Jordan’s public research-funding system runs through two separate bodies that are easy to conflate on a first pass, especially since English-language sources sometimes use “science and technology fund” loosely for both: the Higher Council for Science and Technology (HCST), a national policy and coordination body established in 1987, and the Scientific Research Support Fund (SRSF), a grant-disbursing fund administered by Jordan’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. They are not the same organization, they do not report to each other, and they fund different things in different ways. This guide explains what each body actually is, how they differ, and which one a researcher or research administrator working with or in Jordan should approach for a given purpose.
What Is the Higher Council for Science and Technology (HCST)?
The HCST was established in 1987 under Law No. 30 as a public independent institution and functions as Jordan’s national hub for science, technology, and innovation policy. Its governing council is chaired by HRH Prince El Hassan Bin Talal and includes a vice president, the heads of several government ministries (Planning, Finance, Higher Education, Industry, Education, Telecommunications, Agriculture, and Energy), the president of the Royal Scientific Society, the HCST Secretary General, military leadership, industry chamber representatives, and two appointed members serving renewable two-year terms.
HCST’s mandate is broader than direct grantmaking. It is responsible for building Jordan’s national science and technology base in support of development goals, which in practice means:
- Setting national priorities for scientific and technological research and directing activity toward them
- Providing and directing funding for research institutions and units within the Kingdom
- Establishing and supporting specialized research and development centers
- Supporting innovation and entrepreneurship activity connected to research outputs
- Negotiating international scientific cooperation agreements and representing Jordan in regional and global scientific forums
HCST also administers or oversees specific funding instruments rather than running a single undifferentiated grants program. It manages the National Fund for Supporting Small and Medium Enterprises (NAFES), and it has hosted an Industrial Scientific Research and Development Fund aimed at applied, industry-linked R&D. It has also served as the national coordinating body for EU-funded research-capacity programs in Jordan, such as the Support to Research, Technological Development and Innovation (STRDI) initiative, and for Jordan’s participation in Mediterranean regional science cooperation frameworks. For a researcher, this means HCST is often the right point of contact for policy-level questions, industry-linked R&D funding, international cooperation agreements, or engagement that cuts across multiple ministries — not necessarily for a standard, investigator-led university research grant.
What Is the Scientific Research Support Fund (SRSF)?
The Scientific Research Support Fund is a distinct entity: a fund with its own financial and administrative independence, created specifically to encourage and support scientific research within Jordan’s higher education system. It was originally instituted in 2006 and revived in 2010 as an active grantmaking body. Unlike HCST, the SRSF sits organizationally under the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR) — the same ministry that also oversees the Higher Education Council and the Higher Education Accreditation Commission. A Director General, who must hold professorial rank, is appointed by the Council of Ministers on the recommendation of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research to run the Fund’s day-to-day operations.
The SRSF’s core function is competitive grantmaking: it finances research projects, and it invests in the human resources and infrastructure that support research capacity at Jordanian universities — the closer analogue, functionally, to a national competitive-grant council in other countries’ systems. Where HCST sets policy and coordinates across ministries and sectors, the SRSF is the body a Jordanian university-based researcher is more likely to apply to directly for a competitive research grant.
HCST vs. SRSF: The Practical Difference
| Higher Council for Science and Technology (HCST) | Scientific Research Support Fund (SRSF) | |
|---|---|---|
| Established | 1987, under Law No. 30 | Instituted 2006, revived as an active fund in 2010 |
| Institutional home | Public independent institution in its own right, chaired by HRH Prince El Hassan Bin Talal | Administered under the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR) |
| Primary role | National science & technology policy, cross-ministry coordination, and select funding instruments | Competitive grantmaking for university-based scientific research, human resources, and infrastructure |
| Typical funding shape | NAFES (SME support), industrial/applied R&D funding, EU-partnership-linked capacity programs | Direct competitive research grants to university researchers and institutions |
| Governance | Multi-ministry governing council plus Royal Scientific Society and industry representation | Director General (professorial rank), appointed by the Council of Ministers on the Minister’s recommendation |
Which Body Should a Researcher Approach?
The practical rule of thumb: if the question is “who sets Jordan’s national research priorities, or who coordinates a multi-ministry or international R&D initiative,” that’s HCST. If the question is “who funds my university-based research project through a competitive grant,” that’s the SRSF, routed through the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Research administrators supporting collaborations with Jordanian institutions should confirm which body a specific call or partnership sits under before assuming either one is a general-purpose national funding agency in the way that, for example, a single national research council operates in some other systems — Jordan’s structure is intentionally split between a policy/coordination council and a ministry-administered grant fund, closer in shape to how some countries separate a science ministry from an operationally distinct research council. CASRAI’s guides on Singapore’s multi-body research funding landscape and the Israel Science Foundation cover comparable national systems where more than one body shares responsibility for research funding, if a side-by-side comparison is useful context.
Institutions or individual researchers evaluating a partnership with a Jordanian university should also expect the university’s own principal investigator (PI) and research office to be the operational point of contact for any sponsored research agreement mechanics, regardless of which national body ultimately funds the work — the same division of labor CASRAI’s broader grants management content covers for other national systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are HCST and the Scientific Research Support Fund the same organization?
No. HCST is a public independent institution established in 1987 with a broad national science-and-technology policy and coordination mandate. The Scientific Research Support Fund is a separate, financially and administratively independent fund administered under the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, focused specifically on competitive research grantmaking. They have different legal bases, different governance, and different day-to-day functions.
Who chairs the Higher Council for Science and Technology?
HCST’s governing council is chaired by HRH Prince El Hassan Bin Talal. Membership also includes a vice president, the heads of several government ministries, the president of the Royal Scientific Society, the HCST Secretary General, and industry and appointed representatives.
The Royal Scientific Society itself, one of Jordan’s leading applied-research and technology-services institutions, is represented on HCST’s governing council but is an operationally separate organization, not part of either HCST or the SRSF.
What does the Scientific Research Support Fund actually fund?
The SRSF finances competitive research projects and invests in the human resources and infrastructure that build research capacity at Jordan’s universities. It was instituted in 2006 and became an active grantmaking body again in 2010 after a lapse, and it is run by a Director General of professorial rank appointed by the Council of Ministers.
Is there a single “national research council” for Jordan the way there is in some other countries?
Not in the sense of one body that both sets policy and disburses all competitive grants. Jordan splits that role: HCST handles national strategy, cross-ministry coordination, and specific instruments like NAFES and industry-linked R&D funding, while the SRSF, under the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, handles competitive research grantmaking to universities. Researchers used to a single unified research council elsewhere should expect to identify which of the two Jordanian bodies actually governs a specific opportunity.
Where can I find authoritative, current information on either body?
HCST publishes information on its mandate, governance, and current projects directly at hcst.gov.jo. The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, which administers the SRSF, publishes ministry-level information at its own official site. As with any national funding body, confirm current call details, eligibility, and deadlines directly with the relevant body rather than relying on secondary summaries, including this one, for anything time-sensitive.
