Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique et Technique (CNRST)

What Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique et Technique (CNRST) does

Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique et Technique (CNRST) is Morocco's national research funding and coordination agency, established in 1975 and operating under Law 80-00 as a government institution supervised by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research Scientific and Innovation. Headquartered in Rabat with 330 employees, CNRST distributes government research grants, manages international scientific cooperation agreements, and awards doctoral excellence scholarships to Moroccan public universities, research institutions, and individual doctoral candidates across all scientific disciplines. Its current portfolio includes the PASS doctoral scholarship programme (1,000 beneficiaries for 2025-2026), the PASS Numérique digital-field track (251 beneficiaries), and an energy transition doctoral track (25 beneficiaries), alongside structured national programmes for research project financing, excellence structures, scientific events, and scientific book publication.

CNRST operates a shared "mutualization pole" of research infrastructure comprising five core operating units: IMIST (scientific and technical information access), UATRS (technical research support, including the CCMM materials and microscopy centre), MARWAN (the national academic and research wide area network connecting Moroccan universities), ING (the National Geophysics Institute providing seismic monitoring), and CCMM (materials and equipment certification). The agency also coordinates three flagship international cooperation frameworks — PHC Maghreb (trilateral Franco-Moroccan-Tunisian-Algerian programme), bilateral joint project calls with Italy's CNR across 11 domains including AI and renewable energy, and joint research projects with Jordan's NCRD in natural and agricultural sciences — plus the FINCOME diaspora programme engaging Moroccan researchers abroad.

The business model is non-commercial: CNRST receives annual government budget allocations from the supervising Ministry and bilateral co-funding from international partners, then redistributes these as grants, scholarships, and subsidized infrastructure access at no cost to beneficiaries. It conducts no product or service sales; there is no publicly disclosed revenue or budget figure. Distribution is institutional and government-to-institution, with demand generation handled through calls for proposals published on call.cnrst.ma, the official website (cnrst.ma), a monthly newsletter archive (60+ issues), and a scientific events portal listing 641 events. The director is Jmila El Alami (جميلة العلمي), and the agency is governed by a Board of Directors under the supervising ministry.

Name

Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique et Technique (CNRST)

Legal name

Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique et Technique

Website

https://cnrst.ma

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Morocco's national research funding agency, distributing government grants, managing international scientific cooperation (Italy, Jordan, PHC Maghreb), and operating shared research infrastructure (MARWAN, IMIST, UATRS, ING, CCMM) for Moroccan public universities and doctoral researchers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Research Funding

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy) (BPAIAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

Keywords

• Research funding agency
• Doctoral scholarships
• Academic network services
• Scientific cooperation programs
• Research infrastructure services

Headquarters

HQ city

Rabat

HQ country

Morocco

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Research Funding Allocation: CNRST receives annual government budget allocations from the Moroccan Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation to distribute as grants for national research projects, excellence structures, scientific events, and doctoral scholarships.
2. International Cooperation Project Co-Funding: CNRST co-funds bilateral and multilateral research projects with international partners (CNR Italy, NCRD Jordan, PHC Maghreb), where each party funds its own team, with CNRST managing the Moroccan side's allocation.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CNRST is Morocco's national research funding and coordination agency that allocates government research grants, manages doctoral excellence scholarships, coordinates international bilateral and multilateral scientific cooperation programmes (PHC Maghreb, CNR Italy, NCRD Jordan), and operates shared national research infrastructure units including the MARWAN academic network, IMIST scientific information platform, UATRS technical support units, and the ING National Institute of Geophysics. All programmes are delivered at no cost to eligible Moroccan public universities, research institutions, and individual doctoral researchers.

