In line with QU research challenges and national research priorities
The Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies recently hosted an event to unveil QU’s new internal research grants.
The event provided researchers and students with the opportunity to meet QU pre-award team and get acquainted with the organization’s various internal funding opportunities.
QU VP for Research and Graduate Studies Prof Mariam Al-Maadeed outlined the guiding principles of the new internal research grants. She noted that the new grants align with QU’s research challenges and support the national research priorities, while encouraging interdisciplinary research that engages multiple academic units such as colleges and research centers with complementary backgrounds.
She also stressed the importance to encourage graduate and undergraduate students to participate in research grants and to promote sustainable research and develop capacity in different critical areas.
Prof Mariam Al-Maadeed highlighted the National Research Capacity Building program, which will offer a grant to support Qatari faculty develop their research profile. She said: “The program will also include workshops in writing funding proposals, developing research strategies and producing research publications. This program targets junior Qatari faculty members to ensure national capacity is developed in critical research areas.”
Director of Research Support Office Dr Aiman Erbad noted that there are five types of internal grants available at QU -- Seed Grant, Student Grant, Collaborative High Impact Grant, Concept Development Grant, and National Research Capacity Building Grant -- depending on who is applying and the reason for the funding. He said: “There would also be special grants providing seed funding to encourage proposals in new research areas of national interest and of strategic importance, especially in entrepreneurship and social sciences.”
He added: “The main research outcomes coming for these grants include ideas with commercial value and trained students/researchers. Research teams applying for large grants include senior and junior faculty members, researchers, graduate and undergraduate students from different disciplines to help tackling issues in an interdisciplinary comprehensive manner and ensure capacity development. For students trained in funded projects, the focus will be to enhance their research skills and expose them to innovative projects that align with their graduation projects, theses, and senior design courses.”
Dr Aiman Erbad noted that the addressed research problems should align with the national research priorities and needs in order to ensure impact. “Industry will be involved in setting the priorities and as partners in the research activities. The grants will be performance-driven with clear outcomes in sight. QU developed its internal grant to accelerate innovation and enable researchers to take their ideas to the next step and develop concepts that have commercial potential.”