Executive Director’s Message | March 2021

Recognizing our talented leaders in research

Dear readers,

When it comes to inspirational figures who have made a mark in their professional lives and created substantial impact through their work, Qatar is very fortunate. We have many exceptionally talented scientists, academics, and researchers who through their work are helping Qatar foster a thriving RDI ecosystem and develop solutions for increasingly complex problems faced across the world.

All of us at Qatar National Research Fund take pride in the fact that our efforts are building Qatar’s local human capital and we are playing an important role in helping Qatar’s scientists and researchers emerge as enterprising leaders in their respective fields. Through our newsletter, we try to share stories of such leaders so our readers can gain inspiration from their journeys and learn about their efforts driving the remarkable development efforts underway across Qatar.  This month, we feature Dr. Asma Ali Al Thani, who has played a critical role in helping establish a world-class precision medicine infrastructure in Qatar and I hope you all will have a lot to learn from her interview.

Moreover, this month’s edition also features two outstanding success stories from the fields of pediatric health and renewable energy. One of the stories looks at a project conducted jointly by researchers in Qatar and Germany that aims to reduce the incidence of deafness in infants, whereas the other story features a unique solar roof tile that produces green energy without having to compromise on the building design and appearance.

Such success stories reflect our ongoing commitment to translating research outcomes to implementable solutions which are directly contributing to improving the quality of life in Qatar. And while these solutions have been developed locally, they are effective gateways for Qatar to connect globally and cement its position as an international destination for research, development, and innovation. These projects reflect the new and transformative beginning for Qatar’s RDI ecosystem marked by QRDI 2030 which envisages a fully integrated RDI ecosystem in Qatar with significant commercial activity. We at QNRF embrace the additional responsibility this places on us and are constantly evolving and adapting to ensure that together, we keep on helping Qatar meet its national priorities.

Our researchers, scientists, inventors, and academics are an integral part of Qatar’s development journey. Here at QNRF, our mission is to inspire and empower our research community to fulfil their personal and professional goals and play a role in helping Qatar achieve its objectives. To that end, I take this opportunity to encourage eligible key investigators to take the first step and apply to our programs which are currently accepting applications across different disciplines. Take care and God bless!