DOHA: Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) was awarded three research grants by Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) during the sixth annual QNRF Forum at Qatar National Convention Centre.
The awards add over $2.5m in research money to $6.2m GU-Q has been awarded since the first competition in 2007.
In the current competition, GU-Q’s success rate was 25 percent, higher than the overall competition average, and twice the rate for other social sciences proposals. “GU-Q is one of the world’s foremost research-focused, student-centric universities, and the degree we offer in Qatar is the same as in the US: students in Doha and DC are part of one cohort. The recognition of our work by QNRF shows that our investment in establishing the same strong research ethos at the Qatar campus as in Washington, is paying dividends,” said GU-Q’s Dean, Dr Gerd Nonneman.
“Some of the world’s top researchers are choosing to join our faculty. QF’s research grants are a welcome accolade for GU-Q’s contribution to building a genuine research culture in Qatar.”
The projects are ‘An Experimental Evaluation of the Returns to Skill Training of Migrant Workers in Qatar’, co-led by Dr Ganesh Seshan; ‘Assessing the Effectiveness of Interfaith Initiatives’, co-led by Dr Patrick Laude; and ‘Safeguarding Food and Environment in Qatar’, co-led by Dr Zeynep Topaloglu.
The projects involve collaborations with top research institutions around the world and in Doha, including the World Bank, University of Cambridge, Brunel University, University of Western Sydney, and Doha Centre for Interfaith Dialogue.
Dr John Crist, Director of Research, GU-Q, said “We are grateful to QNRF for supporting GU-Q’s research. This year’s winning projects will expand knowledge about vital aspects of Qatar’s development plans, including food security, the training of migrant workers, and Qatar’s global leadership in promoting interfaith dialogue. Funding research like this about important social policies and goal helps improve the return on the large investments Qatar has made in these areas.”
The forum, under the patronage of Faisal Alsuwaidi, President, QF R&D, was themed ‘Building on Success’ and attended by more than 400 members of Qatar’s research community.
The Peninsula
