Rationale

The SRF is a funding mechanism for supporting research in strategic areas in line with national development plans in Zambia.

Objectives

The overall objective of the SRF is to support basic and applied R&D in identified strategic priority areas within the STI system.

The specific objectives are: 

i. To fund research and development in identified strategic and priority areas

ii. To improve research facilities in R&D institutions that facilitate strategic research 

iii. To enhance technical and scientific human resource capacity in R&D and STI supporting institutions

iv. To fund local and international collaborative research

v. To fund postgraduate research of strategic nature 

vi. To provide counterpart funding to research supported by other funding agencies 

vii. To support dissemination of priority research results viii. To provide funding for generation and protection of IP from research activity

The thematic areas in the revised SRF guidelines are aligned to the Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP) or as revised by government:

i. Agriculture 

 Improve sustainable production and productivity 

 Enhance agriculture value chains 

 Promote diversification within the agriculture sector 

 Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS)

 ii. Mining 

 Promote exploitation of gemstones and industrial minerals 

 Promote mining value chains and industrialization 

 Promote petroleum and gas exploration

 Promote small-scale mining 

 Indigenous Knowledge Systems

iii. Tourism 

 Promote diversification of tourism products

  Restock national parks 

 Archeological research 

 Indigenous Knowledge Systems

iv. Energy 

 Enhance generation, transmission and distribution of electricity 

 Promote renewable and alternative energy 

 Indigenous Knowledge Systems

v. Transport system and infrastructure 

 Promote alternative road construction materials

vi. Water Resources Development and Management 

 Enhance rain water harvesting and catchment protection 

 Promote local and trans-boundary aquifer management 

 Water and sanitation 

 Indigenous Knowledge Systems

vii. Information and Communication Technology

 Software development 

 Bioinformatics 

 Cyber security 

 Electronic waste management

viii. Industry 

 Material science 

 Design and Manufacturing 

 Value addition technologies 

 Reverse engineering

ix. Health 

 Non-communicable diseases 

 Maternal diseases 

 Nutritional diseases 

 Indigenous knowledge medicine and systems

x. Environment 

 Waste management 

 Deforestation and desertification

 Climate change mitigation and adaptation 

 Indigenous Knowledge Systems

xi. Space Sciences

 Space Weather Studies 

 Earth Observation 

 Planetary Science 

 Environmental 

 Agriculture sciences 

 Natural resources management

xii. Social Sciences 

 Social and economic studies. 

 policy studies in STI 

 Gender 

 Indigenous Knowledge Systems

The SRF is open to public and private R&D institutions and individuals. In order to access the SRF grant, an institution must be registered with NSTC in a particular funding cycle. Individuals wishing to access SRF grant should be affiliated to an NSTC-registered institution.

Collaborative research among local and international institutions is strongly encouraged.

The Strategic Research Fund is available to Zambian researchers who meet the requirements once a year on a competitive basis.
Applicants are expected to submit a competed application form to NSTC within the call period for a particular year.