‘Government is providing grants for 78 research and innovation projects’
The government’s ICT department is providing grants to 78 research and innovation projects through the EDGE project. These grants are being given to develop technology-based solutions to problems in various fields including cybersecurity, environment, agriculture, education, health, transportation, and culture in the country. In addition, researchers and innovators will receive project implementation mentoring and access to the Research and Innovation Center (RIC) lab, as well as startup formation, intellectual property protection, commercialization, and institutional support.
Sources said that selected research and innovation projects are being implemented through RICs established in 10 universities under the EDGE project of the Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) funded by the World Bank.
In this regard, EDGE project director Md. Monir Hossain said that the research and innovation project proposals for which the EDGE project is providing grants will not only develop the digital economy but also accelerate digital governance activities.
Faruk Ahmed Jewel, Component Team Leader of the EDGE Project, said that about 2,000 project proposals were received from researchers in the country to conduct research and innovation activities. These were vetted and evaluated by experts in three stages and 78 projects were finally selected for grants. In the first stage, the project proposals were evaluated and selected by the RIC Leadership Committee. In the second stage, a committee formed by representatives of industry, academia and government and in the third stage, the World Bank experts evaluated and vetted and gave final approval.
Highlighting how the research and innovation projects received will benefit the people of the country and what impact they will have at the national level, EDGE Project Manager Mohammad Enamul Kabir said that the implementation of these research projects will help solve problems and improve Bangladesh’s position in the global innovation index.
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