The Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (MSRT) is the government ministry of science, research and technology in Iran. State-run (non-medical) universities of Iran are under the direct supervision of Iran's Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. The ministry was established in 2000 when the ministry of culture and higher education was renamed as the ministry of science, research and technology.
In 2000 the ministry set up the Aerospace Research Institute.
Iran has a network of private, public, and state-affiliated universities offering degrees in higher education. State-run universities of Iran are under the direct supervision of Iran's Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (for non-medical universities) and Ministry of Health and Medical Education (for medical schools). According to article 3 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iran guarantees "free education and physical training for everyone at all levels, and the facilitation and expansion of higher education." IANI representatives say that academics in Iran are "ultimately directed by the regime and military when it comes to specific areas of research". Rana Dadpour, who taught at an Iranian university, said that certain areas of research are directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and could be employed for "surveillance or military purposes".
The University of Tabriz (Persian: دانشگاه تبريز, Dāneshgāh-e Tabriz) is a public university located in Tabriz, East Azerbaijan, with the fundamental aim of creating a center of excellence in higher education and research. It is one of the top five high-ranked universities in Iran and one of the ten most selective universities in the country. The University of Tabriz is the second-oldest university in Iran after the University of Tehran, and has the second largest campus area in the country which is the biggest academic institution in northwest of the country. The university is also a member of the Caucasus University Association.
Today, Funding for the University of Tabriz is provided by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. Admission to the university for Iranian applicants is through national entrance examination which is administered annually by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology and for international applicants through some exclusive regulations.