ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR, JUL 10 /DNA/ – The Higher Education Commission (HEC) Regional Centre Peshawar organised an orientation session entitled “NRPU Overview, Evaluation Parameters and Strategies for Winning Research Grant” for faculty members and researchers from higher education institutions across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In his welcome address, Director/In-charge HEC Regional Centre Peshawar Mr. Nauman Ahmed Khan highlighted the importance of research funding in promoting innovation, academic excellence, and evidence-based solutions to national challenges. He encouraged researchers to avail themselves of opportunities under the National Research Programme for Universities (NRPU) and emphasised HEC’s commitment to strengthening the research culture in universities.

During the session, the resource persons provided a comprehensive overview of the NRPU programme, including its objectives, eligibility criteria, funding mechanisms, and application procedures. They explained the key evaluation parameters used in assessing research proposals, such as originality, relevance, scientific merit, methodology, feasibility, and potential impact.

The speakers also shared practical strategies for developing competitive research proposals, highlighting the importance of identifying significant research problems, aligning projects with national priorities, adopting robust methodologies, and clearly demonstrating expected outcomes. The participants were further guided on common shortcomings in grant applications and ways to improve proposal quality. 

The interactive session enabled researchers to seek expert guidance on proposal development and the NRPU evaluation process. The participants appreciated the initiative and acknowledged the valuable insights shared by the resource persons, expressing confidence that the session would help them prepare stronger proposals for future funding opportunities. The event concluded with a question-and-answer session and a vote of thanks to the resource persons and participants.=DNA