JOSEPH VARGHESE

DOHA QATAR National Research Fund (QNRF) has awarded $140.5 million to 156 new research proposals under the National Priorities Research Program (NPRP).

The announcement was made by QNRF Executive Director Dr Abdul Sattar al Taie at the fourth QNRF annual forum on Tuesday.

There was a 57 percent increase in the number of awarded institutions in Qatar this year. Projects are awarded funds on a competitive basis and are subject to rigorous analysis by QNRF, with the successful submissions representing 25 percent of all proposals received.

Out of the 156 projects selected for funding, 62 were from Qatar University, 39 from TAMUQ, 13 from Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, 17 from Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar and 12 from HMC, he said.

The fifth cycle funding marked an increase of 16 percent over the previous cycle, which stood at $121.3 million.

The number of awarded proposals rose from 145 to 156 and the number of organisations that received the grant rose from 14 to 25.

The proposals received covered a broad range of disciplines such as the natural sciences, engineering and technology, medical and health sciences, agricultural sciences, social sciences and humanities.

Around 340 international organisations are collaborating in the awarded projects of which 42 are in the MENA region. 67 percent of the research activities are being conducted in Qatar and 75 percent of the total fund is spent in Qatar.

Around 800 papers have been published on the research done so far.

One patent has been received and three patent applications have been submitted for approval, he said.

The sixth cycle of the NPRP is scheduled to begin in September 2012. Academic institutions got 82.2 percent of the grant while government organisations bagged 10 percent. NGOs got 6.1 percent of the grant and private sector got 1.7 percent.

Speaking on the occasion, Qatar Foundation’s Research and Development President Faisal M al Suwaidi highlighted the role of research in a nation’s growth.