Driving research and innovation to be focus of QF’s ARC’18 conference

Driving research and innovation that addresses Qatar’s greatest challenges and generates true economic and social benefit for the nation will be the focus of the Qatar Foundation Annual Research Conference 2018 (ARC’18).

The latest edition of Qatar Foundation Research and Development’s (QF R&D’s) flagship event will be held at the Qatar National Convention Centre from March 20 to 22 in 2018, under the theme ‘R&D: Focusing On Priorities, Delivering Impact’. It will bring together researchers, innovators, thought-leaders, and policy makers from Qatar and around the world.

Expert-led panel sessions will highlight Qatar’s research and innovation accomplishments, challenges, and future goals, and discuss strategies for ensuring research and development efforts are targeted toward areas that make a tangible difference to people’s lives and have the greatest potential for commercialisation.
Members of Qatar’s research community are being invited to showcase their work at ARC’18, with a call for abstracts now open.

“The theme of ARC’18 reflects the mission-driven ethos of QF R&D, and the point our nation has reached in the development of its research and innovation ecosystem,” said Dr Hamad Al Ibrahim, Executive Vice-President, QF R&D.

“Having built intellectual and physical capacity and cultivated a dynamic and constantly-evolving research culture, we are now focusing on the next level – generating impact through innovation that targets our national priorities, makes Qatar a stronger and more sustainable nation, and is capable of disrupting the global marketplace,” he said.

“At a time when the importance of innovation in shaping the future has never been clearer, ARC’18 represents a platform for the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and perspectives between Qatar’s research stakeholders and the global research community; for showcasing Qatar’s achievements and ambitions in the sphere of R&D; and for fostering the synergy and collaboration across all sectors that is essential to ensuring our research and innovation ecosystem is driven by excellence, and drives impact.”

All abstracts must comprise original research and focus on one of the four ARC’18 pillars: Energy and Environment; Computing and Information Technology; Health and Biomedical; and Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities. Once submitted, they will be considered for paper or poster presentation at the conference following a review by a panel at experts, with a deadline for submissions set for October 25.

“ARC’18 provides a channel for connections to be made, new and mutually-beneficial networks of knowledge to be formed, and collaboration opportunities within and beyond Qatar to be identified,” said Dr Nabeel Al Salem, Chair of the ARC’18 Organising Committee, and Executive Director of Operations, QF R&D. “It is also an opportunity to illustrate the progress and outcomes of research activity focused on addressing Qatar’s national priorities
“We look forward to welcoming the local and global R&D community to ARC’18 to share experiences, approaches, ideas, and opinions on how we can address unique and universal challenges through research and innovation.”

To submit an abstract, and for more information about ARC’18, applicants can visit www.qf-arc.org.