History

The urge to support researchers and scientists has always been of prime importance to Iran's policy makers. This purpose had been served for many years by Scientific Research Council led by the first Vice President. In 2003, Iran National Science Foundation (INSF) was founded with the approval of the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution, as a governmental non-profit organization.

For more than a decade, INSF has taken concerted actions to provide support to researchers and scientists, and today we work closely with more than 35.000 faculty members from numerous universities and research institutes across the country. INSF mainly focuses on, inter alia, supporting research projects, post-doctoral programs, international patent application, research chairs, research grants, awards, and development of innovation centers. 

The intrinsic factor upholding the activities of INSF has been the firm support of the Supreme Leader of Iran, Sayyed Ali Khamenei, and his special emphasis for this organization to continue their activities. Researchers and academicians have enthusiastically welcomed INSF support programs and grants, which indicates a necessity for INSF to broaden its horizons.

We adhere to the belief that resources, opportunities, and facilities must be available to all our researchers, and that is why INSF is pursuing a geographically fair distribution of its services throughout the country.