Meenorio Research Grants

USD 1,000-per-project research grants for student and faculty research aligned with the herbal-medicine-as-evidence-based-medicine mission.

Why Meenorio Funds Research

Most herbal-supplement companies cite research opportunistically — picking and choosing studies that support their claims, ignoring studies that don't. Meenorio is building the inverse: we fund the research, the researchers retain publication rights regardless of outcome, and the body of independent literature grows over time.

This is a long game. Over 5–10 years, the result is a body of academically-credible literature on herbal medicine that anyone can cite — including our competitors. We're fine with that. The point is to elevate the entire category to evidence-based standards, not just our own claim defensibility.

The Grant

  • Amount: USD 1,000 per project (paid in PKR equivalent for Pakistani researchers, USD for international)
  • Duration: 6–18 months, depending on project scope
  • Eligibility: students (undergraduate, masters, PhD) and faculty at any accredited university globally
  • Use of funds: any research-related expense — lab consumables, statistical software, conference travel, publication fees, research-assistant compensation, computing resources
  • Reporting: 1-page mid-project update at the 50% timepoint; 2-page final report; published or pre-print version of the paper at completion
  • Publication rights: the researcher retains full publication rights. Meenorio is acknowledged as the funder in the published paper but does not co-author and does not influence study design or conclusions.

Research Topics We Want to Fund

We're particularly interested in:

  • Clinical or pre-clinical studies on Kalonji (Nigella Sativa) — blood glucose, insulin sensitivity, anti-inflammatory effects, lipid profile, hepatoprotection
  • Glycemic-index profiling of Pakistani-grown legumes — channa varieties, daal varieties, bean types, regional varieties not yet GI-tested
  • Comparative effectiveness studies — herbal supplements versus standard care for pre-diabetes (lifestyle counselling, metformin)
  • Cultural and behavioural research — what predicts diabetic-medication adherence in Pakistani patients; dietary-intervention studies in Pakistani households; Ramadan-fasting metabolic effects in different patient populations
  • Public-health research — diabetes-screening cost-effectiveness in PK underserved areas; HbA1c-vs-fasting-glucose diagnostic comparisons in PK populations
  • Tibbe-Nabawi-tradition ingredients — systematic reviews of clinical evidence for prophetic-medicine ingredients (kalonji, miswak, honey, dates, olive oil, etc.)

We'll consider any other topic in the broad evidence-based-herbal-medicine space. Email us before applying if you're unsure whether your topic fits.

How to Apply

Email research@meenorio.pk with:

  • Project title (one sentence)
  • Research question (one paragraph — what specifically are you trying to find out?)
  • Methodology (one to two paragraphs — what study design, what sample size, what analysis approach?)
  • Timeline (months: 3 / 6 / 12 / 18)
  • Use of funds (rough breakdown — labs / software / travel / publication / RA / etc.)
  • Your CV and your supervisor's CV (if a student application)
  • One-page proposal attached as PDF (covers the above in more detail; standard academic format)

We review applications quarterly: 31 March, 30 June, 30 September, 31 December. Funded projects are notified within 30 days of the deadline.

What We Don't Fund

  • Marketing-disguised-as-research. If the proposal looks like a tilted study designed to produce a marketing-friendly conclusion, we decline.
  • Commercial product development. We fund research, not product R&D. If you have a commercial idea, the partnerships programme is where it might fit.
  • Studies on ingredients we don't include in our formulations and have no plans to. We're broad but not infinite.
  • Re-funding of already-funded projects. If you have funding from another source, the case for our small grant is weak.

Funded Projects (Past + Current)

This section is updated quarterly. As of [current date], no projects have completed yet — Meenorio's research-grants programme launches with this page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is USD 1,000 enough to actually fund a project?
For most students, yes — it covers consumables, statistical software, and a portion of stipend or living expenses. For faculty, it's usually a co-funding amount alongside other grants. We deliberately keep the size modest so we can fund many projects rather than a few large ones. The mission is breadth of evidence, not depth of any single study.

Do I need to be Muslim or based in Pakistan?
No. The grant is open to any researcher globally. We particularly welcome applications from Pakistani-diaspora researchers and South Asian researchers more broadly, but eligibility is based on the project's alignment with the mission, not the researcher's background.

What if my study finds that Kalonji doesn't work for blood sugar?
Publish it. We fund the research because we want to know the truth, not because we want to confirm a marketing claim. A null result is as valuable as a positive result for the mission.

Can I apply for multiple grants for related projects?
Yes, but consecutively, not concurrently. Complete one funded project before applying for another.