Product overview

CNRST is Morocco's national research funding agency operating a platform-plus-services model. The organization provides research financing through multiple national programmes (project funding, excellence structures, scientific events, book publication support), international cooperation (PHC Maghreb, CNR Italy, NCRD Jordan partnerships), and doctoral scholarship programmes (PASS, PASS Numerique, Energy Transition). Research infrastructure services include IMIST (scientific information), MARWAN (academic network), UATRS (technical support), ING (geophysics), and CCMM (materials certification). The organization also operates digital platforms for scientific event management and recruitment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Project Financing
• Excellence Structures Financing
• Scientific Events Support
• Scientific Books Publication Support
• FINCOME Programme
• PhD Associate Scholarship (PASS)
• PASS Numérique (Digital PhD Associate Scholarship)
• Energy Transition Doctoral Scholarship
• PHC Maghreb Partnership Programme
• CNRST/CNR Italy Joint Projects
• CNRST/NCRD Jordan Joint Projects
• IMIST - Institut Marocain de l'Information Scientifique et Technique
• MARWAN - Morocco Academic and Research Wide Area Network
• UATRS - Unité d'Appui Technique à la Recherche Scientifique
• ING - Institut National de Géophysique
• Scientific Events Listing Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,000 doctoral students funded through PASS scholarship in 2025-2026
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Pasteur Institute (France)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 May 2026Partnered with CNRST and INRAE France to organize the 1st Euro-African Congress on Microbial Genetic Resources Valorization in Rabat (May 18-20, 2026), gathering researchers, experts, manufacturers, and policymakers from Africa and Europe.
• INRAE (Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement) - FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 May 2026Co-organized the 1st Euro-African Congress on Microbial Genetic Resources Valorization with CNRST and Institut Pasteur, focusing on sustainable and innovative exploitation of microbial genetic resources.
• NCRD (National Center for Research and Development) - JordanflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Under a partnership agreement, CNRST and NCRD Jordan jointly launched a call for research projects (Sep-Dec 2025) in natural sciences/environment and agricultural sciences. 3 projects were selected for joint funding in water management, sustainable development, and agricultural economics.
• IMIST (Institut National de l'Information Scientifique et Technique)coreTechnology or IntegrationIMIST is the National Institute for Scientific and Technical Information, a shared service unit under CNRST's mutualization pole. It provides Moroccan researchers with access to scientific databases, digital libraries, and information resources.
• UATRS (Unité d'Appui Technique à la Recherche Scientifique)coreTechnology or IntegrationUATRS provides shared technical research support services to Moroccan laboratories, including the CCMM (Centre de Caractérisation des Matériaux et de la Microscopie) materials characterization facility.
• MARWAN (Maroc Research and Academic Wide Area Network)coreTechnology or IntegrationMARWAN is the national academic computer network connecting Moroccan universities and research institutions, providing high-speed internet connectivity and shared digital infrastructure for the research community.
• ING (Institut National de Géophysique)coreTechnology or IntegrationING is the National Institute of Geophysics, a shared research infrastructure unit under CNRST's mutualization pole, providing seismic monitoring and geophysical research services for Morocco.
• Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (Marocco)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ministry is CNRST's primary government counterpart, co-implementing all national research programs, doctoral scholarship programs (PASS), and international cooperation initiatives. CNRST operates under the Ministry's supervision for policy alignment.
• Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform (Marocco)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-implements the PhD-Associate Scholarship in the digital field (PASS Numérique) targeting doctoral students in digital technologies, in partnership with CNRST and the Ministry of Higher Education.
• Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development (Marocco)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-implements the doctoral-moniteur scholarship program in energy transition and sustainable development, contributing to Morocco's energy transition goals through human capital development.
• Ministry of Industry and Commerce (Marocco)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with CNRST and the EU P2P program to organize a sensitization workshop on dual-use technology transfer for the academic and research sector.
• CNR (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche) - ItalyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNR Italy and CNRST implement a bilateral joint research project call covering 11 domains: AI, agriculture, food tech, water, environment, IT, renewable energy, health, humanities/social sciences, materials science, and natural resources. Projects are funded for 2 years with 50,000 MAD per installment for Moroccan teams.
• PHC Maghreb (Partenariat Hubert Curien Maghreb)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPHC Maghreb is a trilateral Franco-Moroccan-Tunisian-Algerian scientific cooperation program supporting joint research projects across Maghreb countries. CNRST coordinates the Moroccan participation.
• EU P2P Programme (Partner-to-Partner) - European UnionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU P2P programme for trade monitoring of dual-use goods collaborated with CNRST and the Ministry of Industry to organize a workshop on dual-use technology transfer for the academic and research community.
• Moroccan Universities (Public)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAll Moroccan public universities are institutional beneficiaries and partners of CNRST, receiving research funding, managing doctoral scholarships, hosting scientific events, and participating in international cooperation projects through CNRST frameworks.
• Mohammed V University of RabatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizes the national finals of the international francophone 'Ma Thèse en 180 Secondes' competition with CNRST and the International University of Rabat, hosting 28 doctoral students from various Moroccan universities.
• International University of Rabat (UIR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizes the national finals of the international francophone 'Ma Thèse en 180 Secondes' competition with CNRST and Mohammed V University, providing the venue for the 2026 national finals.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NCRD - National Center for Research and Development (Jordan): Jordan's national center for R&D, the Middle Eastern counterpart also mandated with funding national research projects and managing international cooperation. CNRST and NCRD jointly launched a call covering natural sciences, environment, and agricultural sciences with 3 projects funded in 2025, making NCRD the closest direct bilateral peer in mandate and program design.
• CNR - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (Italy): Italy's national research council, operating as the largest public research organization in Italy with multidisciplinary institutes and bilateral programs. CNRST runs joint projects with CNR covering AI, agriculture, water, environment, health, materials, and other priority sectors, making CNR the most direct functional counterpart as both bodies fund, coordinate, and execute national R&D plus international cooperation on behalf of their respective states.
• Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT - Egypt): Egypt's national council overseeing scientific research funding and policy, structurally analogous to CNRST as a state-level R&D coordination body operating programs for grants, scholarships, and international cooperation. Comparable mandate in scale (national, multi-disciplinary, government-backed) and operating model, making it a relevant Arab-region peer in research governance.
• CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France): France's national scientific research center, the most prominent CNRS eponym globally. Although CNRST is a funding and coordination agency rather than an in-house research performer, both share the role of national R&D policy backbone, and CNRST works with CNRS through the PHC Maghreb trilateral cooperation program, positioning CNRS as the closest paradigmatic peer in mandate and operating model.
• National Research Foundation (NRF - South Africa): South Africa's national research funding agency, supporting research, innovation, and human capital development through grants, scholarships, and bilateral cooperation. Functions as Africa's most established parallel to CNRST in mandate (state-mandated research funder), program mix (grants plus scholarships plus international partnerships), and infrastructure services, providing a useful peer benchmark for African R&D agency performance.

