COMSTECH-IFS Research Grants Programme
Allocation of Resources US$200,000/year
COMSTECH Share US$100,000/year
Total Number of Grantees 358 (up to 2020)
COMSTECH signed a MoU with International Foundation for Science (IFS), Stockholm, in 1998 for strengthening of S&T in the OIC member states. The joint Programme is valuable because of the similarity of the mandates and strong common interests in capacity building of the two organizations in the developing countries. The essential purpose of the collaboration is to enhance research capability within the OIC region, and to reap a rich harvest by obtaining matching grants from IFS (US$ 0.1 million/year) for OIC scientists and institutions.
This important Programme has financed 341 projects in various disciplines in 32 member states of the OIC. The countries supported include Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somali, Sudan, Suriname, Togo, Tunisia and Uganda. The funds jointly provided so far amount to US$ 3.6878 million. Country-wise distribution of the grants is given in the following table:
Selected Research Proposals for COMSTECH/IFS Co-Funding
Session 2020 – Grants in USD
| S. No. | Name | Project Title | Country | Amount in USD |
| 1 | HOUNNOU, Fèmi (Male) | Role of weather services in farmer’s adaptive strategies to cope with climate change effects in Benin | Benin | 11,300 |
| 2 | ALLAKONON, Marsanne G. B. (Female) | Maize deficit irrigation to improve crop productivity and reduce water loss and soil nutrient mining in Northern Benin | Benin | 14,039 |
| 3 | OUILI, S. Amidou (Male) | Distribution of post-harvest fungi and assessment of mycotoxin contamination in bambara groundnut and cowpea produced in Burkina Faso | Burkina Faso | 12,600 |
| 4 | AKAKPO, Agbémébia Yawovi (Male) | Development of nanoemulsion oil formulation from Cymbopogon citratus essential oils and application into fresh soymilk and tiger-nut milk produce in Burkina Faso | Burkina Faso | 7,600 |
| 5 | KOUEMOU Emegam, Nadege (Female) | Effect of aqueous extract of Dichrocephala integrifolia on alcohol-induced behavioural and cognitive deficits in mice | Cameroon | 11,985 |
| 6 | TSATSOP Tsague, Roli Karole (Male) | Spray drying of indigenous fruit juices of Lannea microcarpa and Carissa edulis with carrier agents (carbohydrates, gums) of Cameroonian plants | Cameroon | 15,000 |
| 7 | N’ZI, Amenan Fabienne Anne-Julie (Female) | Characterization of Bacillus cereus group species isolated from artisanal infant flours in Côte d’Ivoire | Cote D’Ivoire | 15,000 |
| 8 | MONTEIRO, Gaby (Female) | Development and validation of a novel virus neutralization test for Rift Valley Fever diagnose | Mozambique | 15,000 |
| 9 | Zango, Oumarou (Male) | Quality and establishment of a pollen bank of date palms in Sahel area | Niger | 10,005 |
| 10 | Olugbami, Jeremiah (Male) | Inhibition of cancer metastasis by natural products via selective targeting of drivers of actin cytoskeletal remodelling and immunoboosting | Nigeria | 10,000 |
| 11 | Ismail, Hammad (Male) | Bioassays guided isolation and identification of anti-Alzheimer compounds from Berberis lyceum | Pakistan | 7,754 |
| 12 | Sarfraz, Iqra (Female) | Transforming fruit waste biomass into health dietary supplements for cancer treatment | Pakistan | 11,985 |
| 13 | Zarif, Bina (Female) | Nano-nutraceuticals for sustainable food enrichment: a step to target Hidden Hunger | Pakistan | 14,088 |
| 14 | DITTA, ALLAH (Male) | Transcriptome profiling and characterization of cotton germplasm for salt tolerance in Pakistan | Pakistan | 15,000 |
| 15 | Ayeki, KAINA (Female) | Sustainability of Fuelwood Production Systems and Supply Chains in the Central Region of Togo | Togo | 12,541 |
| 16 | Byakika, Stellah (Female) | Starter culture development and improvement of safety of commercially produced Bongo, a fermented dairy product from Uganda | Uganda | 14,300 |
| 17 | KERFUA, Susan Diana (Female) | Evaluation of immune response of 6-12 month old calves to serotype O strain of the foot-and-mouth disease trivalent vaccine used in Uganda | Uganda | 12,000 |
| Total in USD | 210,197 |
Country-wise Distribution of COMSTECH-IFS Grantees from 1998 to 2019
| S. No. | Country | No. of Grantees | Grant in US$ |
| 1. | Afghanistan | 1 | 11,900 |
| 2. | Algeria | 1 | 12,000 |
| 3. | Bangladesh | 19 | 206,400 |
| 4. | Benin | 26 | 277,599 |
| 5. | Burkina Faso | 20 | 200,329 |
| 6. | Cameroon | 19 | 209,843 |
| 7. | Cote d’Ivoire | 20 | 210,838 |
| 8. | Djibouti | 1 | 9,500 |
| 9. | Egypt | 13 | 146,230 |
| 10. | Gabon | 2 | 23,500 |
| 11. | Gambia | 2 | 19,534 |
| 12. | Indonesia | 14 | 167,220 |
| 13. | Iran | 15 | 160,610 |
| 14. | Jordan | 5 | 55,500 |
| 15. | Lebanon | 2 | 23,500 |
| 16. | Malaysia | 13 | 125,850 |
| 17. | Mali | 10 | 102,624 |
| 18. | Mauritania | 1 | 12,000 |
| 19. | Morocco | 12 | 119,970 |
| 20. | Mozambique | 5 | 54,850 |
| 21. | Niger | 8 | 85,740 |
| 22. | Nigeria | 22 | 230,775 |
| 23. | Pakistan | 38 | 417,892 |
| 24. | Palestine | 2 | 22,000 |
| 25. | Senegal | 12 | 128,631 |
| 26. | Somalia | 1 | 12,000 |
| 27. | Sierra Leone | 4 | 47,920 |
| 28. | Sudan | 10 | 115,965 |
| 29. | Suriname | 1 | 12,000 |
| 30. | Togo | 13 | 145,979 |
| 31. | Tunisia | 12 | 134,530 |
| 32. | Uganda | 17 | 184,654 |
| Total | 341 | 3,687,883 |