CONTRACT FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE UNDER SINDH

RESEARCH SUPPORT PROGRAM (SRSP) FOR FACULTY

MEMBRES OF PUBLIC SECTOR UNIVERSITIES IN SINDH
FOR PROJECT APPLICATION / PROPOSAL NO. /2024-25

Whereas the Sindh Higher Education Commission, subsequently referred to as the "Commission" has
agreed to grant a financial assistance to (Name of PI & University address) -----------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- subsequently referred to
as the 'Party' for the Project Proposal No. _____; entitled “-----------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Now it is mutually agreed between the Party, University/Institute (as Guarantee/ Surety) and the
Commission as under that:
1. Provisional award letter issued vide No. _____dated-------------------is acceptable to the Party & that
Party will execute project as per term and conditions given in the agreement in letter & spirit.
2. The party has already incorporated all comments/revisions/amendments in the revised proposal
in letter & spirt as suggested by evaluator(s)/reviewers review reports and duly signed revised
proposal is being submitted to Commission along with this duly signed agreement on stamp paper.
3. The Project will be cancelled, if party is not following the terms & conditions laid down by the
Commission and/or failure to compliance with any of the clause of agreement will lead to refund of
the whole released amount by the Party to the Commission.
4. The Party has already taken clearance from Institutional Ethical Review Committee (if required)
and if proved otherwise project will stand closed automatically and Party will refund the whole
released amount to the Commission.
5. Under studentship party may hire (following SPPRA/ university rules & regulations) a full-time
regular student who must not be receiving any type of scholarship/ any other
funds/remunerations/any salary and must not be on study leave.
6. The Party is a full-time regular Ph.D faculty member (BPS or TTS) of public sector university/DAI
and/or if Party is on contract, remaining contract life of the party is not less than project life and that
Party is not an adjunct professor or other. And that Party has never been blacklisted by Commission.
7. Party is not executing or submitted for consideration more than two projects simultaneously under
SRSP/NRPU. And that the Party is not executing any SRSP/NRPU/other project that has already
been delayed of that project life has been expired.
8. Subject project is genuinely novel and that there is no plagiarized material including self-plagiarism.
And that no portion of this project has already been submitted by the Party for funding to any funding
agency and/or Commission and/or been funded to Party by any funding agency and/or Commission.
9. Machine (s), equipment(s), apparatus demanded for the subject project is/are not available in the
University / Institute.
10. Travel expenditure as per actual will be reimbursed from the head of local travel. And that the Party
will not conduct any foreign/abroad visits utilizing funds released under the project of SRSP. And
that any type of food/entertainment expenditure will not be reimbursed out of any budget head of
SRSP released grant.
11. No foreign payments will be made neither to any foreign firm for the purchase of any item/equipment
etc. nor to any foreigner (as Co-PI)/consultant etc. Hence Party will not open any LC for foreign
payments from SRSP released grant.
12. The grant received by Party from Commission will be exclusively utilized for project strictly in
accordance with approved plan.
13. Any deviation in the approved plan, i.e. arrangement for supervision/ execution of the project or in
the approved technical program shall require prior approval of Commission, and Party is well aware
that same is not encouraged/liked by Commission.
14. The Party will submit annual reports (1st or 2nd) within one year after release of installments (cheque
issuance date).
15. Project will not be shifted to any new PI/Co-PI or to any other university (in case of new
appointment) during first year of the project because of any reason like study leave/postdoc leave/
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 new appointment etc. However, after submitting first annual report linked with its satisfactorily
reviewed, the party may intend to go abroad or leave university or for postdoc/study leave etc.
16. However during 2nd year(if applicable), if Party intend to go abroad, or leave university for any
reason, Party should not only to inform Commission well before of his/her departure, but Party
would also have to nominate a substitute (new PI or Co-PI as new PI) for the period of his/her
absence with a plan of activities of project and party would do needful as well for getting nominee
notified as substitute/new PI by the Commission prior to his departure/leaving the university so that
necessary project activities in absence of Party may be carried out by the nominee/substitute and
will bound to get NOC from SRSP prior to his/her departure. Moreover, new PI will undertake
that he/she will submit next annual report(s) within one year from the date of release of 2nd
installment and will be held responsible till the completion of the Project. Failure to comply with
this clause (16) would lead to refund of the whole released amount by the Party.
17. In subsequent year (only 2nd), no project would be shifted from one university/DAI to another
without provision of NOC from both universities/DAI(s), Party & Co-PI. In case of any conflict,
Party has to refund whole released amount to Commission. Party itself is responsible for completion/
settle down of any project under SRSP. If any project is already delayed on part of the Party, same
will not be transferred until the submission of annual reports and decision will be made as per SOPs
of delay policy.
18. The financial Assistance will be for a total amount of Rs. /- (as per award letter) over a period
of --------- months (as per award letter).
19. The assistance will be given to the Party in installments as shown below:
1st Installment Rs. /- (as per award letter)
2nd Installment Rs. __-__________/-(as per award letter)
20. The project funds shall be maintained in a separate account to be operated jointly by the Party &
Vice Chancellor/Rector/Treasurer/Accounts Officer (in case of centers).
21. All purchases will be made as per prescribed rules & regulations of Govt./University (like SPPRA
rules) where project is located and all payments will be made by observing all codal formalities of
university/ Government rules and regulations like SPPRA rules etc.
22. The expenditure incurred from the grant will also be subject to periodical audit by the Commission
and the Party shall produce the books of accounts to the persons(s) appointed for this purpose by the
Commission.
23. Any other income (bank interest etc.) accruing there from any of the component of the project would
be returned back to the Commission before closure of the project and same cannot be used in any of
the project activity that may lead to refund from the Party.
24. Machines, equipment, apparatus or any other thing purchased out of the grant given by the
Commission will remain the property of the Commission, or with the permission of the Commission,
the University where the project is located.
25. All equipment/items purchased under the project along with specification and costs will be taken on
stock register of the concerned department under the head “permanent equipment” and a certificate
in this regard, duly counter signed by the Chairman of the Department and Institutional Head, along
with copies of relevant pages of the Stock Register will be sent to Commission (SRSP) for record &
audit purpose.
26. The Party must keep the Commission properly informed about any applications of the results
obtained. And that any discovery made, patent and/or license obtained based on the research carried
out with this grant will be in the name of the Commission and any income accruing there from, will
be shared by the Commission and the Party according to a formula to be established by the
Commission.
27. The Party will submit his/her expenditure statement after paying his/her all due payments of
expenditures on the specimen of annual expenditure statements (1st, 2nd & consolidated).
28. Two progress reports (hard copies) with expenditure statement (3 copies) duly countersigned by
Resident Auditor/Treasurer of the University/DAI etc. will be submitted by the Party to the
Commission within fifteen days of the completion of each year in accordance with the instructions
issued from time to time by the Commission to the Party and soft copy of all documents via email
as well.
29. The Commission shall have the right to evaluate the progress of research/ investigation/work done
by the party through an evaluation Committee of experts/ reviewers/Independent reviewer/ expert

