QNRF announces outcome of 10th UREP cycle

Playing a key role in supporting research initiatives in the country, Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF), announced today the outcome of the 10th cycle of its funding program - the Undergraduate Research Experience Program (UREP).

During the 10th UREP cycle, QNRF received a total of 126 research proposals, each of which was evaluated by three independent peer reviewers. The average score of the proposals was 78.6 percent. In order to ensure quality of proposals, yet maintain a good success rate, the QNRF Steering Committee has decided to adopt a cutoff score of 83 percent for this cycle. Results indicate that 51 research proposals, engaging 195 undergraduate students across 6 academic institutions were awarded.

“Since October 2006, QNRF has implemented 10 UREP cycles in which a total of 1121 research proposals have been submitted for peer reviewing and 507 proposals have been awarded,” said Dr. Abdul Sattar Al-Taie, Executive Director, QNRF.

“This cycle is record-breaking in terms of the number of students awarded and of the proposals’ average score, both of which are the highest of all 10 UREP cycles to date. This is particularly pleasing as it comes at the non-compromisingly high cut-off score of 83 percent,” he said.

UREP aims to foster a research culture amongst undergraduate students by engaging them in hands-on research projects under the guidance of experienced academic supervisors. UREP also encourages collaboration between academic and non-academic institutions in order to promote crossbreeding of expertise between academia and other institutions in Qatar. Through UREP and other similar programs, QNRF actively seeks to advance knowledge and education in Qatar.