Flagship Research Grant Program
Source: https://www.hbku.edu.qa/en/research/frg/cycle3 Parent: https://www.hbku.edu.qa/en/research/frg
Overview
Designed to advance HBKU’s institutional research priorities, the Flagship Research Grant (FRG) Program fosters interdisciplinary collaboration by bringing together colleges and research institutes to conduct impactful, strategically aligned research through integrated, cross-cutting approaches. The flagship research areas are unique because they draw on HBKU’s well-established domain knowledge and a broad range of competencies to deliver multidisciplinary and outcome-driven research.
The 3rd Cycle of the FRG program will fund projects within the FRG focus areas— selected through a rigorous review process — to deliver practical solutions to real-world problems and produce scholarly outcomes. Importantly, it is envisioned that these projects will evolve through internal and external funding and strong stakeholder engagement. The projects are also expected establish significant research capability and deliver tangible impact at a local, regional and international levels. The FRG program promotes cohesiveness and engagement across multiple key dimensions including:
Research
Joint projects that cut across multidisciplinary themes, engage multiple entities, and have the potential to evolve to deliver tangible impact and build significant capacity
Resources
Efficient use of shared research infrastructure (facilities, research equipment), utilization of joint research funding, collaborative workshops, and stakeholder engagement.
Academic
Opportunities for development of co-taught courses based on the project topics, and student engagement in interdisciplinary research projects.
Program Objectives
Launch FRG within HBKU that bring together colleges and research institutes to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and pursue innovative research aligned with shared strategic goals.
Maximize collaboration and ensure effective partnership across HBKU entities through targeted investment.
Advance impactful research in clearly defined research areas by uniting faculty, researchers, and students from across HBKU disciplines and entities to address complex societal and scientific challenges.
Produce high-quality scholarly outputs (e.g., journal articles, books), develop practical solutions to real-world problems, and build human capital through mentoring, training, and collaborative research experiences.
Support multidisciplinary research initiatives with the potential to scale over time to build differentiated institutional capacity that can deliver significant impact.
Program Focus Areas
- Generative AI and Applications
- Sustainable and Resilient Arid Cities
- Autism: Causes, Diagnosis, and Intervention
- Islamic Ethics: From Social Cohesion to Global Challenges
- Global Transformation: Future of Governance
Awardees
| Project Title | Project Lead | Project Lead Entity | Research Team | Research Team Entities | Flagship Areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A cell line multi-omics AI based approach to screen for the effects of a Qatari RGS4 gene mutation on G protein stabilization in Autism. | Jouke-Jan Hottenga | QBRI | Vladimir Katanaev Nady El Hajj Halima Bensmail Houari Abdesselem Khalid Ouararhni Mohammed Shaker Yongsoo Park | QBRI CHLS/CSE QCRI HBKU Core Labs HBKU Core Labs QBRI QBRI | - Autism - Generative AI & Applications |
| Integrated Aerial-Ground Intelligent Sensing and AI Platform for Resource-Efficient and Sustainable Agriculture in Qatar’s Arid Climate | Amine Bermak | CSE | Roberto Baldacci Abdelkrim Khelif Bo Wang Sa'd Abdel-Halim Shannak Sanjay Chawla | CSE CSE CSE QEERI QCRI | - Sustainable & Resilient Arid Cities - Generative AI & Applications |
| MESHKAT: Modelling and Evaluation of Solar Hubs in Qatar – A Customer-Driven AI Platform for Sustainable Arid Cities | Luluwah Al Fagih | CSE | Dhabia Al Mohannadi Selma Awadallah Dunia Bachour Ameni Boumaiza Esmat Zaidan | CSE CSE QEERI QEERI CPP | - Sustainable & Resilient Arid Cities - Generative AI & Applications |
| Environmental exposure and human health in Qatar: A generative AI-enabled framework for risk assessment and communication | Georges Nemer | CHLS | Rami Alfarra Mohamed Abdallah Ala Al Fuqaha Omar Albagha Christos Fountoukis | QEERI CSE CSE CHLS/QBRI QEERI | - Generative AI & Applications - Sustainable & Resilient Arid Cities |
| Environmental Health in Urbanised Arid Regions: Assessing the Effects of Natural Dust and Anthropogenic Pollution on Pulmonary and Cardiovascular Functions | Rami Alfarra | QEERI | Omar Albagha Nehad Alajez Juan Murias Halima Bensmail Shamjad Moosakutty Azhar Siddique | CHLS/QBRI QBRI CHLS QCRI QEERI QEERI | - Sustainable & Resilient Arid Cities |
| AI-Enhanced Resilience for Data Centers in Arid Cities: Sustainable Cooling, Predictive Control, and Climate-Aware Cost Optimization | Sertac Bayhan | QEERI | Haitham Abu Rub Sanjay Chawla Ahmet Faruk Aysan Abdlmonem Beitelmal Nurettin Sezer Christos Fountoukis Sa'd Shannak Ali Ghrayeb Othmane Bouhali | CSE QCRI CIS QEERI QEERI QEERI QEERI CSE CSE | - Sustainable & Resilient Arid Cities - Generative AI & Applications |
| Transformative Global Governance Led by Non-Western Small and Middle Powers: The Cases of Qatar and South Africa in Pursuing Peace and Justice in a Fractured World | Sultan Barakat | CPP | Steven Wright Ka Lok Yip Mustafa Elamin Kim Moloney | CHSS CL CIS CPP | - Global Transformation |
| Visualizing Adaptive and Transformative Governance: Qatar at the Nexus of Local, Regional, Transnational, and Global Change | Evren Tok | CPP | Esmat Zaidan Georgios Dimitropoulos George Mikros Asmaa Alfadala Abdulfatah Mohamed Kehinde Olaoye | CPP CL CHSS CPP CIS CL | - Global Transformation |
| NAVIA: Neurodiversity Assessment and Voice-enabled Intervention AI | Shammur Chowdhury | QCRI | Fouad Al Shaban Shazia Afzal Deborah Giustini | QBRI QCRI CHSS | - Autism - Generative AI & Applications |
| Islamic Media Ethics in the Digital Age: AI-Powered Solutions for Combating Misinformation and Promoting Constructive Cross-Cultural Dialogue | Rashid Yahiaoui | CHSS | Mustafa Jarrar George Mikros Mahmoud Al Hirthani Mutaz Al Khatib Logan Cochrane Firoj Alam | CHSS CHSS CHSS CIS CPP QCRI | - Islamic Ethics - Generative AI & Applications |