HEC Research Awards 2026-27: HEC Invites Applications From Researchers and Scholars Till October 31
- Higher Education Commission has invited Pakistani researchers and scholars to apply for the HEC Research Awards 2026-27.
- Awards will be presented in three categories: Best Researcher, Best Young Researcher and Best Publication.
- Eligible applicants must submit their applications online by October 31, 2026.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has announced the HEC Research Awards 2026-27 and invited applications from Pakistani researchers and scholars for recognition of outstanding work in research and academic publications.
According to HEC, the awards are aimed at recognising excellence in research, contributions to intellectual development and the promotion of high-impact publications.
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The awards will be presented in three categories: Best Researcher, Best Young Researcher and Best Publication. Separate eligibility requirements have been specified for each category, along with general conditions applicable to all applicants.
Under the general eligibility criteria, an applicant must not have been blacklisted by HEC. An applicant or publication that has previously received the same award will not be eligible again. HEC has also stated that none of the publications included in an application may be retracted under its plagiarism policy.
For the Best Researcher Award, the applicant must have been a resident of Pakistan for at least three years as of January 1, 2026.
For the Best Young Researcher Award, applicants must be under 40 years of age as of January 1, 2026. They must also have been residents of Pakistan for at least one year as of the same date.
HEC has issued more detailed requirements for the Best Publication category. The publication must be either a scholarly book or a journal article and must not be more than three years old as of January 1, 2026.
A publication submitted for the award must have no more than three authors. All authors must have been residents of Pakistan for at least three years as of January 1, 2026, while the research article must have been published in an HEC-recognised W-category journal.
For journal articles, the research must have an impact citation count of at least 10. In the case of books, the publication must include an extended version of a paper that has not previously been submitted for the same category of award.
HEC has further specified that books submitted for consideration must have been published by a recognised or renowned academic press.
Applications must be submitted online through the HEC Research Awards portal. HEC has stated that incomplete or late applications will not be entertained.
The deadline for submitting applications is Saturday, October 31, 2026.
Applicants seeking further information can visit the HEC Research Awards information page or contact the commission through [email protected].
