Qatar Foundation (QF) signed an agreement with Qatar Shell to co-fund the Undergraduate Research Experience Program (UREP) of the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF). The signing ceremony was held at the QF Headquarters in Education City, attended by HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO of QF, and Andrew Faulkner, Managing Director and Chairman of Qatar Shell Companies.

As one of the research funding programmes of QF member QNRF, UREP supports undergraduate students from universities across Qatar to conduct research under the mentorship of their professors in areas directly relevant to addressing Qatar’s national priorities, aligned with QF’s mission to develop human capital through investment in education, science, research, and innovation. Under the agreement, UREP will become a QNRF-Qatar Shell co-funded programme.

According to HE Sheikha Hind, the value of partnership is illustrated through its capacity to harness expertise, enable the exchange of knowledge, and maximise multisectoral efforts designed to address national challenges.

QF recognises that building such partnerships can amplify the impact of our mission to support the development of Qatar, and the agreement signed today is a reflection of this belief in the power of collaboration. The co-funding of UREP will support young scientists and innovators to pursue and realise their ideas under expert mentorship, equipping them to play their part in developing effective and impactful solutions that will help build a diverse and sustainable economy for our nation.’

Faulkner said that at Shell, they champion open innovation and partnerships with local research institutions and universities.

Under the agreement, Qatar Shell will not only co-fund UREP but also provide in-kind support, leveraging the R&D expertise from Qatar Shell Research and Technology Centre. This is also aligned to our objectives to contribute to Qatar National Vision 2030 and our shared commitment to foster the research and innovation ecosystem through collaboration and knowledge transfer.’

For updates and more information about this latest QF collaboration, visit their website at qf.org.qa.