Conference and Workshop Sponsorship

Objective

These activities aim to connect researchers in Qatar to their peers and colleagues both in Qatar and abroad, as well as attracting and informing scientists from abroad about research and opportunities in Qatar. They will further serve to expose undergraduates to the importance of social networks in the sciences, in technology development, and in the arts and humanities.

Description

The purpose of these sponsorships is to improve the interaction between national researchers in Qatar and international researchers outside Qatar.

At present, two key areas of activity are supported:

1.    Scientific, technical, and other conferences for national and international researchers that generally involve over 100 participants and generally occur over a five-day period.

2.    Workshops for national and international researchers that focus on specialized areas of scientific, technical, or other interests and generally involve less than 50 participants over a period of two to four days.

Co-sponsoring of conferences with Qatari and non-Qatari funding organizations could provide additional sponsorship funding. However, QNRF shall be the sole sponsor for workshops.

Potential Benefits

These funding activities will indirectly help to build human capital in Qatar. The sponsorship of international conferences and workshops, allows greater contact and more collaborative exchanges between those working in Qatar and those coming from outside. It aids the cause of education in general, and adds insight and inspiration to relevant ongoing research in Qatar. 

By enhancing the credibility of Qatar’s own research activities, it increases Qatar's profile as an international center of excellence for the research that it specializes in. Workshops within the Qatar community will foster collaboration among researchers and potential beneficiaries and stakeholders. Such activities can also provide for professional development of Qataris, offering an initial step towards graduate programs, and serving to bring the academic and public/private sectors into contact.

Documentation of the conference proceedings and workshop summary reports will yield additional benefits both in publicizing QNRF’s activities and facilitating future research.