The MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, is an NGO based out of Chennai. They develop and promote strategies for economic growth that directly target increased employment of poor women in rural areas. Their methods maximize the use of science and technology for equitable and sustainable social development and environmental stability. MSSRF was founded in 1988 by Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, who is chairman of the foundation. He also currently holds the UNESCO Chair in Ecotechnology and is chairman of the National Commission on Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Security of India.