QF ARC’18 to focus on the impact of research

The Qatar Foundation(QF) Annual Research Conference 2018 (ARC’18) will focus on research andinnovation that address Qatar’s greatest challenges and generate trueeconomic and social benefit for the nation, it was announced yesterday.Members of Qatar’s research community are being invited to showcase their work at ARC’18, with a call for abstracts now open.The deadline for submissions is October 25.Thelatest edition of the Qatar Foundation Research and Development (QFR&D)’s flagship event will be held at the Qatar National ConventionCentre from March 20-22, themed R&D: Focusing on Priorities,Delivering Impact.It will bring together researchers, innovators, thought-leaders, and policymakers from Qatar and around the world.Expert-ledpanel sessions will highlight Qatar’s research and innovationaccomplishments, challenges, and future goals, and discuss strategiesfor ensuring research and development efforts are targeted toward areasthat make a tangible difference to people’s lives and have the greatestpotential for commercialisation.“The theme of ARC’18 reflects themission-driven ethos of QF R&D, and the point our nation has reachedin the development of its research and innovation ecosystem,” said QFR&D executive vice-president Dr Hamadal-Ibrahim.“Having builtintellectual and physical capacity and cultivated a dynamic andconstantly-evolving research culture, we are now focusing on the nextlevel – generating impact through innovation that targets our nationalpriorities, makes Qatar a stronger and more sustainable nation, and iscapable of disrupting the global marketplace,” he added.Allabstracts must comprise original research and focus on one of the fourARC’18 pillars: Energy and Environment; Computing and InformationTechnology; Health and Biomedical; and, Social Sciences, Arts, andHumanities.Once submitted, they will be considered for paper or poster presentation at the conference.“ARC’18provides a channel for connections to be made, new andmutually-beneficial networks of knowledge to be formed, andcollaboration opportunities within and beyond Qatar to be identified,”said QF R&D executive director of operations Dr Nabeel al-Salem, whochairs the ARC’18 organising committee. “It is also an opportunity toillustrate the progress and outcomes of research activity focused onaddressing Qatar’s priorities.”