Food Security Call (FSC)

Food Security Call — 6th

Supports food resilience research in Qatar through national calls on nutrition, farming systems, and climate adaptation.

Eligibility · QA

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

The Food Security Call (FSC) is an annual joint research grant program administered by the Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council (QRDI) in partnership with the Ministry of Municipality (MoM), formerly branded as the QNRF-MoM Joint Call. The 6th cycle launched on 14 January 2026 and closed on 18 March 2026, with award announcements expected in July 2026. Each funded project receives up to QAR 1,599,000 (approximately USD 438,082) for a project duration of up to three years, making it one of the higher-value thematic grants in QRDI's domestic portfolio.

The 6th cycle designated four priority research themes: smart integrated disease management for protected vegetable production; resilient, traceable, and allergen-safe supply chains for specialty-nutrition foods; agricultural policies and agricultural extension; and digital agriculture and food system innovation. Eligible applicants are academic and government entities inside Qatar, spanning all five major research disciplines: natural sciences, engineering and technology, medical and health sciences, agricultural sciences, and social sciences. The Lead Principal Investigator must hold an approved terminal degree and be affiliated with an approved submitting institution inside Qatar; international collaborators are permitted if a Co-LPI from a Qatar-based institution is included.

Projects must conduct at least 70% of total effort and 80% of the annual budget inside Qatar, and all capital equipment expenditures must be in-country. Applications were submitted through the Innolight portal with both English (FSC 06 En RFA.pdf) and Arabic (FSC 06 Ar RFA.pdf) RFAs published. A dedicated LinkedIn group has been maintained across cycles to help researchers identify collaboration partners. The FSC repeats annually, with a 7th cycle anticipated in early 2027, making it a reliable vehicle for agri-food research teams with Qatar-specific food security mandates.