Research institutes of Malaysia, Sudan and Pakistan respectively won the prestigious IDB awards for science and technology in three different categories. President of the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank, Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali, announced the winners here, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Monday. The award for the most outstanding contribution to social and economic development was bagged by Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, Sains University in Malaysia. The award for the most outstanding contribution to a given scientific field was awarded to Center for Molecular Biology, University of Punjab, Pakistan. The award for the noted scientific institution from a least developed member country was clinched by Agriculture Research Corporation, Ministry of Science and Technology, Sudan. Each award consists of a cash prize of $100,000. The IDB prizes were established in 2001 to promote excellence in science and technology and to enhance 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. The prizes will be awarded by the chairman of the IDB Board of Governors at the forthcoming 33rd IDB annual meeting, scheduled for next month in Jeddah. Since the inception of the awards, 15 institutions have won prizes for science and technology in various categories. __
