research. Moreover, public awareness campaigns should be implemented to point out the importance of research in the healthcare sector in order to bring about change..

[Audio] Ms. Noshaba Awais is an inspirational leader at the Higher Education Commission in Islamabad. She is in charge of research into health-related innovations and her work stands as a great example of the wonderful initiatives being taken by the Commission. Thanks to her expertise, she has managed to obtain grants from the government, foundations and universities, helping her in her mission to improve the health of the Pakistani people. Moreover, Ms. Awais has also been successful in raising awareness about the value of innovation in healthcare. We are grateful for her unwavering efforts in this field and her commitment to making a positive impact in the lives of so many. Thank you..