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Nov 09 2010

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United Arab Emirates University Awards 37 Grants For Research in Areas of National Importance

H. H. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Chancellor of UAEU and Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research, said:

"I welcome this action which is consistent with supporting national priorities. Research is at the core of our Nation's development and I am greatly encouraged to see that these scholars will be able to contribute even more towards this progress through these grants."

H. E. Dr Abdulla Al Khanbashi, Vice-Chancellor of UAEU, said:

"I congratulate the recipients of these grants and I look forward to being able to continue to recognise the outstanding work of these and other members of our faculty in future.

"UAEU has taken decisive action over the last two years to increase substantially our research contributions in areas of direct relevance to the Nation.

"As we have done this we have significantly improved the global standing both of our research and of our educational programs.

"UAEU will continue to provide research solutions of genuine value to the Nation at the same time as educating and training the nation's future leaders and problem-solvers."

The criteria for the grant awarded were in two parts:

1. International competitiveness. The proposed research was required to adhere to the highest global standards of quality. This was judged using the National Research Foundation's international peer review mechanism. Only those proposals that met or exceeded this standard went to the second stage.

2. National importance. The proposed research was required to be directly relevant to the current needs of individual Emirates and the UAE. A review panel judged this using recent government vision statements as criteria.

The funds for the grants, DHM 12.5 million in total, came from administrative and staffing efficiencies achieved at the university over the past year. This is the highest level of internal grant funding achieved to date at UAEU, and is additional to recent investments of funds to support the creation of the Nation's first PhD program.

The amounts awarded were in almost all cases significantly less than the researchers had requested, but were judged to be sufficient for work to continue productively while the researchers also pursue additional funding support from sources outside of the University.

United Arab Emirates University (UAEU)

• UAEU is a 21^st Century research-based university, providing research solutions to support the UAE and, through its global partners, the wider world

• UAEU was ranked 372 globally by The Times in 2010; for life sciences it was ranked 202

• The UAE's first and leading national university

• Founded in 1976 by Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan

• Chancellor: His Highness Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research

Senior management:

• Vice Chancellor: Dr Abdullah Al-Khanbashi

• Provost: Professor Wyatt R. Hume

Nine faculties:

• Business & Economics

• Education

• Engineering

• Food & Agriculture

• Humanities & Social Sciences

• Information Technology

• Law

• Medicine & Health Science

• Science

First PhD program in UAE national institution commenced in January 2010. 44 PhD students are now enrolled. Substantial additional investments of funds in support of this program have been made, also derived from administrative and staffing efficiencies achieved at UAEU over the last two years.

Strong focus on providing specific research solutions and benefits to society, while also building capacity in young UAE Nationals − the new model of a 21^st Century university, furthering research as part of the global network of discovery and innovation while building local capability to ensure enduring value.

www.uaeu.ac.ae

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© Press Release 2010