The government is going to provide grants to 32 research and innovation projects, aiming to boost the country’s innovation ecosystem, said officials.

In the first phase, they said these 32 projects- submitted by the researchers and innovators from leading universities and industries- have been selected following a thorough and competitive assessment.

The grants will be distributed through 10 state-of-the-art Research and Innovation Centers (RICs), which have been established at public universities with the financial assistance of the World Bank-funded Enhancing Digital Government and Economy (EDGE) Project of BCC.

Executive Director of BCC Dr Md Mehedi Hassan underscored the need for maximising resources to achieve meaningful research outcomes and create impactful innovations.

“We are placing strong emphasis on the responsible and efficient utilisation of funds, ensuring they are directed towards research and innovation with the ultimate goal of fostering a thriving culture of innovation,” he said.

EDGE Project Director Md Shakhawat Hossain said the project received a staggering 1,632 research proposals across diverse fields like agriculture, healthcare, fisheries, water resources, cybersecurity and education.

A significant number of proposals in the first phase originated from Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), he mentioned.

Meanwhile, the EDGE project organised a two-day workshop from 11th to 12th November 2024, titled 'Research Fund Management Process for Research and Innovation Centres (RICs)' at its seminar room in Mirpur Youth Tower, to discuss the effective and accountable utilisation of funds allocated to the 32 selected research and innovation projects.

The event was addressed, among others, by Executive Director (in-charge) of BCC Dr Md Mehedi Hassan, EDGE Component Team Co-Lead Faruq Ahmed Jewel, and EDGE Project Specialist Enamul Kabir, with EDGE Project Director Md Shakhawat Hossain in the chair.