Manama: Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) has awarded $140.5 million to research proposals that come under the National Priorities Research Programme (NPRP), designed to foster a culture of research in the country.
The amount, now in its fifth cycle, marks a 15 per cent increase over the previous cycle.
QNRF, a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), launched the fifth cycle of the NPRP in September 2011 and it has received over 1,460 Letters of Intent, generating a large number of research proposals.
The proposals that have been received cover a broad range of disciplines that include natural sciences, engineering and technology, medical and health sciences, agricultural sciences, social sciences and humanities
The 632 proposals that qualified were sent for external review and evaluation by up to five international peer reviewers, QF said in a statement.
Potential benefits
QNRF criteria for selecting proposals take into account originality, potential benefits for Qatar and the region, as well as the relevant qualifications of the research team. Projects are awarded funds on a competitive basis and are subject to rigorous analysis by QNRF, with the successful submissions representing 25 per cent of all proposals received, the statement said, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.
"Qatar will be an international centre for research and development, excellence, and innovation," Faisal Al Suwaidi, QF President of Research and Development, said.
The principles governing scientific growth in Qatar are three-fold - societal, economic and strategic needs, the presence of local expertise and planned future capacity, and the opportunity for substantive impact locally, regionally, and globally, he said.
