COMSTECH-IFS Research Grants Programme
Allocation of Resources over US$200,000/year
COMSTECH Share over US$100,000/year
Total Number of Grantees 394 (up to 2022)
COMSTECH signed a MoU with International Foundation for Science (IFS), Stockholm, in 1998 for strengthening of S&T in the OIC member states. The joint programme is valuable because of the similarity of the mandates and strong common interests in capacity building of the two organizations in the developing countries. The essential purpose of the collaboration is to enhance research capability within the OIC region, and to reap a rich harvest by obtaining matching grants from IFS (US$ 0.1 million/year) for OIC scientists and institutions.
This important programme has financed 394 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$ 4.345707 million. Country-wise distribution of the grants is given in the following table:
Country-wise Distribution of COMSTECH – IFS Grantees from 1998 to 2022
| S. No. | Country | No. of Grantees | Grant in US$ |
| 1 | Afghanistan | 1 | 11900 |
| 2 | Algeria | 1 | 12000 |
| 3 | Bangladesh | 21 | 230200 |
| 4 | Benin | 35 | 382051 |
| 5 | Burkina Faso | 25 | 256184 |
| 6 | Cameroon | 22 | 250168 |
| 7 | Cote d’Ivoire | 21 | 225838 |
| 8 | Djibouti | 1 | 9500 |
| 9 | Egypt | 13 | 146230 |
| 10 | Gabon | 2 | 23500 |
| 11 | Gambia | 2 | 19534 |
| 12 | Indonesia | 14 | 167220 |
| 13 | Iran | 15 | 160610 |
| 14 | Jordan | 5 | 55500 |
| 15 | Lebanon | 2 | 23500 |
| 16 | Malaysia | 13 | 125850 |
| 17 | Mali | 11 | 114044 |
| 18 | Mauritania | 1 | 12000 |
| 19 | Morocco | 13 | 130655 |
| 20 | Mozambique | 6 | 69850 |
| 21 | Niger | 10 | 107745 |
| 22 | Nigeria | 30 | 333313 |
| 23 | Pakistan | 48 | 548534 |
| 24 | Palestine | 2 | 22000 |
| 25 | Senegal | 12 | 128631 |
| 26 | Somalia | 1 | 12000 |
| 27 | Sierra Leone | 4 | 47920 |
| 28 | Sudan | 10 | 115965 |
| 29 | Suriname | 1 | 12000 |
| 30 | Togo | 15 | 170471 |
| 31 | Tunisia | 14 | 161538 |
| 32 | Uganda | 21 | 236304 |
| Total | 394 | 4345707 |
Selected Research Proposals for COMSTECH – IFS Co-Funding
Session 2022 – Grants in USD
| S. No. | Name & Grant Code | Project Title | Country | Amount in USD |
| 1 |  M. Abdulaha Al Baquy C 6633-1 | Evaluation of phosphorus availability, retention, and uptake by maize plants after incorporation of organic-coated biochar in low-fertility soils | Bangladesh | 11,300 |
| 2 |  Daouda LIBANIO B 6655-1 | Morpho-biometric and genetic characterization of the local population of domestic Moscovy duck (Cairina moschata) bred in South Benin | Benin | 10,329 |
| 3 | Titilayo Oyélèyè Fafunkè DOTCHAMOU | Influence of combined effects of climate and anthropogenic pressures on the spatial distribution of forest reserves in northern Benin, West Africa: Case of Wari-Maro and Oueme superieur forest reserves | Benin | 11,984 |
| 4 |  BARRO MariamC 6636-1 | Evaluation of agricultural practices and their impact on rice plant health and productivity in Burkina Faso | Burkina Faso | 13,805 |
| 5 |  NIKIEMA MahamadiE 6204-2 | Agronomic enhancement of Anacardium Occidental cashew nut shell digestate from anaerobic digestion | Burkina Faso | 11,100 |
| 6 |  AGNES NTOUMBAF 6683-1 | Bioinsecticides against Anopheles gambiae: plants and nanoparticles | Cameroon | 13,340 |
| 7 |  AHMADOU ABDERAHIME 6709-1 | Implement a decision support system to control mycotoxin contamination in raw milk production in Bamako-Mali – MILKSAFE | Mali | 11,420 |
| 8 |  Farsi HICHAMB 6082-2 | Sleep and circadian rhythms under the harsh desert biotope conditions: Effect of heat stress and dehydration in the dromedary camel and the Moroccan black desert goat | Morocco | 10,685 |
| 9 |  Ibrahim Bio Yerima Abdou RazakouC 6659-1 | Improving the productivity of an orphan small grain cereal crop: the fonio millet (Digitaria exilis) in Niger | Niger | 12,000 |
| 10 |  Leye Babatola E 6619-1 | Impact of Climate Change on Nutrient, Antioxidant and Medicinal Properties of Some Tropical Leafy Vegetables in Nigeria | Nigeria | 11,520 |
| 11 |  Latifat AdekunleB 6689-1 | he immunomodulation of micronutrient supplementation on infectious Bursal disease virus response in commercial chickens | Nigeria | 11,621 |
| 12 |  Muhammad Bashir Bello B 6654-1 | Molecular and biological characterisation of some poultry respiratory viruses in Northwestern Nigeria | Nigeria | 14,870 |
| 13 |  Tolulope AdebowaleB 6653-1 | Fortification of Cassava By-Product as an Alternative to Maize in Meat-type Poultry Birds Production | Nigeria | 12,000 |
| 14 |  Amna RafiqC 6658-1 | Development of instrument free, inexpensive, paper based devices for the detection of agricultural pathogens | Pakistan | 15,000 |
| 15 |  Syed Mashkoor MOHSIN GILANIB 5793-2 | Transmission Dynamics of Antimicrobial Resistance in Broiler Production Pyramid: A Farm to Fork Study | Pakistan | 12,000 |
| 16 |  Kossi Béssan AMEGNAGLOD 5924-2 | Multi-dimensional evaluation of grazed plant communities and pastoral resources management approaches in the multifunctional landscapes of the sudanian zone of Togo (West Africa) | Togo | 11,951 |
| 17 |  Samia KdidiB 6701-1 | Design of small SNP panel to predict dairy breed proportion in Tunisian crossbred goat population | Tunisia | 14,837 |
| 18 |  Nakiguli FatumahD 6493-2 | Assessment of the post-release effects of the reintroduced Barbour’s Vlei Rodent (Otomys barbouri) population in Mabira Forest, Central Uganda | Uganda | 12,000 |
| TOTAL | 221,762/- |
Selected Research Proposals for COMSTECH /IFS Co-Funding
Granting Session 2021
| S. No. | Name & Grant Code | Project Title | Country | Grant in US Dollars |
| 1 |  M Majedul ISLAM W-6560-1 M | Monitoring and quantifying health risks of antibiotic resistant bacteria in urban surface water | Bangladesh | 12,500 |
| 2 |  Sylvanus MENSAH D-5660-2 | Assessing the effects of abiotic and biotic factors on the relationship between tree diversity and aboveground tree carbon in West African forests and tree savannas | Benin | 11,294 |
| 3 |  Marcel HOUNGBEDJI E-6165-2 | Developing stabilized multifunctional backslop starter using cost-effective drying technic for sustainable fermentation of selected cereal-based foods in West-Africa | Benin | 12,000 |
| 4 |  Gbèdotchitché Gwladys AZONGNIDE D-6569-1 | Morphological characterization and early growth improvement of Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Gaertn in Benin | Benin | 9,906 |
| 5 |  Eliezer BIAO W-6600-1 | Assessing the impacts of climate change on water resources and sustainable adaptation strategies in two climate regions in Benin (West Africa) | Benin | 9,600 |
| 6 |  Maximilien AZALOU B-6562-1 | Perceptions of farmers and genetic parameters of endangered Pabli cattle breed: implication for community-based conservation of the species in Benin | Benin | 15,000 |
| 7 |  Kangbéni DIMOBE D-6595-1 | Multiple abiotic and biotic drivers of seedling survival and growth of the endangered Pterocarpus erinaceus Poir. (Fabaceae-Faboideae) in Burkina Faso: implications for sustainable management | Burkina Faso | 10,750 |
| 8 |  Asso Armel ASSO S-6586-1 | Poaching, trade and role of critically endangered vulture species in traditional medicine in Côte d’Ivoire (West Africa) | Cote d’Ivoire | 10,100 |
| 9 |  Aires MBANZE D-6594-1 | Dambos Wetlands Over-exploitation and its Implications for Biodiversity Conservation and Local People Livelihoods in Niassa Province, Northern Mozambique | Mozambique | 11,852 |
| 10 |  Titilope OLAGUNJU E-6579-1 | Development of a smart low loss solar dryer for drying local varieties of ginger and black pepper cultivated in Osun State, Nigeria | Nigeria | 12,740 |
| 11 |  Michael AGBAJE B-6550-1 | Investigating the causes of variations in strains of Dermatophilus congolensis and their possible association with infectivity of specific animal host | Nigeria | 14,977 |
| 12 |  Philip OKE B-6608-1 | Epidemiology, Species Identification and Pathogen Detection in Culicoides from Nigeria | Nigeria | 14,810 |
| 13 |  Amir HAMEED E-6578-1 | Investigations of the toxic glycoalkaloids in commercially grown potatoes across Pakistan and their dietary exposure among the urban adults (20-24 years old) | Pakistan | 11,450 |
| 14 | Noureen ZAFEER B-6565-1 | Feed-grade Nano-additives to Control and Prevent Dissemination of Zoonotic Diseases from Poultry | Pakistan | 14,865 |
| 15 |  Muhammad Abu Bakr SHABBIR B-6561-1 | Molecular characterization and potential transmission of colistin resistant genes in Escherichia coli from commercial poultry to humans | Pakistan | 13,500 |
| 16 |  Saima QADEER B-6549-1 | Assessment of ram sperm DNA integrity in relation to cryopreservation and in vivo fertility rate | Pakistan | 15,000 |
| 17 |  Krichen KHOULOUD D-6596-1 | Impact of human activity on degradation of North african Stipa tenacissima L. ecosystems : Case of Tunisia | Tunisia | 12,171 |
| 18 |  Karlmax RUTARO E-6584-1 | Value chain hygiene practices and microbial contamination of street and market vended ready-to-eat edible grasshopper, Ruspolia differences in Uganda | Uganda | 13,350 |
| Total US$ | 225,865 |