Regional players

• Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research / DGRS: General Directorate of Scientific Research (DGRS) under Tunisia's Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Tunisian analog that coordinates Maghreb research cooperation. CNRST participates in the PHC Maghreb program alongside French and Tunisian agencies, making DGRS a regional peer operating in a structurally similar funding-coordinator role for Tunisia's R&D ecosystem.
• Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (Algeria) / DGRSDT: Direction Générale de la Recherche Scientifique et du Développement Technologique (DGRSDT) under Algeria's Ministry of Higher Education, the Algerian counterpart in the PHC Maghreb trilateral cooperation with France and Morocco. As the third leg of the Maghreb cooperation framework, it shares CNRST's mandate of distributing research funding and managing bilateral cooperation with French, European, and Arab partners.

Broad incumbents

• INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (France): France's national research institute for agriculture, food, and environment, a large multidisciplinary public research performer. INRAE co-organized with CNRST the 1st Euro-African Congress on Microbial Genetic Resources Valorization (May 2026), making it a strong peer in the international cooperation architecture that CNRST uses to extend Morocco's research ties with Europe.
• Institut Pasteur (France): International biomedical research organization headquartered in Paris with a global network of affiliated institutes. Institut Pasteur is partnering with CNRST and INRAE on the 1st Euro-African Congress in Rabat, bringing high-level health-research visibility and a model of cross-border scientific coordination that parallels CNRST's regional anchoring mandate.
• ANRT - Agence Nationale de Réglementation des Télécommunications / National Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (Morocco): Moroccan national regulatory agency co-implementing digital-related research scholarship programs with CNRST and the Ministry of Digital Transition. While focused on telecom regulation, its role in advancing the PASS Numérique scholarship stream positions it as an adjacent public-sector R&D funding counterpart within the same Moroccan governmental ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cnrst

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique et Technique (CNRST)