Dubai Future Foundation supports 26 research projects

The Dubai Future Foundation announced the funding of 26 research projects supervised by 14 universities and academic institutions in Dubai, at the conclusion of the second session of the “Initiative to Support and Finance Research, Development and Innovation in Dubai,” one of the initiatives of the “Dubai Research, Development and Innovation Programme,” within the “Dubai Research, Development and Innovation System,” which was directed by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation, and supervised by the Foundation.
Research and scientific projects were selected from among 358 entries submitted by various universities and research institutions in Dubai, and 73 projects were selected to participate in the final stage before the projects receiving funding of up to 1.5 million dirhams each were selected.
The initiative, in its second session, witnessed the participation of 172 researchers from the UAE and the world and cooperation in developing research projects between 44 institutions from the UAE and 12 countries around the world, including Australia, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Entries were evaluated according to various criteria, including their relevance to priority areas of research, development and innovation in Dubai, potential future partnerships, their role in capacity building, innovation in their methodology and results, their expected impact in various strategic sectors, and the overall budget.
In its second session, the “Initiative to Support and Fund Research, Development and Innovation in Dubai” focused on two main areas: future cities, and health and life sciences, each of which includes four sectors that focus on using the latest advanced technologies.
The first area, “Cities of the Future,” supports specialized research in smart mobility solutions, the next generation of built environments and infrastructure, resilient and climate-friendly urban systems, and the use of urban health data to proactively enhance well-being, while the second area, “Health and Life Sciences,” targets four sectors: biological discovery and systems sciences, clinical and applied health, innovation and health engineering, and biomanufacturing and synthetic biology.
Khalifa Al Qama, Head of Research, Development and Innovation at the Dubai Future Foundation, confirmed that the broad participation in the second session of the “Initiative to Support and Finance Research, Development and Innovation in Dubai”, within the “Research, Development and Innovation System in Dubai”, reflects the momentum of accelerating development and scientific research in Dubai and comes within the framework of the ongoing efforts in Dubai to support innovators and encourage them to participate in the process of research and scientific development.
Al Qama said: This initiative will contribute to supporting and financing research projects and qualitative ideas that focus on the needs of vital and important sectors and support the path of building a diversified, sustainable digital economy based on knowledge and technology, and enhancing Dubai’s competitiveness in future vital sectors.
The list of universities and academic institutions whose projects received support from the second cycle of the “Dubai Research, Development and Innovation Support and Funding Initiative” includes the University of Birmingham Dubai, the Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, the American University in Dubai, the University of Dubai, the Birla Institute of Technology and Science – Pilani in Dubai, Heriot-Watt University Dubai, Zayed University in Dubai, Emirates Aviation University, Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government, University of Wollongong in Dubai, Middlesex University Dubai, Canadian University in Dubai, and Amity Dubai, and Higher Colleges of Technology in Dubai.
It is noteworthy that the “Dubai Research, Development and Innovation Program” is one of the components of the “Dubai Research, Development and Innovation System”, which represents an umbrella for all current and future projects and initiatives in the fields of research, development and innovation in Dubai. The program aims to find solutions based on knowledge, experience and testing for the most important challenges at the local or global level, and to increase the productivity of existing sectors, services and fields by providing new paths that enhance their economic value.
The program also contributes to supporting national efforts aimed at identifying the most important radical transformations and ways to keep pace with and address them, and prepare the infrastructure to enter new sectors that enhance economic flexibility and prepare for the future.