+ A
A -
Tribune News Network
Doha
Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF), a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), has announced the outcome of the first Clusters Track of the 11th cycle of its main funding programme, the National Priorities Research Program (NPRP).
The aim of the new track is to solve complex, interdisciplinary research problems that require a holistic approach, with larger teams and strategic management to steer sub-projects towards achieving an impactful outcome.
Dr Abdul Sattar al Taie, executive director, QNRF, said: “I extend my warm congratulations to the pioneering awarded teams of the inaugural NPRP-Clusters. For over a decade, QNRF has been committed to building Qatar’s research and innovation capacity to make it a hub for cutting-edge research and scientific exploration.
Eight research proposals were received ahead of the deadline in April 2018 and underwent an extensive, two-stage evaluation process that resulted in the awarding of two projects.
The first cluster was awarded to Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) proposal addressing the theme of Qatar Diabetes Prevention Program, submitted by project director Professor Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra.
This cluster comprises seven sub-projects with multi-institutional collaboration and entails four clinical trials and omics and e-health applications.
The outcomes of the project have the potential to deliver tangible impact for end-users, and to help minimise type 2 diabetes in Qatar, while expanding the intervention strategy regionally.
It also includes sub-projects led by principal investigators from QF member Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) research entities Qatar Biomedical Research Institute and Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI), as well as Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, a QF partner university.
The team will also engage in local research collaboration with QF members Sidra Medicine and Qatar Biobank, as well as the Ministry of Public Health, Qatar University (QU), Qatar Diabetes Authority and the Primary Health Care Corporation.
QU received the second award, for its project addressing the Cyber-Resilient Fintech theme.
Titled ‘A Secure End-to-End Blockchain-Based Solution to Finance Trade: The Legal, Technological, and Economic Framework,’ submitted by project director Dr Mazen El-Masri.
This cluster comprises six sub-projects from multiple local research institutions and research-end-users, and focuses on developing innovative solutions based on blockchain technology to tackle issues faced by Qatar’s banking and Fintech industries.
Several Qatari stakeholders and research end-users are collaborating and co-funding the project, due to their interest in the outcomes.
Noor al Merekhi, deputy executive director and director of Programmes Administration, QNRF, said: “We’re very pleased with the response for the inaugural call for proposals of NPRP-Clusters. This track distinguishes itself by placing a strong focus on developing innovative multi-disciplinary approaches and institutional collaborations, to ensure that our researchers build robust and sustainable solutions to the identified problems.
Both awarded clusters involve the collaboration of relevant local shareholders, in addition to their co-funding both cash and in-kind.”
Doha
Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF), a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), has announced the outcome of the first Clusters Track of the 11th cycle of its main funding programme, the National Priorities Research Program (NPRP).
The aim of the new track is to solve complex, interdisciplinary research problems that require a holistic approach, with larger teams and strategic management to steer sub-projects towards achieving an impactful outcome.
Dr Abdul Sattar al Taie, executive director, QNRF, said: “I extend my warm congratulations to the pioneering awarded teams of the inaugural NPRP-Clusters. For over a decade, QNRF has been committed to building Qatar’s research and innovation capacity to make it a hub for cutting-edge research and scientific exploration.
Eight research proposals were received ahead of the deadline in April 2018 and underwent an extensive, two-stage evaluation process that resulted in the awarding of two projects.
The first cluster was awarded to Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) proposal addressing the theme of Qatar Diabetes Prevention Program, submitted by project director Professor Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra.
This cluster comprises seven sub-projects with multi-institutional collaboration and entails four clinical trials and omics and e-health applications.
The outcomes of the project have the potential to deliver tangible impact for end-users, and to help minimise type 2 diabetes in Qatar, while expanding the intervention strategy regionally.
It also includes sub-projects led by principal investigators from QF member Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) research entities Qatar Biomedical Research Institute and Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI), as well as Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, a QF partner university.
The team will also engage in local research collaboration with QF members Sidra Medicine and Qatar Biobank, as well as the Ministry of Public Health, Qatar University (QU), Qatar Diabetes Authority and the Primary Health Care Corporation.
QU received the second award, for its project addressing the Cyber-Resilient Fintech theme.
Titled ‘A Secure End-to-End Blockchain-Based Solution to Finance Trade: The Legal, Technological, and Economic Framework,’ submitted by project director Dr Mazen El-Masri.
This cluster comprises six sub-projects from multiple local research institutions and research-end-users, and focuses on developing innovative solutions based on blockchain technology to tackle issues faced by Qatar’s banking and Fintech industries.
Several Qatari stakeholders and research end-users are collaborating and co-funding the project, due to their interest in the outcomes.
Noor al Merekhi, deputy executive director and director of Programmes Administration, QNRF, said: “We’re very pleased with the response for the inaugural call for proposals of NPRP-Clusters. This track distinguishes itself by placing a strong focus on developing innovative multi-disciplinary approaches and institutional collaborations, to ensure that our researchers build robust and sustainable solutions to the identified problems.
Both awarded clusters involve the collaboration of relevant local shareholders, in addition to their co-funding both cash and in-kind.”
