Thursday 25 / April / 2024
Muscat: A proposal to update and restructure the open research grants programme of The Research Council was reviewed on Sunday.
The Research Council (TRC) Board held its second meeting of the year under the chair of His Highness Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said, Advisor to His Majesty the Sultan and Chairman of the Research Council.
The meeting discussed a number of items listed on the agenda including a number of reports related to TRC’s different programmes and projects.
The Board reviewed a proposal to update and restructure the open research grants programme, which is the first programme for funding the research project. Since its establishment by TRC in 2009 to date, the open research grants programme has funded 160 research projects. The Board gave its initial approval for the restructuring process which will divide the programme into three subsidy programmes.
During its meeting, the Board reviewed the TRC efforts to empower and support innovation through subsidising the individual innovation programme and its stages. The Board also reviewed Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry Innovation Competition, an initiative implemented by the TRC in cooperation with OCCI in the different governorates.
The meeting also reviewed a proposal for cooperation between TRC and Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) to develop and manage the Advanced Technologies Integration Institute, which was established as an independent institute. It is also funded by the two sides to develop marketable innovative products and solutions that focus on applied researches.
The Board also reviewed the developments of the Virtual Scientific Library (Masadir), which has become part of the Omani network for scientific research and education. The partnership with Oman Telecommunications Company shifted from the planning phase to the implementation phase. A contract has been made with a number of research databases and the project identity was designed.
Members of the Board also looked into some reports on the progress of work at TRC, such as the report on the outcomes of the international consultancy committee, which was held last March and the report on TRC operational plan. They also reviewed the proposed budgets for the TRC for 2018.
