Dr. Mark Weichold was appointed Dean of Texas A&M University at Qatar in January 2007. As a former engineer for companies in the US and Professor of Electrical Engineering at Texas A&M University holding three US patents related to electronic devices and fabrication, he brings a wealth of academic and industry experience to his role in Qatar.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has long been a leading cause of death worldwide. Yet the relationship between CVD, diabetes and obesity — termed the metabolic syndrome — has become a critical consideration, more than studies of each condition individually. In Qatar, the rate of obesity and diabetes, among the native population, is among the highest, worldwide, so the need is great and the push is strong to make progress along these lines.

A Qatar-based research team is working to predict where and when wireless frequencies are vacant so that the spectrum can handle up-and-coming technologies. Wide, open air. You wouldn’t think it would be expensive, but it’s one of the most valuable natural resources a nation has. In fact, there’s a lot of real estate in the air that we use constantly but rarely think about.

In the 1920s, two German scientists—Franz Fischer and Hans Tropsch—developed revolutionary chemical reactions that could transform gas into liquid. These reactions proved particularly valuable to natural gas-based fuel processing. Since the Fischer-Tropsch days, engineers around the world have been working on ways to tweak these gas-to-liquid (GTL) reactions to produce more products, more efficiently and with less environmental impact. An international research team headquartered at Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ) is making remarkable progress along these lines.

Playing a key role in supporting research initiatives in the country, Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) recently announced the outcome of the 10th cycle of its 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.

Over the past five years, The Qatar National Research Fund has awarded nearly US$345 million in support of 411 research projects ranging in sector from engineering to, biomedicine and social science. The widening array of programs and the sheer growth in volume of applicants and awards over this short period of time is unprecedented. As a result, researchers throughout Qatar and the world have come to see QNRF as a serious means for participation in cutting-edge research.

Qatar National Research Fund recently announced the launch of the 5th cycle of its outstanding international research funding initiative, the National Priorities Research Program (NPRP).

Qatar National Research Fund recently announced the results of the first cycle of the Secondary School Research Experience Program (SSREP), which was launched in September 2010, generating a considerable response. As many as 177 research proposals from 32 local secondary schools were received for consideration. Experts from the Curriculum Standards Office at the Supreme Education Council (SEC) assessed the applications. The team accredited 158 research proposals, while 19 proposals were disqualified for non-compliance with the curriculum standards adopted by the SEC.

 Perhaps the strongest reflection on the true nature of society is found in the way people live, particularly the design and decoration of their homes. The concept of gender-segregated households in the Middle East presents many considerations along these lines. In many countries the idea has succumbed to modern designs and trends. A strong exception exists in the Gulf, however. Researchers based in Qatar and Canada have recently uncovered the highly sophisticated reasons behind this practice.

The stories in this newsletter attest to the momentum created by QNRF’s dynamic funding programs, but this is no excuse to relax, and with the announcement of the opening of the fifth cycle of the NPRP, QNRF has already re-engineered the application process, including the introduction of an experience threshold for researchers, as proven by their publication record.