Hec Pakistan Rapid Technology Transfer Grant (RTTG) Application 2023

Hec Announcement – HEC invites Academia -industry collaborative proposals to enhance Pakistan economic capacity through import substitution under the RAPID Technology Transfer Grant (RTTG) programme. Faculty members from public and private sector Universities/ Degree Awarding Institutes are encouraged to submit proposals.

The RAPID Technology Transfer Grant (RTTG) is an element of the Higher Education Development in Pakistan Project supported by the World Bank and implemented by the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

The RTTG is a fast-track funding mechanism developed to support time-sensitive technology transfer projects at an advanced stage that can make an impact on a short, six-month, timeline.  This RTTG Call is focused on addressing Pakistan’s current financial distress by encouraging industry-academia collaborations to enable import substitutions by promoting home-grown technologies.

​KEY FEATURES

• Project Duration: Six (6) months
• Individual Grant Value: PKR 05 – 20 million
• Co-financing (minimum 15% cash contribution, along with in-kind contribution) from the industrial/sectoral partner.
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​For this RTTG Call for Proposals, proposals must align with one of the Priority Thematic Areas for import substitutions indicated below:​

• Health & Pharma
• 1. Medicines and active pharmaceutical ingredients (low cost and indigenous production)
  2. Surgical Instruments (low cost, indigenous production, and digitization)
     1. Hand Antiseptics & Surgical Scrubs
     2. Surgical Supplies
  3. Bandages & Dressings for Health Care
  4. Medical Securement Tapes & Wraps
  5. Sterilization & Monitoring Devices
  6. Optical Lens Materials
  7. Testing instrumentation
  8. Other topics under Health & Pharma leading to Import Substitution
• Agriculture & Food Security
  1. Food Production and Crop Yield
     1. ​​Genetically modified seeds (improved quality of indigenous Seeds)
        1. Grains & Cereals
        2. Cotton
        3. Fruits
     2. Field Productivity
        1. Crop Monitoring Systems
        2. Fertilizers (Smart application & local production)
        3. Crop Protection, Weed and Pest Management
        4. Plant Disease Prevention and Management
        5. Soil Testing & Its Quality
        6. Crop Yield Forecasting systems
  2. Edible Palm Oil (local production or local substitutes)
  3. Olive Oil (local production)
  4. Value added items derived from fruits & crops (Fruit essence etc).
  5. Other topics under Agriculture & Food Security leading to Import Substitution
• Textile

1. We are looking for new indigenous technologies to reduce costs and imports dependence in;
   • 1. Fibre and Polymer Technology
     2. Material and Process Modelling
     3. Functional Textiles and Applications
     4. Sustainability and Society Impact in Textiles (Textile waste reduction)
     5. Testing and Evaluation of Textiles
     6. Other topics under Textile leading to Import Substitution

• Material Sciences for;

1. Construction/Man-Made Materials (low cost & indigenous production of products/items for import substitution)
2. Other topics under Material Sciences leading to Import Substitution

• Household Cosmetics and Body-care Goods for:

1. Strengthening local cosmetics industry leading to import substitution
2. Other topics under Household Cosmetics and Body-care Goods leading to Import Substitution.

• Honorarium for PI and co-PIs
• Stipends for bachelors, masters, doctoral students, and post-doctoral scholars to support taking the prototype or proposed product to market
• Limited prototype development costs
• Patent filing
• Costs associated with producing licensing agreements
• Legal and financial investment advice
• Marketing of the prototype or proposed product to appropriate investors or stakeholders.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA