The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has invited Pakistani researchers and scholars to apply for the HEC Research Awards 2026-27, aimed at recognizing excellence in research, intellectual contributions and high-impact publications. The awards are intended to acknowledge researchers whose work contributes to intellectual development and the advancement of academic research in Pakistan. HEC has announced three award categories for the current cycle: Best Researcher, Best Young Researcher and Best Publication. Researchers and scholars interested in being considered for the awards are required to submit their applications through the application process outlined by HEC.
For the Best Researcher category, applicants must have been working as researchers for at least three years as of January 1, 2026. The Best Young Researcher category is open to applicants who are under 40 years of age as of January 1, 2026, and have been working as researchers for at least one year on the same date. For the Best Publication category, HEC has specified eligibility requirements covering scholarly books and journal articles. The publication must have been published in a recognized or HEC-recognized journal, where applicable, and must meet the commission’s stated conditions regarding publication date, authorship and research contribution. HEC also states that the applicant’s work must not have been plagiarized and that applicants should not have received the same award previously.
The publication category includes several specific conditions. The publication must be a scholarly book or journal article and should not have been published more than three years before January 1, 2026. For journal articles, the publication must have been written by no more than three authors, while all authors must be Pakistani nationals. Research articles must also be published in an HEC-recognized journal and meet the specified publication and research requirements. The call further states that research articles must have a minimum H-index count of 100, while a publication submitted for the award should not have been previously submitted for the same category. Books must be published in a recognized or renowned academic press.
Applications for the HEC Research Awards 2026-27 must be submitted online through the HEC portal, with the deadline set for Saturday, October 31, 2026. HEC has advised applicants to provide complete information and supporting material, as incomplete or late applications will not be entertained. The awards provide separate recognition for established researchers, younger academics and eligible scholarly publications, allowing HEC to acknowledge contributions across different areas of Pakistan’s research community. Applicants can review the detailed eligibility criteria and application requirements through the HEC Research Awards portal before submitting their applications.
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