Dubai: More funds need to be allocated towards scientific research in the UAE in order to build a knowledge-oriented economy, the National Research Foundation (NRF) revealed at a press conference to announce the launch of its research funding competitions on Thursday.

According to a report announced during the 13th Ministers Responsible for Higher Education and Research in the Arab World conference that took place in Abu Dhabi in 2011, the UAE has one of the lowest expenditures in terms of scientific research. The report revealed that the UAE spends 0.03 per cent of its GDP on scientific research, which is significantly below the 0.2 average that Arab countries spend on scientific research.

The NRF also revealed that since its establishment by Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, in 2008, it has only received an average of Dh5 million per year for research, an amount that is significantly lower than the average Dh100 million that was requested to be allocated towards scientific research grants at the beginning of its establishment 5 years ago.

Hussam Sultan Al Ulama, Director of NRF, said that the foundation has promoted and provided scientific research funding in the best possible ways despite the low budget. The foundation however hopes to increase the budget in order to meet NRF’s intended plans and the expectations of the UAE’s future researchers.

“According to the present situation, the budget which was fixed to be spent on scientific research is below the average but we wish that in the future it will be raised not only for NRF but for the researchers and the university students who have a lot of ideas that they want to transform into real scientific projects,” Al Ulama said.

One of the most vital projects that could not be transformed into reality due to low funding is establishing a scientific research database. “The database is extremely vital to scientific research in the UAE. It will help us find and assign researchers as well as avoid research duplications and so save researchers unnecessary costs. We have announced that we are working on the project two years ago — it still has not been launched due to low funding but we are working on it and hope that it will be launched in the near future.”

The NRF hopes to raise awareness about the importance on scientific research and is hoping that organisations and individuals will be interested in funding them as they offer vital avenues for the country to expand its knowledge economy.

The foundation also announced the launch of the second cycle of the new research funding competition’s in six different categories, out of which four are open to UAE nationals only.

The research funding competitions programmes include the Emirati Faculty Research Mobility Award, Young Emirati Postgraduate Research Students Mobility Award, Young Emirati Innovators Prize, Young Emirati Researchers Prize, The University-Industry Research Collaboration Award and the Patent Filing Award.

The NRF’s official website www.nrf.ae offers more information.

— Noor Nazzal is a trainee at Gulf News