DOHA: Majority of Qatari undergraduates have received grants for a new cycle of research, Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF), announced yesterday.
Among 33 grants to 127 students from universities in the country, 44 percent are Qatari, up 12 percent compared to the previous year.
QNRF, a centre of Qatar Foundation Research and Development, awarded grants to budding scientists as part of the 16th cycle of the Undergraduate Research Experience Programme (UREP).
The students from eight academic institutions, are conducting research in fields significant to Qatar’s development, including social sciences, engineering and technology, humanities, natural sciences and medical and health sciences.
QNRF’s Executive Director, Dr Abdul Sattar Al Taie, said, “UREP serves an important role in QNRF’s mission to foster a vibrant research culture in the country.
Providing research opportunities for young students is key to the development of a sustainable knowledge-based economy.
“Which is why it is crucial to encourage new generations of researchers to carry out research and equip them with the tools to do so.”
Among the students is a team of researchers from Qatar University, whose proposal seeks to assess the level of water consumption and examine awareness of water sustainability.
The research aims to develop water conservation campaigns, particularly in arid environments.
A group of researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar will evaluate socio-demographic and psychiatric profiles of patients with psychosis to help design preventive measures and improve treatment received.
Students from Georgetown University will collect statistics to highlight the most important reasons that prevent women from pursuing careers after an undergraduate degree.
The aim is to provide recommendations to increase women’s participation in the workforce.
A team of students from University of Calgary in Qatar will seek to improve teaching nursing by developing means of analysing student evaluation of lecturers.
Dr Abdulnasser Al Ansari, Deputy Executive Director, QNRF, praised the proposals and said: “As long as we have young students interested in research we need to value them, which is why programmes like UREP are important.
“I am always impressed with proposals that are submitted and the 16th cycle is no exception.
“This cycle awarded 29 percent of proposals, and saw a 12 percent increase of Qatari students from the 15th cycle. Year after year, these groups of students demonstrate exceptional research capabilities and prove that there is a bright future in research in Qatar.”
Launched in 2006, UREP is QNRF’s longest-running programme, with two cycles per year.
Under faculty mentorship, students gain hands-on experiences, an essential component of QNRF’s learn-by-doing approach towards undergraduate research education.
The Peninsula
