Iran expands scientific partnership with five BRICS countries

The Iranian National Science Foundation (INSF) and the BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Framework (BRICS STI Framework) will support strategic joint research projects through participation in flagship calls for proposals. This was reported by Mehr News Agency, a partner of TV BRICS.

Support will be provided only to initiatives that bring together research teams from at least four BRICS member countries, including Iran. One of these countries must act as the project coordinator.

Scientific organisations from Brazil, China, Egypt, Iran, Russia, and South Africa will take part in the programme. To implement the projects, scientists will need to establish international scientific networks involving universities, research centres and relevant specialists from the BRICS countries.

The joint call for proposals will focus on three key areas: the BRICS Intelligent Telescope and Data Network, Digital Earth and Psych-molecular tools.

The programme is problem-orientated and aims to find sustainable solutions to common global challenges. Projects will be selected that have the potential to bring about fundamental transformations and have a significant impact on science, technology and the empowerment of local communities. The ultimate goal is to ensure the integrity of the value chain and to propose technological solutions with the potential for long-term growth.

In addition to the main call for proposals, the INSF and the BRICS STI Framework have announced support for a joint call for research projects involving at least three BRICS countries. Key research areas include water resource management, sustainable energy systems, healthcare, biotechnology and biomedicine, sustainable agriculture, and the development of new functional materials.

The BRICS STI Framework, which aims to support cutting-edge research in priority areas, was established in 2015. Since 2016, the programme has launched coordinated calls for proposals for multilateral research projects, inviting experts from BRICS countries to jointly carry out fundamental, applied and innovative research projects based on a multilateral approach. As of 2025, six calls for proposals had been completed. Support was provided to 157 projects.