The Iran National Science Foundation (INSF) () is an Iranian government agency that supports fundamental research and education in the fields of science, engineering, and medical science.
The current director of INSF is Eaman Eftekhari (as 2019). The first director was Mohammad Farhadi, who served from 2002 to Feb 2011, followed by Nosratoallh Zargham.
Introduction The fast development in science and technology and role of a knowledge-based economy in global changes caused some to predict that the chief rulers of the world in the future would be nations and governments which have had the greatest contribution in planning, supporting, and financing science, technology and research. As a result of the request of a group of scholars and thinkers of the university and Hozeh (religious academies) on Oct. 7th, 2003, the Supreme Leader of Iran ordered the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution to prepare the grounds for backing production of scientific software, and also to institutionalize scientific space in the country.
The Council of Scientific Researches of Iran ratified the charter of the INSF on its 522nd session, 18 Feb 2003, in order to fulfill the 4th paragraph of the 3rd article of the Constitution, and the 6th paragraph of the act: "The Position, Objectives, and Responsibilities of the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution". This foundation was established with the purpose of supplying researchers' welfare, organizing the production of science and technology, preparing executive grounds in the country for directing research and technological proceeds towards people, and permanent development of the country.
INSF is a legally independent governmental institute, which is administered by a board of trustees. It is located in the presidential institute. The assets of this foundation are supplied via governmental aids, bank facilities, investments of its own surplus assets, receiving both financially and non-financially from true or legal persons. President of the foundation has the highest position in INSF. Under the board's approval and the order of the chairman of the board of trustees, the president will preside over the foundation for a four-year period of time. The current president of the foundation is Dr. Mohammad Farhadi.
In Iran, the foundation supports those who have been described in accordance with the countries needs and priorities. A book published by the National Scientific Research council defines these the research priorities.
Principal policies, work strategies and priorities INSF's board of trustees act on December 10, 2003
According to article 3, paragraph 4 of the constitution, and based on article 16 of the act "The Positions, Objectives and Responsibilities of the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution", Iran National Science Foundation was founded with a primary asset of 20 billion Rials, which had been supplied by governmental aids.
Manifest of INSF's mission
"Iran National Science Foundation works to prepare the executive grounds for the generation of science and technology and the presentation of material and spiritual supportive aids and services for true or legal researchers, in order for research affairs to flourish and to direct the proceeds of research and technology towards people."
To back this cause the foundation is committed to: pave the route for the country to pioneer modern technologies, prepare special supports for national projects, or the projects which have strategic and international importance for the country, set spiritual supports for researchers and enhancement of their position in society as its main priorities, supply welfare and comfort for researchers, identify research requirements and priorities of the country and support their fulfillment, direct the proceeds of research projects towards people, prepare grounds for country's permanent development in technology.
Work Strategies
According to article 3 of the foundation's statute "activities of this foundation include comprehensive spiritual and financial support for Iranian researchers (both academic and nonacademic) both domestic and overseas, for the purpose of quantitative and qualitative enhancement of science and technology production, preparing the grounds for application of research results and generation of science at national and international levels." In this regard the following strategies are considered:
the turnover of the foundation and the way it presents facilities must be simple and transparent, for effective orientation of its activities, the foundation must announce the lists of its subjects and titles of its projects with priority, for priority assessment of the projects, proper methods must be applied. To improve supportive role of the foundation, it is necessary that instead of direct financial aids, the given facilities be in the form of services, applicant researchers (true or legal persons) must necessarily have authentic successful scientific research backgrounds relevant to their requested subject, the foundation must be willing to attract other organizations and encourage people's participation in its plans; researchers (true or legal ones) must participate in investment as far as possible, the supported plans must prepare the ground for access to modern technologies needed, or they must be economically justified if possible.
Material Supports
Under article 3, amendment 1 of the foundation's statute "material support includes: financing and facilitating of budget allocation process for researchers' approved plans certified by the foundation, supplying a portion of the expenses for participation in valid international conferences and preparing research equipments and requirements approved by scientific committee of the foundation." In this regard the following general policies are considered:
the facilities to be presented in the form of service presentations and in an indirect way, as far as possible, to refuse the payments for equipment and requirements as for as possible, as far as possible, researchers (true or legal) participate in supplying the expenses, of plans, the foundation should share in intellectual property and material profits of the plans.
