Research Projects Funding Program

The mission, goals, and objectives of DAU’s Strategic Plan (2023-2027) clearly indicate DAU’s interest in promoting scientific research. A key objective of the Research Projects Funding Program is to provide quality research outcomes and to create a stimulating research environment. It aims to support research projects that are original and innovative and published in high impact journals.

Definition:

A Research Project: it is scholarly work conducted according to recognized scientific principles. The work is carried out by one or more university faculty members or with the help of other university staff and students in one or more fields of academic specialization. It can be either a theoretical undertaking aimed at advancing scientific knowledge in the field of specialization or it can be applied research that enhances the findings of others and contributes to the advancement of the field of study. Research projects can be classified into small-scale research projects and medium-scale research projects.

Small-scale Research Projects: are research project that have duration of 12 months and a maximum funding limit of 20,000 Saudi Riyals. One scientific paper should result from a research project. The paper must be published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal with an impact factor that ranks in the top three quarters (Q1, Q2, Q3) of Web of Science. Publishing the paper in a different journal category is unacceptable. Deviations from this requirement would be considered breaches of contract. This may result in the university reclaiming the funds disbursed for the research project.

Medium-scale Research Projects: are research project that have maximum funding limit of 40,000 Saudi Riyals and a duration of 18 months. A research project’s findings should result in two scientific papers. The papers must be published in reputable scientific journals with impact factors in the top three quarters (Q1, Q2, Q3) of the Web of Science. Papers published in other categories are not acceptable and would be considered a breach of contract. It may lead to the university reclaiming funding disbursed for the research project.

A principal researcher: is a university faculty member responsible for the project. Conducting the research project alone or leading a team of researchers in a joint research project.

Project Duration: The project work commences after signing the contract with the General Directorate of Scientific Research and Innovation. The project has a specific timeframe for its execution, starting from the date the principal researcher receives the first installment of funding.

Program Objectives:

1. Providing funding to university researchers to encourage high-quality research.
2. Enhancing university scientific research quality.
3. Creating a competitive environment for research that attracts distinguished researchers.

The requirements for funding research projects:

1. A principal researcher must be a full-time faculty member at the university with a doctoral degree and at least an Assistant Professor rank at the university.
2. All members of the research team are faculty members or students at DAU.
3. The principal researcher should not be on sabbatical or any other leave for the entire project.
4. In case the principal researcher leaves the university before the project is completed, he/she must reimburse the university for the project funding. The amount can be deducted from entitlements. However, the reimbursement may be waived if one of the research team members agrees to assume full responsibility for the project, including financial responsibility, and the General Directorate of Scientific Research and Innovation approves it.
5. A faculty member cannot be a principal researcher in more than one ongoing research project.
6. Any changes to the research team must be approved in advance by the Research Support Unit Council. The General Directorate of Scientific Research and Innovation may cancel the funding contract and recover disbursed funds if this condition is violated.
7. The principal researcher is required to submit quarterly reports detailing the project’s progress and providing expectations regarding its timely completion.
8. All members of the research team must be listed as contributors to scientific papers resulting from the project.
9. Participants in the research project must sign a form committing to intellectual property rights.
10. Obtaining prior permission from the University’s Research Ethics Committee is necessary if the nature of the research project requires it, and all research team members must follow the rules and ethics of scientific research.
11. Research should be original and not derived from a book, thesis, or previously completed scientific work before applying for funding. It is possible to apply for funding through the Scientific Research Publishing Funding Program rather than the Research Projects Funding Program in such cases.
12. Research Support Unit Council approval is required prior to making any significant changes to a funded research project.
13. It is the principal researcher’s responsibility to complete the project within the scheduled time frame. A project’s duration can be extended for an additional six months if a request for extension is submitted at least 30 days before the project’s end date and approved by the Research Support Unit Council. Failure to comply with the project’s duration constitutes a contract breach for the university, which may terminate the project and recover the disbursed funds.
14. Two installments of 50% of the total project value are disbursed under the funding contract. The first installment is disbursed after signing the contract, and the second installment is disbursed once the research paper(s) derived from the project’s results is/are published in reputable scientific journals indexed in the Web of Science database’s first three quartiles (Q1, Q2, Q3).
15. Scientific affiliations in published research should be as follows:

Department of [Department Name], College of [College Name], Dar Al Uloom University, University Address.

1. Dar Al Uloom University is to be acknowledged for funding the research as follows:

“This research was funded by the General Directorate of Scientific Research & Innovation, Dar Al Uloom University, through the Research Projects Funding Program.”

1. It is not acceptable to acknowledge any external entity other than the university.
2. The principal researcher’s email address should be the same as his/her university email address in published research.
3. In published research, the principal researcher must be the corresponding author.

Contracting and payment procedures:

1. The principal researcher applies for research funding to the chairman of the Scientific Research and Innovation Committee at the college, with all the required documents.
2. Upon approval by the committee, the Chairman of the Scientific Research and Innovation Committee at the college forwards the application and its report to the Dean. The report includes their opinions on the authenticity of the research topic, compliance with the ethics of scientific research, alignment with the research priorities of the university or the college, relevance to one or more disciplines within the college, and whether the proposed budget for the project is appropriate for its nature and requirements. If an application does not meet the contracting conditions, the committee may reject it.
3. Following approval from the college’s Dean, the application is forwarded to the General Directorate of Scientific Research and Innovation’s Research Support Unit.
4. The Research Support Unit refers the application to the university’s Research Ethics Committee. Research proposals are then reviewed and evaluated by a refereeing committee, which consists of two or more members from within or outside the university, depending on specialization.
5. Following approval by the evaluation committee, the application is presented to the Research Support Unit Council. Upon confirmation that all conditions have been met, the unit submits its recommendations to the General Directorate of Scientific Research and Innovation.
6. Research projects are approved by the General Directorate of Scientific Research and Innovation. The funding contract is signed and forwarded to the Finance Department for the disbursement of the first installment, in accordance with the approved annual research budget.
7. Following the publication of the scientific paper(s) derived from the project’s results in a reputable scientific journal (Q1, Q2, Q3) indexed in the Web of Science database, and upon the recommendation of the Research Support Unit Council and its approval by the General Directorate of Scientific Research and Innovation, the final installment of the research project funding contract is disbursed, which amounts to 50% of the total contract value.