:: Introduction

The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance's Research Vice-Chancellor has been implementing the project "Selecting Iran's Best Cultural Researches" as part of its cultural activities since 1996. Since 2001, the Research Institute of Culture, Art, and Communication (RICAC), affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, has followed up on this plan. To strengthen the "research culture," this research center encourages researchers to conduct systematic and local research. This support aims to produce data related to the cultural needs of Iranian society so that these data are available to cultural planners and policymakers. Another goal of this support is to evaluate Iran's capabilities in cultural research.

The continuous holding of the IACR by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has played an essential role in turning cultural research into a public agenda. Compared with other festivals in Iran, such as the Farabi Festival, which includes various humanities fields, IACR focuses only on cultural research.

"International Award on Cultural Research" is the only festival in Iran that exclusively examines and evaluates research conducted in Iranian culture and art, not necessarily cultural and artistic works. In addition, assessing the works of non-Iranian researchers in the field of "Culture and Art of Iran" is one of its primary goals. Outside Iran, there are more than a dozen research and research centers in Iranian studies. IACR can identify and monitor these studies. In the area of cultural diplomacy, which is one of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance programs to expand international communication and exchange of culture and art, holding this festival can be used to develop cultural relations and diplomacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Promoting the culture of research in the society of Iran is one of the reasons for the importance and necessity of holding a cultural research festival so that cultural research is conducted in a systematic, standardized, and sustainable way instead of being done in a sectional and random manner. Also, one of the goals is that research becomes the primary tool for improving knowledge, understanding issues, and finding solutions to problems related to the immediate needs of Iranian society. On the other hand, enhancing Iran's cultural environment and preventing parallel, scattered, and essential community needs is one of its other most important goals. "Cultural Research Festival" can provide the basis for methodizing and making cultural research purposeful.

Fifteen rounds of Award on Cultural Research have been held so far.

Some distinguishing features of the International Award on Cultural Research are:

1. It is one of the requirements for ranking cultural and artistic activities in Iran.

2. This event is a scientific support for the programs and activities of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

3. IACR can provide a basis for identifying the approach of non-Iranian researchers to Iranian culture and art.