Non-financial Support
Based on article 3, amendment 2 of the statute, Non-financial spiritual supports include: administrative support, scientific introduction and approval of researchers, preparing conditions for their scientific reverence and awarding them with prizes. In this regard the foundation's general policies are based on the following issues:
arranging opportunities for the appreciation and reverence of selected researchers in accordance with other institutes responsible in this field, having active connection with relevant organizations to improve researchers' position in the society, using legal devices and strategies for propagating the culture and spirit of research entrepreneurship.
Intellectual Property
Intellectual property of the plans supported by the foundation, and their resulting achievements and reports will be defined according to the foundation's supports and the type and subject of plans. In return for financial and spiritual supports, the foundation can hold a portion or the whole intellectual property of the plan's achievements. In this regard, the foundation's general principles are:
contact with internal or foreign authentic and legal centers in order to cover service needs for patenting of inventions and their intellectual property, researchers share probable material profits of their idea, as far as possible, there must be a system for patenting the ideas of those researchers who present their innovative plans to the foundation as well as for protection of their rights, if ever execution of the plans needs cooperation of several researchers, a necessary network must be established among them, preserving each one's rights.
Supportive Priorities of the Foundation
Considering the basic function of the foundation, "generation of science and technology, and benefiting the nation from its profits", (based on article 2 of the foundation's statute) the following basic priorities for allocation of finance and non-financial and financial facilities of the foundation are defined:
according to article 3, amendment 4 of the foundation statute, "for using supports and aids domestic researchers have priority over others," the plans and requests must necessarily be in the field of modern and advanced sciences and technologies. The foundation's subjective priorities will annually be approved by the scientific committee, applicant's requested subjects must possess a kind of innovation, creativity and originality. Moreover, the plans should not be step by step repetition of experiences of the developed countries, or translation and duplication of research findings of other countries, the plans must have distinctive characteristics in comparison to similar domains. In other words, they must not be included in the responsibility domain or work field of other domestic institutes, responsible for supporting researches, the plans must prepare the ground for the creation of new and specialized job opportunities (especially for the elite), the plans must have economic and technical justifications, and as far as possible return of the investment, the plans must show a certain result, if possible, within a short span of time.
The Charter for Presentation of Facilities by INSF To execute the act of session 522- 29 July 2003 of the Cultural Revolution Supreme Council, regarding the statute of Iran National Science Foundation (here in this charter referred to as "the foundation"), the following executive charter was ratified in the board of trustees' session 1 Dec, 2003.
Objective Presentation of services and facilities to those who present research plans regarding the explanation of the proceeding should be in accordance with the objectives of the statute.
Application Scope Under article 3 of the statute, supports of the foundation covers all Iranian researchers (both true and legal persons) whether academic or nonacademic, inside or outside the country. Moreover, according to article 3 amendment 4, researchers inside the country have priority over others.
Concepts and Definitions Facilities: The foundation's direct material (financial) supports for the applicants Services: The foundation's indirect material supports for the applicants
Types of Supports The foundation's supports are conducted in two different ways as follows: a) Material supports a-1) Facilities (grants or credits/loans), a-2) Investments (participation in the execution of plans) b) Services.
Elaborating on the Types of Supports
Grants
They are granted to those plans which possess the priorities of the foundation, but can not return the facilities in short term. The evaluation committee is responsible to specify and recognize such plans. For the plans covered by this article, possession of a portion of the plan is reserved for the foundation, and if needed or preferred, the foundation can sell or use the practical advantages of it.
Credit Facilities (loans) This kind of facilities is for those plans which have economic justifications and accord with priority policies of the foundation. The evaluation committee is responsible for the recognition and specifying the above. The time period for this kind of facilities to be returned is three years, and the interest rate and commission for the facilities is max 10%.
Investment (participation in the execution of plans) For this kind of facilities, besides its economic justifications, the researcher supplies a portion of the needed investment. According to its share, the foundation will also share profits and losses. To participate or not, the right for selection is reserved for the foundation.
Granting Services