Tunisia's National Agency for the Promotion of Scientific Research has funded approximately 1200 research projects in various fields, including agriculture, environment, health, and energy, since its inception in 2012. The agency's efforts focus on supporting research projects that address national and international priorities. According to the agency's Director-General, Shadli Abdelali, these projects aim to promote scientific research and innovation in Tunisia.
The funded research projects are part of the agency's strategy to support scientists and researchers in various fields. Abdelali highlighted that Tunisia faces significant challenges related to climate change, which may impact the country's economy in the coming years. To address these challenges, the agency emphasizes the importance of scientific research and the evaluation of its results, particularly in priority areas.
Tunisia has made notable progress in scientific research, ranking 17th globally in scientific and technical article density, according to the 2025 Global Innovation Index published by the World Intellectual Property Organization. The country also ranked 76th globally out of 139 economies in the overall innovation index and 58th in innovation outputs.
The agency's Director-General noted that Tunisia is a partner of the European Union in scientific research and innovation. Several opportunities and mechanisms are available for Tunisian researchers to benefit from international cooperation projects, particularly in agriculture and environment.
The agency has secured European funding for a project to support higher education and scientific research in the environment, valued at approximately €11.5 million (around 38.8 million Tunisian dinars). The project, which will run until 2028, aims to support young researchers and promote scientific research in environmental issues.
As part of the project, 200 students have been selected for the "Young Researchers' Mobility in the Environment" program. They will work with municipalities, environmental associations, industrial companies, and research centers to identify environmental issues and develop applied research projects to address them.
The agency has launched a call for proposals for 13 universities to select an economic partner for each university and develop a project aimed at promoting activities that are crucial to Tunisia's economy in priority areas. The deadline for submissions is September 30, 2026, and each project will receive funding of 800,000 Tunisian dinars.
Key points
- Tunisia's National Agency for the Promotion of Scientific Research has funded 1200 research projects in key sectors since 2012.
- The agency's efforts focus on supporting research projects that address national and international priorities.
- Tunisia ranks 17th globally in scientific and technical article density, according to the 2025 Global Innovation Index.