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 to be appointed by the Commission for this purpose. This evaluation may include on-site inspections
also (if required by Commission or expert(s).
30. The release of the subsequent year award/next installment will be tied up with the satisfactory
recommendations/approval of the Annual Progress Report by the expert/reviewer/committee of
experts/ reviewers as per their advice/recommendations. Party will have to revise his/her
annual/final reports if so desired by the Commission/expert(s).
31. Next installment will be released after deducting previous unspent amount (if any)/committed
amount if any reflected by PI in his/her annual audited expenditure statement submits to
Commission.
32. The party will refund whole released amount if Commission refuses either to pay the next
installment or closes the project based on a) unsatisfactory progress report(s), or b) issues in the
statement of accounts, or c) the manner in which expenditure has been incurred by party.
33. Party will have to submit following document in the end of the final year of the project so that his/her
project could be notified as completed in order to issue the party Project Completion Certificate
(PCC) linked with the satisfactory review of the report.
a) Final Annual Progress Report in hard form via surface mail & soft form via email
b) Codal Formalities Proforma/Project Completion Proforma
c) Consolidated Expenditure Statement duly audited by Resident Auditor of University.
34. In all publications, reports or presentations concerning project, support provided by the Commission
will be duly acknowledged by the Party.
35. In case project gets delayed on the part of the Party due to any reason there off, the Party will have
to obey Commission decision that may lead to refund of whole released amount, and relevant
university (who is Guarantee/ Surety) may be asked to make necessary arrangement for refund
from the Party. It will be the responsibility of the party to follow the case for release of subsequent
installments to the Party. Commission will not accept any lame excuse that party had once informed
to the commission via any media and the Commission has not taken any action and like that. But
Party its-self must take on record if there is any delay on part of Sindh HEC for more than 6 month
and that party must not keep quiet until next trench of funds is released or he/she communicated any
decision why funds may not be released to the party.
36. Host University/DAI Guarantee /Surety that the party will be facilitated and complete support will
be provided to the party for the establishment & operation of this project, and also provide other
facilities necessary for the project including land, building, space, laboratories, machinery,
equipment, transport, amenities including utilities and other services throughout the life cycle of this
project.
37. Moreover, host University/DAI of the party Guarantee /Surety that NOC for any purpose, e.g.
postdoc leave/EOL/study leave/ university leaving etc. will not be issued to the party and that the
party will not be relieved from his/her parent institution/university until & unless the party may not
submit Project Completion Certificate /Project Clearance Certificate (PCC) duly issued by the
Commission to the university/institution. Moreover, university/institute will not replace any
principal investigator of any of the SRSP project by itself without getting prior permission from
Commission. For the purpose, university/institution will request Commission and Commission will
notify new PI following policy guidelines if policy allows. Failing to compliance with this clauses
(36 & 37) will make university responsible for refund of whole released amount from party or
university/institute itself.
38. The party will refund the expenditure incurred on the project, in case the party fails to complete the
project within the stipulated time without any valid reason acceptable to Commission.
39. Failure to comply with any of the clause of this agreement would lead to refund of the whole released
amount by the Party and university will be responsible as Guarantee/ Surety for making
arrangement for said refund.
40. Vice Chancellor/Institutional Head of the said University (hereinafter called the Guarantee/Surety)
are held and firmly bound either to make sure that Party must submit all annual technical reports
and final annual technical report with in approved duration of Project to the Commission or to make
necessary arrangement to refund whole released amount together with bank interest thereon for
which grant to be well and truly made.
41. University do hereby bind itself jointly and severally to make necessary arrangement for making
whole released amount refund from the party if party fails to submit all annual technical report with
in approved duration linked with their satisfactory review from the Commission’s technical experts.
Hence said university will not issue NOC to party until party get clearance from the Commission.
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42. In witness hereof, I/we ________________________________________________ put my/our
signature(s) here below on the ________________ day of _______________.

Signature of the Party

Name of the PI: Signature of the Vice-Chancellor / Institutional
Designation: Head/Guarantee/Surety Organization with
Dated: Official Stamp/ Dated:

Signature of Director (Finance) Sindh

Signature of Director ORIC Name: Higher Education Commission Dated:
Dated

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