DOHA: Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF), a key constituent of Qatar Foundation Research and Development (QF R&D), has launched a new funding programme, the Postdoctoral Research Award (PDRA).
Supporting scholars who will work within the research institutes of QF R&D and other Qatar-based research entities, PDRA is designed to focus on the four major pillars outlined in the Qatar National Research Strategy (QNRS).
Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, through H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser’s leadership, is committed to advancing education, research and social development in Qatar and the region, a press release issued by Qatar Foundation said yesterday.
PDRA is a part of its continuous endeavours to support these goals of QF R&D as well as address the research grand challenges of Qatar. This competitive funding programme will provide research institutions with substantial funds to pay salaries and related expenses of successfully nominated scholars.
As part of PDRA, successful candidates will be awarded grants for up to two years, with an extension of one additional year if required. They will also gain recognition for contributing socially and scientifically to Qatar’s research mission, with the potential for creating a worldwide impact on the global research community.
Dr Abdul Sattar Al Taie, Executive Director of QNRF, said: “PDRA is the second in a series of new programmes to be launched by QNRF this fiscal year and joins a whole host of on-going funding programmes. PDRA will be one of the mechanisms designed to attract outstanding local and international postdoctoral scholars to relocate them with invaluable work experience that will help them to cement their careers in research which, in turn, will support the demand for researchers at universities and research institutions in Qatar.”
PDRA will provide each successful postdoctoral scholar with a highly attractive stipend, in addition to a competitive package of benefits. Qatari nationals will receive an additional retention allowance, amounting to eight per cent of the stipend, to further encourage the growth of a high-quality, home-grown research community.
Elaborating on the eligibility for applying to the new programme, Dr Abdulnasser Al Ansari, Deputy Executive Director of QNRF explained: “Candidates who have earned their PhDs within the previous five years or less, as well as graduating PhD students, located inside or outside Qatar are eligible to apply for this programme on a competitive basis. PDRA candidates must be nominated for the award by QNRF-approved local research institutions located inside Qatar.”
The Peninsula
