QNRF to fund 85 research projects

Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF), a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, has announced funding awards to 85 research projects that address Qatar’s greatest challenges, through QNRF’s 10th National Priorities Research Programme (NPRP) The announcement came during the ninth QNRF Annual Forum, which took place at Qatar National Convention Center and revealed the beneficiaries of other awards under QNRF’s portfolio of programmes.The 13 entities in Qatar that will benefit from support through the 10th cycle of NPRP are Aspetar (1 awarded proposal), Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (4), College of the North Atlantic — Qatar (2), Doha Institute For Graduate Studies (2), Gulf Organization for Research and Development (1), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (8), Hamad Medical Corp (4), Ministry of Public Health (1), Northwestern University in Qatar (1), Qatar University (29), Sidra Medical and Research Center (8), Texas A&M University at Qatar (19), and Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (5). Now in its 10th year, the NPRP was described as a “resounding success” by Dr Hamad al-Ibrahim, executive vice president of QF research and development, in his opening remarks. “This year, we introduced the concept of co-funding, encouraging contributions from collaborators and stakeholders.”Such collaborations, said Dr al-Ibrahim, help to ensure that industry and the private sector are playing their parts in meeting Qatar’s priorities.A presentation by QNRF Executive Director Dr Abdul Sattar al-Taie focused on the importance of NPRP-funded projects leading to solid research outcomes.“As Qatar’s national funding agency, QNRF’s commitment to preparing a diverse, globally engaged research workforce has seen an increase in creative, original submissions that not only align with the Qatar National Research Strategy, but also show potential for commercialisation,” al-Taie said.Noor al-Merekhi, QNRF deputy executive director and director of programmes, expressed her delight at announcing the awards for the 10th cycle of the NPRP, noting that “out of 343 peer-reviewed proposals submitted, a total of 85 were awarded, representing a 25% success rate”.“As part of the diligent peer review process, many factors were taken into consideration, the most important of which is to select research proposals that have the capacity to make the greatest scientific and socio-economic impact on Qatar.The mechanics of the NPRP, the crown jewel in QNRF’s funding activities, have been adjusted as we continue to address the long-term Grand Challenges facing society in Qatar by involving stakeholders in creating value,” she said.