PUNJAB AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH BOARD

PUNJAB AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH BOARD

Subordinate Legislation: PARB REGULATION (  Funding Procedure)

NOTIFICATION

No. PARB-VIII-3(23)91:Consequent upon approval by the Board, given in the 17^th PARB Board meeting held on 20-01-09, following Procedure for Funding of Research Projects by PARB is hereby notified :-

1.               Priority research areas shall be identified by Planning and Programming Division of PARB in consultation with the stakeholders.

2.               Chief Executive shall solicit the research proposals from the research organizations through advertisement in national press and on Board’s website. 3. The projects shall be submitted on the format prescribed by PARB.

4.               Any public sector, Punjab-based organization can compete for the project grant. However, the collaborator(s) in the project can be from any public or private sector organization from any part of the world. In such cases the project document shall clearly identify the activities and budget for each collaborating unit/organization.

5.               Initial scrutiny of every project shall be conducted at PARB level to see whether a) it addresses one of the high priority issue identified by PARB; b) provide reasonable scientific methodology to resolve the issue and; c) furnish monitorable indicators. Any project not meeting the said criteria shall be rejected and Project Manager (PM) shall be informed accordingly.

6.               After successful initial scrutiny at PARB level, a Technical Working Group (TWG) for each project comprising of three renowned scientists of the relevant field shall review the project for its feasibility and soundness of the proposed scientific methodologies. If three scientists of the relevant field are not available, to be verified by Executive Committee, a TWG comprising of two members shall review the project.

7.               The members of TWGs, their TORs, selection criteria of TWG members, and project evaluation criteria shall be approved by the Executive Committee. The roster of experts for TWGs shall be maintained and updated after inviting the expression of interest from the scientists periodically.

8.               Projects competing for the similar objective may be reviewed by the same TWG.

9.               After TWG clearance, the Executive Committee shall select the best projects based on:

i)         Competence of the scientists and the institution.

ii)        Time frame to achieve the targets.

10.            The projects cleared by the Executive Committee shall be placed before the Board for final approval. Board shall have powers equivalent to the DDSC for approval of the projects.

11.            To cover delays in fund releases at the beginning of the financial year, one time release of Rs. 300 million, in case of CGS funding, and at least 10% of the total cost of any other project, as block allocation, shall be provided from the project funds and placed in a scheduled bank of Pakistan which shall be recouped periodically, and accounts of the same shall be presented to the Executive Committee on quarterly basis.

12.            A contract shall be signed between Board (through Chief Executive) and Project Manager (PM), team leader of the collaborating scientists of each unit, and head(s) of the respective institution(s).

13.            The released budget of all the approved projects shall be placed in Board Fund Account for subsequent transfer to PMs as per phasing of the respective project.

14.            The pay package of the Research Associates and other support staff shall be as per provision of the approved PC-1 of the project.

15.            The Head of Institution shall constitute a three member Selection Committee for the recruitment of Research Associates with Project Manager as Committee’s Convener. The incentives to be provided to the scientists and institutions shall be as per provisions of the approved PC-1 of the project. The incentives shall be paid annually subject to satisfactory progress of the project.

16.            Each member of the TWG shall be paid honorarium as prescribed in the approved PC-1, for evaluation. He shall also be paid TA/DA for subsequent meetings, if need arises.

17.            Foreign collaborating scientists, while visiting Pakistan for project activities as approved in PC-I, shall be paid in local currency on actual basis for air ticket and perdiem at the rate as permissible to Category-II officers of the Govt. while visiting London, to cover hotel charges and personal expenses.

18.            The local scientists during their foreign official visits, as approved in PC-I, shall be paid according to the Govt. Rules.

19.            The bench fee, if charged by the foreign host institutions from Pakistani visiting scientists during their visit for approved project activities, shall also be chargeable from the project.

20.            The import of technologies for local adaptation shall be allowed as per provision of the approved project.

21.            CE shall have full administrative and financial powers to sanction/release funds to PMs.

22.            The PM shall keep project funds in a joint account for each project, to be opened in a scheduled bank, in the name of PM and head of the host/main institution or his nominee as the case may be. The PM shall transfer the budget to each collaborating unit through a crossed cheque/bank draft. The collaborating units shall maintain their accounts in a similar manner as prescribed for the PM.

23.            The Project Manager and Team Leader of collaborating scientists shall have full administrative and financial powers to implement the project.

24.            Board shall have full powers to modify or terminate any project, on the recommendation of the Executive Committee (EC), at any time if its performance is observed to be unsatisfactory. Before recommending modification or termination, the EC shall seek technical opinion from the respective TWG.

25.            Chief Executive shall have full powers to get the audit of the projects conducted annually or special audits as per prescribed procedure.

26.            Chief Executive shall have full powers to get the monitoring and evaluation of any project conducted as per agreed schedule of the project milestones.

27.            Progress of PARB Funded research projects shall be placed before the Board on biannual basis.

Dr. Mubarik Ali

Chief Executive

No. PARB.       Dated     

A copy for information is forwarded to:-

1.     The Minister for Agriculture, Punjab/Chairman PARB.

2.     The Chairman, P&D Board Punjab Lahore

3.     All the Members of Board of Governors, PARB.

4.     The Chairman, PARC, Islamabad.

5.     Vice Chancellor, Punjab University, Lahore

6.     Vice Chancellor, Islamia University, Bahawalpur.

7.     Vice Chancellor, Pir Mehar Ali Shah Arid University, Rawalpindi.

8.     Vice Chancellor, Baha-ud-Din Zakria University, Multan.

9.     Vice Chancellor, Sargodha University, Sargodha.

10.The Vice Chancellor, LUMS, Lahore.

11.The Rector, Lahore school of Economics, Lahore.

12.Member Agriculture, Planning Commission of Pakistan, Islamabad.

13.Director Punjab Economic Research Institute (PERI), Jauhar town, Lahore

14.All the members of Executive Committee of PARB.

15.Director General Agriculture (Research), AARI, Faisalabad.

16.Director General Agriculture (Extension & AR), 21-Davis Road, Lahore

17.Director General Agriculture (Field), 21-Davis Road, Lahore

18.Director General Agriculture (Water Management), 21-Davis Road, Lahore

19.Director General Agriculture (PW&QC), 21-Davis Road, Lahore