HBKU’s scientists and scholars get QNRF grants

Scholars and scientists from the research focused Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), have been awarded nine grants by Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF), at the funding agency's ninth Annual Forum. HBKU’s colleges and research institutes received backing for a diverse range of projects, to explore topics within energy, environment, biomedical sciences, entrepreneurship, religion and civics. The recent announcement from QNRF adds to the list of over 75 active research grants managed at HBKU, in addition to hundreds of published papers in reputed journals, and numerous pioneering innovations in science and technology, under the University’s belt.

HBKU President Dr Ahmad Hasnah congratulated HBKU’s researchers, who have been awarded grants from QNRF, and wished them all the success in their projects. He said, “HBKU facilitates an eco-system of innovation through various academic and research programmes enabling our researchers, faculty and students to conduct high-impact research that provides solutions to challenges critical to Qatar and the world. The awards granted by QNRF, demonstrate our commitment towards the national research priorities aimed at building human capital through their cutting-edge breakthroughs and discoveries in science and research.”

HBKU’s College of Science and Engineering (CSE) received three of the QNRF National Priorities Research Program (NPRP) grants to further their work in reservoir simulation for the energy industry, phononic devices in the biomedical field, and privacy and cybersecurity. The two grants awarded to the scholars from the College of Islamic Studies focus on a multidisciplinary approach to analyzing the knowledge and communication around genomics, Islamic ethics and public engagement, and studying entrepreneurship education geared towards meeting the Qatar National Vision 2030.

Two of the HBKU’s national research institutes, Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI) and Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI) were awarded two grants each. With the grants, QEERI will conduct research in energy storage and desalination, and biomedical scientists at QBRI will study autism and molecular profiling, to better diagnose and treat prevalent disorders.

Furthermore, echoing the strong partnerships HBKU has with various institutions around Qatar, the University’s researchers received six more grants from QNRF, for collaborative research projects with fellow peers from Texas A&M University at Qatar, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, Qatar University, Sidra Medical and Research Center and Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar.

As a university driven and focused in fostering an environment of excellence in research and discovery, Dr Hasnah said, “Innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit are the foundation of our research efforts at HBKU. Our commitment to excellence is the driving force behind the ongoing pursuit for discovery, learning and progress, thus paving the way for our knowledge based future.”