QU was awarded the largest number of grants in the 10th cycle of National Priorities Research Program (NPRP), a flagship program of Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF).
29 proposals out of a total of 85 submissions have achieved awards, translating to 34% of the total awarded proposals -- the highest among awarded institutes in Qatar. The 29 proposals cover the areas of translational research, experimental development, and applied research. These include 19 proposals by the College of Engineering (CENG), four proposals by the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), three proposals by the Center for Advanced Materials (CAM), two proposals by the College of Business and Economics (CBE), and one proposal by the Biomedical Research Center (BRC).
Additionally, QU was awarded USD513,195 for 25 proposals in the 21st cycle of QNRF’s Undergraduate Research Experience Program (UREP). The awarded proposals cover various areas such as natural sciences, engineering and technology, medical and health sciences, and social sciences and humanities. A total of 54 researchers and staff and 111 students across QU colleges and centers are engaged in these proposals.
Commenting on this achievement, QU Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies Prof Mariam Al-Maadeed noted that QU is very active in addressing the research areas of the Qatar National Research Strategy. She said: “I congratulate our faculty and students for this great achievement. This proves that the University is moving in the right direction through its research by tackling topics of national priorities. This is also a step towards the realization of the vision of His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani who, in his latest address to the nation, expressed the need to develop academic institutes and to focus on research and innovation. I am thankful to QNRF for recognizing the true talents of our faculty and students.”
Director of Research Support at Qatar University Dr Aiman Erbad said: “QU has nine colleges and five main research centers that tackle issues of national priority and train the new generation of researchers to help Qatar to fulfill the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030. The Qatar National Research Fund has been supportive of QU throughout the development of its research infrastructure and the achievement of cutting-edge research.”
He added: “QU has managed to build a large research network with collaborators from different parts of the world. The NPRP’s 10th cycle has more focused research priorities and encourages the co-funding of industrial partners to help increase the research impact. Critical areas such as cyber security, diabetes, oils and gas, and entrepreneurship are part of the new research priorities.”
Over the past years, QU has achieved a steady progress in its research activities and the number of grants awarded by various entities. Over the last five years, QU’s research program has witnessed a tremendous growth with the faculty output being doubled between 2013-2017.