Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF), a member of Qatar Foundation Research and Development (QF R&D), has announced the winners of its 19th Undergraduate Research Experience Programme (UREP). 
Out of 123 research proposals submitted by student teams from six universities across Qatar, 37 were awarded grants. 
This latest UREP cycle will engage a total of 146 undergraduate students and 69 faculty members and mentors. Among the 37 awarded proposals, 26 went to Qatar University, five to Texas A&M University at Qatar, and two each to Northwestern University in Qatar and University of Calgary in Qatar. 
The remaining two grants were awarded to Hamad Bin Khalifa University and Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar.
“Through the Undergraduate Research Experience Programme, QNRF plays a significant role in helping students acquire the skills necessary to conduct research at the undergraduate level,” said Dr Abdulnasser al-Ansari, deputy executive director of QNRF. 
“With each UREP cycle, we bear witness to the evolution of the type of research under way at the undergraduate level. This progress is significant as it directly impacts Qatar’s journey towards a knowledge-based economy. Qatar’s youth are increasingly beginning to understand the importance of how scientific research adds a new dimension to their educational experience, and we look forward to seeing this continued interest from youth across the country,” he added. 
Launched in 2006, UREP is QNRF’s longest running programme. Till date, more than 2,700 students have taken part in UREP, with teams of students from universities across Qatar conducting research under the mentorship of their professors, in areas of direct relevance to the Qatar National Research Strategy (QNRS). 
Grants awarded under the 19th UREP cycle address the various pillars of the QNRS as follows: 12 in energy and environment, 10 in health, nine in social sciences, arts and humanities, and six in computer science and information & communication technology.
By investing in cutting-edge research, QNRF is enhancing a research culture that supports Qatar Foundation (QF) in its mission to build Qatar’s innovation and technology capacity and help the nation develop into a hub of research excellence through QF’s science and research pillar, QF R&D.
For more information about UREP and QNRF’s other programmes, one can visit www.qnrf.org