The Annual Research Conference 2016 (ARC’16), Qatar Foundation Research & Development’s (QF R&D) flagship event, will take place on March 22 and 23 at the Qatar National Convention Centre.
Held under the patronage of HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, chairperson of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, the theme of this year’s conference is ‘Investing in Research & Innovating for Society’.
ARC’16 aims to highlight the importance of strategic investment in research and innovation for the benefit of Qatar’s society while also addressing the country’s national ‘Research Grand Challenges’ on a global scale.
The Qatar National Research Strategy provides the framework for QF R&D’s research objectives and measures of performance by guiding the decisions to invest in research and development programmes that highlight critical national priorities.  
“Qatar’s research and development objectives are clear - invest in human capital by encouraging continuous innovation and fostering a culture of excellence for the benefit of society. The Annual Research Conference showcases these efforts and promotes closer engagement among national stakeholders and the wider research community,” said Dr Nabeel al-Salem, executive director of Outreach and Communications at QF R&D.
The opening plenary of ARC’16 will include a keynote panel discussion entitled ‘Strategic Investment in Research and Innovation for Society’ featuring leading industry experts: Dr Elias Zerhouni, president, Global R&D Sanofi France and former director of the National Institutes of Health, USA; Dr Hassan al-Derham, president of Qatar University; Suresh Sachi, deputy managing director, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore; and Christopher Coburn, vice president, innovation, Partners HealthCare, USA.
ARC’16 will showcase a number of important local and international collaborations. Speakers from Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Qatar Computing Research Institute, Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute, Qatar National Research Fund and Qatar Science & Technology Park will be leading the discussions.
The ARC’16 has received over 1,300 scientific abstracts, a record number since its inception in 2010, and an 11% increase over last year’s conference. Over 650 poster presenters along with approximately 50 oral presenters will have the opportunity to contend for the Best Poster and Research Presentation Awards.
This year’s conference will also feature the launch of QF R&D’s Best Research Project Award and Best Innovation Award, recognising Qatar’s outstanding, research and innovation projects.