HEC Quaid-e-Azam Memorial Fellowship 2026: PhD Students Apply by 30 October

HEC has opened the Quaid-e-Azam Memorial Fellowship for full-time PhD students in Pakistan. Applications run from 6 October to 30 October 2026 on a form linked from HEC's page. The fellowship pays for a research visit abroad, a return air ticket up to USD 1,300 and a monthly living allowance.

We opened every page of HEC's Quaid-e-Azam Memorial Fellowship section on 7 October 2026: the introduction, eligibility, how to apply, terms, package and contact pages. HEC launched the programme for the 150th birth anniversary of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

The Quaid-e-Azam Memorial Fellowship opens on 6 October and closes on 30 October

HEC's How to Apply page gives the submission period as 6 October 2026 to 30 October 2026. Documents go in through the form it links. HEC says incomplete applications will not be entertained. The page does not state a closing hour for 30 October.

That missing hour matters. Treat the afternoon of 29 October as your real deadline, and do not wait for the last evening.

HEC's scholarship page describes the award as a six month research fellowship abroad for students enrolled in full-time PhD programmes in Pakistan. It is a visit, not a new degree. Your PhD stays at your Pakistani university.

Only PhD students with 18 months to 3.5 years of enrolment can apply

You must be a Pakistani or AJK national, a full-time PhD student at a recognised Pakistani university, with at least 18 credit hours finished and an approved synopsis. Your enrolment must be between 18 months and 3.5 years old, and began between Spring 2023 and Spring 2025.

• You are a Pakistani or AJK national and a full-time PhD student in Pakistan.
• You have finished at least 18 credit hours of PhD coursework.
• You have been enrolled for at least 18 months, but not more than 3.5 years, when you apply. For this batch your enrolment date must fall from Spring 2023 to Spring 2025, inclusive.
• You passed the GAT Subject Test or your university's admission test when you were admitted.
• Your university's BASR, DASR or an equivalent body has approved your research topic and synopsis.
• You hold an official acceptance or invitation letter from a foreign university, institute or laboratory.
• The host university is ranked among the top universities overall or by subject in the QS or Times Higher Education world rankings.
• Your foreign supervisor has never supervised your local PhD supervisor.
• Your foreign supervisor is a full-time faculty member at Assistant Professor rank or above.

HEC's page does not give a minimum QS or THE rank. It says "top-ranked", overall or by subject. Ask HEC at qamf@hec.gov.pk before you spend weeks chasing a host that might not count.

The fellowship may be limited to research on Jinnah, so confirm with HEC

HEC's introduction says the programme promotes research on Jinnah's life, vision and leadership, and invites research synopses on that theme. The eligibility list does not repeat a topic rule. Because the pages read differently, confirm with HEC before you apply with an unrelated topic.

Email qamf@hec.gov.pk or call the HEC helpline on (051) 111-119-432 and ask one question: does my approved synopsis qualify? Keep the reply.

The package pays airfare, a monthly allowance and a capped bench fee

HEC pays one economy return ticket up to USD 1,300, which HEC arranges itself. The monthly living allowance depends on the country: GBP 750 in the UK, USD 1,500 in the USA and USD 1,200 for the rest of the world. A bench fee is paid only if the host asks for it in the original letter.

Over six months, the UK allowance comes to GBP 4,500 and the USA allowance to USD 9,000. Those totals are our arithmetic, not an HEC figure. The airfare is paid once, as a ticket HEC buys, not as cash.

The bench fee, which is a laboratory or facility charge, follows the IRSIP limits: USD 3,500, GBP 1,750, EUR 2,550, AUD 4,100 or CAD 3,700. You pay it yourself and HEC reimburses you against the paid invoice. The invoice must carry your name, the purpose and duration of the visit and the host's details. HEC adds that a waiver of the bench fee "will be appreciated", so ask your host.

How to apply for the Quaid-e-Azam Memorial Fellowship in 5 steps

Collect the foreign acceptance letter and supervisor proforma first, then your university approvals, then fill in the form HEC links on its How to Apply page and upload everything. Submit before 30 October 2026.

1. Choose a host and get an acceptance letter from the head of department or a senior professor. A letter from a lecturer or lab instructor will not be accepted.
2. Ask your foreign supervisor to fill in HEC's proforma, which you download from the How to Apply page. It is mandatory.
3. Get your BASR or DASR approval, your full synopsis and a signed, stamped recommendation from your local supervisor.
4. Add your CV, your supervisor's CV, your passport copy, transcripts with credit hours and grades, and your GAT, GRE or admission test result.
5. Open the form linked on HEC's page, fill it in and upload everything before 30 October 2026.

The acceptance letter must carry more than a welcome. It needs a short overview of the work, details of the lab facilities, a plan of activities, the duration in months, the bench fee amount if any, any conditions, and the foreign professor's full contact details. HEC says no bench fee claim will be entertained if the original letter does not mention it.

Two more documents apply only to some applicants. Bring a no objection certificate from your employer if you are on study leave. Bring one from the concerned HEC officer if you already hold another HEC scholarship.

The terms say use the fellowship within six months of the award letter

HEC's terms say a selected scholar must use the fellowship within six months of the award letter, or by the date HEC sets. Two students with the same local supervisor must pick different foreign supervisors or universities. HEC can cancel the award at any stage if documents are false.

Other HEC awards for PhD students work differently. The US-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor PhD scholarship funds a full PhD in the United States, while this fellowship funds a visit. If you are heading to the UK for a full degree instead, the Commonwealth route through HEC closes on 20 October. Students weighing different PhD funding can also read about the government's promised AI PhD scholarships.

Common questions

When is the last date for the Quaid-e-Azam Memorial Fellowship?

The submission period ends on 30 October 2026. It started on 6 October 2026. HEC's page gives no closing time, so submit a day early.

Who can apply for the Quaid-e-Azam Memorial Fellowship?

Pakistani or AJK nationals who are full-time PhD students at a recognised Pakistani university, with 18 credit hours done, 18 months to 3.5 years of enrolment and an approved synopsis.

How much does the fellowship pay?

HEC pays one economy return ticket up to USD 1,300 and a monthly living allowance, for example GBP 750 in the UK or USD 1,500 in the USA. A bench fee is paid only if the acceptance letter asks for it.

How long is the fellowship?

HEC describes it as a six month research fellowship abroad. The acceptance letter must state the duration in months.

Where do I apply for the Quaid-e-Azam Memorial Fellowship?

Use the form linked on HEC's How to Apply page for the fellowship. HEC says documents must reach it through that form before the deadline.

Who do I contact with questions?

Email qamf@hec.gov.pk or call HEC on (051) 111-119-432. HEC's head office is at Sector H-9, East Service Road, Islamabad.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

We last checked on 7 October 2026. Every figure above comes from HEC's own pages: the Quaid-e-Azam Memorial Fellowship introduction, eligibility, how to apply, terms, package and contact pages on hec.gov.pk, and the scholarship section's description of the award. The six month total allowances are our own arithmetic. We could not confirm whether the programme is limited to Jinnah themed research, or the closing hour on 30 October.