JEDDAH: The Abdul Latif Jameel (ALJ) Grant for Funding Applied Scientific Research in the Arab World, which is managed by the Arab Science and Technology Foundation (ASTF), received in the last three years 1,762 proposals out of which 61 were selected for funding.
“The ALJ Grant dedicates $1 million annually and is distributed among 20 scientific innovations,” ASTF Chairman Dr. Abdallah Abdulaziz Al-Najjar said in a statement. “The grant is divided into two cycles. Each of them will include10 winning research projects of economic and social feasibility, provided the maximum amount dedicated for a project is $50,000 with a total amount of $500,000 for all projects in the cycle,” he added.
The first cycle started the process of giving grants in July 2005. By the end of 2008, the seventh cycle received 145 projects of different scientific and technological specialties from various Arab countries. Winning projects were selected with support from international judges from all over the world. Decisions were based on specific selection criteria, such as economic and social feasibility and fulfilling the needs of poor communities.
Al-Najjar said the ALJ Grant — the advisory board of which held its seventh meeting this week in Beirut — is one of the first funding programs in the region to support scientific research and technological innovation for the benefit of society. The programs have created great opportunities for Arab scientists and researchers to develop their scientific and technological skills.
Al-Najjar said aside from the Kingdom, the grant benefited many Arab countries, including Egypt, the UAE, Tunisia, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Morocco, Qatar, Sudan and Libya. The grant covers important scientific areas such as remote sensing, chemicals, pharmaceutical industries, artificial intelligence, mechanical and construction engineering, food processing energy, public health, agriculture, ITC, water, biotechnology and environment.
The grant is one of the most important programs offered by Abdul Latif Jameel Community Services Programs.
