{"id":9701,"date":"2025-04-03T19:34:50","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T19:34:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hrcp-web.org\/hrcpweb\/?page_id=9701"},"modified":"2026-07-27T10:23:59","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T10:23:59","slug":"grants-and-fellowships","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/hrcp-web.org\/hrcpweb\/grants-and-fellowships\/","title":{"rendered":"Grants and fellowships"},"content":{"rendered":"

Grants and fellowships<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I. A. Rehman Research Grant<\/h3>\n

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 selected areas of human rights\u2014civil, political, economic, social, cultural, or environmental\u2014in Pakistan.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Application cycle 2026<\/h4>\n

HRCP is pleased to announce the I. A. Rehman Research Grant for 2026, under which the organisation will award one grant of PKR 800,000 (equivalent to approx. PKR 570,000 after taxes) to an academic, journalist or human rights defender or professional for original research examining how Pakistan\u2019s legal framework, and in particular its anti-terrorism provisions, have been weaponised to restrict freedom of movement through measures such as reporting requirements, travel restrictions, and other executive controls.<\/p>\n

HRCP is especially interested in proposals that (a) assess the compatibility of this regime with constitutional guarantees and international human rights standards, including due-process deficiencies that enable these restrictions on movement to operate; (b) analyse the colonial genealogy of such laws; and (c) document patterns of implementation, including the apparent expansion of its use beyond counterterrorism to target political workers, journalists, civil society activists, and families of victims of enforced disappearance.<\/p>\n

To apply<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Submit a 400-to-500-word research statement, explaining how your proposed topic is aligned with HRCP\u2019s work and how it will contribute to the literature on human rights or to the human rights movement. Please ensure that your proposed scope of work is achievable within a maximum of two months.<\/li>\n
  • Submit an up-to-date CV.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    We expect to announce the award by 20 August 2026. The awardee must submit a draft research paper (between 5,000 and 7,000 words) to HRCP for review no later than 9 October 2026 and the final research paper no later than 30 October 2026. HRCP will not be responsible for paying the final instalment of the grant if the final report is not submitted by this deadline.<\/p>\n

    HRCP will publish the document for dissemination among policymakers, human rights defenders, academics and the media.<\/p>\n

    Please submit your application materials with a covering letter to submissions@hrcp-web.org, with the subject line \u2018I A Rehman research grant\u2019, latest by 9 August 2026.<\/p>\n

    Note: HRCP staff members and previous recipients of the award are not eligible to apply.<\/p>\n

    Posted 27 July 2026.<\/p>\n

    Previous recipients<\/h4>\n

    2020: Farieha Aziz (Rethinking the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act: How Cybercrime Laws Are Weaponised Against Women<\/a><\/span>)<\/p>\n

    2021: Razeshta Sethna (Truth Comes at a Price: Censorship and the Battle for an Independent Media<\/span>)<\/a><\/p>\n

    2022: Usama Khawar (Fighting to Breathe: Occupational Safety and Health in Punjab\u2019s Stone-Crushing Industry<\/a><\/span>)<\/p>\n

    2023\/24: Zubair Torwali (Internal Colonization in Pakistan: The Impact on Cultural Rights<\/a><\/span>)<\/p>\n

    2025: Syeda Armeen Nasim (Under Watch, Under Fire: How Young People are Navigating Identity and Hate in Pakistan and India<\/span><\/a>)<\/p>\n

    Fakhruddin G Ebrahim Fellowship<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    In 2023, HRCP instituted a fellowship in memory of the late Justice Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim (1928\u20132020), an eminent jurist and founding member of the organisation. Sponsored by the Ebrahim family, the fellowship is an annual competitive grant awarded to human rights defenders and practitioners to support the development of an independent project aligned with HRCP\u2019s vision and mission.<\/p>\n

    Application cycle 2025<\/h4>\n

    The application cycle for the Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim Fellowship for 2025 is now closed.<\/p>\n

    Previous recipients<\/h4>\n

    2023\/24: Azwar Shakeel (Perilous Passage: Human Smuggling in Pakistan<\/a><\/span>)<\/p>\n

    2025\/26: Fatima Razzaq<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>