I. A. Rehman Research Grant

The I. A. Rehman Research Grant was instituted in 2020 in honour of the veteran human rights defender, journalist and former secretary-general of the Commission, the late I. A. Rehman (1930-2021). HRCP awards one grant annually to an academic, journalist, or human rights defender or professional for original research carried out in any area of human rights—civil, political, economic, social, cultural, or environmental—in Pakistan.

The grant is open to Pakistani citizens or foreign nationality holders of Pakistani heritage. All shortlisted applications are evaluated by an independent committee before the recipient is announced.

Through this grant, HRCP hopes to expand the depth and breadth of research on human rights in Pakistan. The resulting reports are published for dissemination among policymakers, human rights defenders, academics, and the media.

Application cycle 2023

Applications for the I. A. Rehman Research Grant for 2023 are now open.

HRCP believes that all people’s right to participate in and sustain cultural life, as well as the state’s obligation to protect both tangible and intangible expressions of culture, are inherently linked not only to fundamental rights such as freedom of expression, but also to freedom from discrimination and to civic spaces in general. Accordingly, HRCP will award one grant of PKR 500,000 (inclusive of all taxes) to an academic, journalist or human rights defender/professional for original research carried out on any aspect of cultural rights in Pakistan. This includes but is not limited to:

  • Artistic freedom in the visual, literary and performing arts.
  • Protecting linguistic and literary heritage and traditional wisdom.
  • The right to pursue traditional livelihoods.
  • The preservation of built or natural heritage.
  • The right to sustain traditional cultures that differ from the mainstream or to create new subcultures.

The resulting research—in the form of a 7,000-to-8,000-word essay—will be published and disseminated by HRCP.

To apply, please send a brief proposal (no more than 500 words) and resume to submissions@hrcp-web.org with the subject line ‘I A Rehman Research Grant’ latest by 8 December 2023.

Previous recipients

2020: Farieha Aziz (Rethinking the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act: How Cybercrime Laws Are Weaponised Against Women)

2021: Razeshta Sethna (Truth Comes at a Price: Censorship and the Battle for an Independent Media)

2022: Usama Khawar (Fighting to Breathe: Occupational Safety and Health in Punjab’s Stone-Crushing Industry)