JEDDAH – The President of the Islamic Development Bank Group (IDB), Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali, has announced the winners of the IDB Prizes for Science & Technology:
Category-I (most outstanding contribution to social and economic development): Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, Universiti Sains, Malaysia.
Category-II (most outstanding contribution to a given scientific field):
Centre for Molecular Biology, University of Punjab, Pakistan.
Category-III: (noted scientific institution from a least developed member country): Agriculture Research Corporation, Ministry of Science and
Technology, Sudan.

The Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, Malaysia is, rather young but highly active institute that adopted the Research, Development, Commercialization and Knowledge-based Enterprise approach in its R&D. This led to the development of molecular-biology-based diagnostic kits for infectious diseases and cancer. Most of their methodologies and kits have been patented. Their health-care R&D targets include OIC member countries and other Asian underdeveloped countries.
The Centre for Molecular Biology, Pakistan is a pioneering and an outstanding centre for the application of Molecular Biology in various fields including health and agriculture. Its activities include high quality teaching, training, R&D, identification of various genes and mutations in agriculture and human health, production of various biologically beneficial bio-products. It has an international reputation and recognition, and its publications have high impact among international scientific journals.
The Agriculture Research Corporation (ARC), Sudan is one of the oldest institutions in Africa and the Middle East. Experimental work started as early as 1902. It has the largest contribution to Agricultural Development in SUDAN. In the early years the ARC initiated the development of Gezire Scheme, the largest irrigation scheme in the world. It continues to provide the needed research information for development of projects in different fields, especially the sugar industry.

The IDB prizes were established in 1422H to promote S&T excellence and capacity building in IDB member countries. Every year, three institutions are selected by an independent panel of eminent scientists from the Muslim World to receive the prize in the three categories. Each Prize consists of a cash award of US$ 100,000. The prizes will be awarded to the winners by the Chairman of the IDB Board of Governors in the forthcoming 33rd IDB Annual Meeting on 03-04 June 2008 in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Over the past Five Editions, Fifteen institutions have been awarded this prize; these are
First Edition – 1423H/2002
Category I: The Faculty of Agriculture, Assiout, Egypt;
Category II: The Pakistan Institute of Nuclear S&T(PINSTECH);
Category III: The Sudanese Gezira University.
Second Edition – 1425H/2004
Category I: The International Centre for Chemical Sciences, HEJ University, Karachi, Pakistan;
Category II: The Institute of Plant Physiology, Genetics and Bioengineering of Kazakhstan;
Category III:The Departments of Physics and Chemistry, University of An-Najjah, Palestine.
Third Edition – 1426H/2005
Category I:The National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt;
Category II:The Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey;
Category III:The Y.H. Mamadaliyev Institute of Petrochemical Processes of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan.
Fourth Edition – 1427H/2006
Category I:The Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Malaysia;
Category II:The Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Egypt;
Category III:The Faculty of Science, Islamic University of Gaza, Palestine.
Fifth Edition – 1428H/2007
Category I:National Agronomy Research Institute, Rabat, Morocco;
Category II:Institute of Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences, Zanjan, Iran;
Category III:Institute of Food Technology (ITA), Dakar, Senegal.