Iran National Science Foundation (INSF) and the Agency for Innovative Development Announced Their Second Joint Call
Call Description
Within the framework of scientific and research collaboration between the Iran National Science Foundation (INSF) and the Agency for Innovative Development under the Ministry of Science, Higher Education, and Innovation of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the second joint call is announced to support up to 10 joint research projects.
This call aims to promote international scientific cooperation, enhance research quality, and leverage the scientific and technological capacities of both countries.
Researchers are encouraged to pay special attention to developing scientific networks among institutions, universities, organizations, and scholars in relevant fields when designing their research proposals. Proposals that effectively utilize these capacities to foster scientific synergy and inter-institutional collaboration in line with research objectives will receive higher funding priority.
Research proposals must be prepared in English and include complete information on scientific objectives, methodology, research team composition, timeline, and the joint cooperation agreement. The required forms—including the proposal template and submission terms and conditions—can be downloaded and uploaded via the INSF Research Management System (rtms.insf.org)
Priority Areas
1) Environment and Agriculture
- Water saving and irrigation technologies
- Gene editing for drought- and salt-tolerant plants
- Desertification and dust reduction
2) Material Sciences
- Exploration and processing of rare earth elements
- Advanced materials
- Mining and metallurgy
Eligibility
Full-time faculty members of universities and educational or research institutions may participate in this call. Iranian researchers must complete the joint English proposal in collaboration with their Uzbek partners and register it in the INSF Research Management System.
In the system, in addition to uploading the joint English proposal, the Persian online form must also be completed.
Required documents, including the academic CVs of Iranian and Uzbek principal investigators and the applicant’s updated appointment letter (for the Iranian year 1404), must also be uploaded.
It is strongly recommended that Iranian researchers carefully read the general terms and conditions of participation and the eligibility criteria before taking any action.
Attachments
Timeline
- Call opening: 6 December 2025
- Proposal submission deadline: 5 March 2026
- Final results announcement: June 2026
- Project start date: After results are announced and administrative steps are completed
Funding
The maximum support for Iranian researchers is 30 billion Rials per project for a maximum duration of three years.
If the Iranian applicant has valid Q1 or Q2 scientific publications or international patents co-authored with the Uzbek researcher, the funding cap may increase to 40 billion Rials.
Registration and Proposal Submission
Researchers can register through the INSF Research Management System at rtms.insf.org via the applicants/researchers section.
Those who do not already have a profile in the system must first register and then log in using their email (username) and the assigned password. After logging in, proposals can be submitted via New Proposal Submission → International Projects → Uzbekistan Agency for Innovative Development Call.
Contact Information
After reviewing the call details and related regulations on the INSF portal, researchers with any questions about the application process, eligibility, or scientific content may submit a ticket to the International Department (Dr. Moradhaseli) via their profile or send an email to moradhaseli.s@insf.org
Contact Information – Ministry of Science, Higher Education, and Innovation of the Republic of Uzbekistan (Only for researchers affiliated with the Uzbek side)
Mr. Fazliddin Muminov
Email: fmuminov1210@gmail.com
Behzod Tolibov
Phone: +998907320801
Email: b.tolibov@ilmiy.uz
Soroush
