Qatar National Research Fund announces 2nd UREP awards

Fifty-one student research proposals have been awarded grants from across all academic areas: Arts and Humanities, Engineering, Health, Sciences and Social Sciences. Each student participating in the awarded research projects will receive a grant of up to $10,000.

Qatar Foundation established the Undergraduate Research Experience Program in 2006 to introduce research culture and ethics to the student populace. That this has already been effective is evidenced by the number of successful applicants. Despite the QNRF steering committee raising the minimum grade necessary to be awarded a grant to 75 (up from the last awards cycle cut-off grade of 70) 62% of peer reviewed papers were awarded grants as compared to 60% last year.

UREP's second funding cycle also saw a marked increase in collaborative research. While only two collaborative projects were awarded in the first UREP cycle, there were eleven awarded collaborative projects in the second UREP cycle, including seven projects between Hamad Medical Corporation and universities, two among universities themselves, one between Qatar University and KAHRAMAA and one between Qatar University and the Armed Forces Medical Services.

Qatar National Research Fund Director Dr. Abdul Sattar Al-Taie commented: "Qatar National Research Fund is delighted to be assisting students and faculty in establishing collaborative research relationships. This contributes directly to Qatar Foundation's vision of creating a knowledge-based society."

Eighty-two research proposals were sent to three independent peer reviewers each. Nearly 140 Arab expatriate scientists, international and local peer reviewers participated in the review process. From these 82 the successful 51 were selected as follows:

Broad academic area / No. of proposals submitted / No. of proposals reviewed (not declined or withdrawn)/ No. of proposals awarded grants
Arts and Humanities 6/ 6/ 4
Engineering 24/ 24/ 16
Health 22/ 20/ 12
Sciences 23/ 23/ 16
Social Sciences 11/ 9/ 3

Qatar National Research Fund will hold two UREP cycles per academic year and will announce the Request for Proposals for the 3rd UREP cycle of funding in September 2007.