QNRF ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS OF POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH AWARD

Program recognizes local researchers and scientists, helping build distinguished careers

Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) – a member of Qatar Foundation (QF) – has announced the outcome of the fifth cycle of its Postdoctoral Research Award (PDRA).
As a track of Qatar Research Leadership Program (QRLP), PDRA aims to build human capabilities in research fields aligned with the objectives of the Qatar National Research Strategy (QNRS). The award aims to attract the best national and home-grown recent PhD graduates and young researchers to encourage independence from an early age.
Successful candidates with the highest potential are selected after a competitive screening and reviewing process. Under the program, awardees are offered fellowship awards with an opportunity to work in an advanced research environment under mentoring from highly qualified researchers and experts.
This year, QNRF awarded six candidates – five of which will pursue their postdoctoral fellowship at Qatar University, while the remaining recipient will be at Texas A&M University at Qatar, a QF partner university. These awardees will join the illustrious alumni of QNRF’s various funding and capacity-building programs. Since its inception in 2013, QNRF has received a total of 239 applications for PDRA, out of which 37 postdoctoral candidates have been awarded so far.
Dr. Aisha Al-Obaidly, Director of Capacity Building at QNRF, said: “In order for Qatar to achieve its aim of developing a sustainable and diversified economy, building the local human capacity to carry out result-oriented research in different disciplines to create tangible outcomes is an utmost necessity.
“Therefore, QNRF is committed to providing postdoctoral scholars and early career researchers and scientists opportunities to cement build their skills and knowledge and contribute to our national priorities. We are glad that our efforts are being welcomed as our awards and programs, including PDRA, are receiving an increasing number of applications every year.”
QNRF receives applications for PDRA which focus on, but are not limited to, basic and applied research areas in all fields of natural sciences, engineering and technology, medical and health sciences, agricultural sciences, social sciences and humanities.
Morcos Metry, an awardee of the fifth cycle of the PDRA, said: “Through this proposal, I aim to work on fundamental research in power electronics and controls and design a solar roof tile based on a non-planar photovoltaic that is suitable for residential buildings in Qatar. PDRA is a very appropriate transition between my PhD research and an academic job. Through PDRA, I will be able to develop my fundamental research skills further, explore commercial applications, and build research connections and collaborations."
To learn more about PDRA and eligibility requirements, please visit: https://www.qnrf.org/en-us/Funding/Capacity-Building-and-Development-Programs/Qatar-Research-Leadership-Program-QRLP/Postdoctoral-Research-Award-PDRA.