NU-Q faculty receive grants for research

Two professors at Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) have received Undergraduate Research Experience Programme (UREP) grants.
The two are Dr Hasan Mahmud, assistant professor of sociology, and Dr Anto Mohsin, assistant professor of science and technology studies, both in NU-Q’s liberal arts programme.
The grants have been awarded by the Qatar National Research Fund, a member of Qatar Foundation Research and Development.
“These grants reflect the creative work of our faculty and play an integral role in NU-Q’s development as a hub of research excellence and innovation in Education City,” said dean and CEO Everette E Dennis.
The goal of the UREP funding is to foster and develop a culture of research as methods of enhancing undergraduate education. Students and mentors have the ability to build their research and experience portfolio through such programmes. NU-Q’s newest UREP proposals will engage research mentors and undergraduate students.
Among the grants awarded this month is a study on cultivating a science-based community and scientific culture in Qatar. Dr Mohsin, working in collaboration with the Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), will oversee the project.
“Receiving this grant will allow me to involve student researchers on the project and also expand its scope. One of the hopes we have for the study is to use QEERI’s Science Majlis to understand the drivers and challenges of cultivating a culture of scientific learning in Qatar,” said Dr Mohsin.
The award to Dr Mahmud focuses on Qatari foreign aid to developing countries. “This project will contribute to development of a knowledge base in international affairs, especially those related to the allocation of foreign aid for developing countries. It will also contribute to the development of public policy, governance and regulation as these relate to effective Qatari foreign aid management,” said Dr Mahmud.
In the past 19 cycles of UREP, NU-Q has been awarded nine grant projects, which have offered NU-Q students and faculty the opportunity to immerse in similar innovative pedagogical methods and produce widely published journals and reports.