The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, on Monday, May 4th, 2015, honored the first batch of winners of the scientific research awards and grants in 2014, during a ceremony held at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi.
In response to the directives of His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Ministry annually launches the Research Funding Competitions Program in several areas for the UAE citizens, in order to help build and develop research capacity at the universities and scientific institutions in the State, reward research excellence, and contribute to the building of a national innovation system that contributes effectively in building the knowledge-based economy.

Under the Young Emirati Innovators Category, the following researchers were honored: AISHA ABDALLA MOHAMED ABDALLA ALHAMOUDI, and FATIMA MOHAMED HASSAN MOHAMED ALDHUHOORI, for their research “Antagonistic effect of the exotic plant “Prosopis juliflora” extract on different bacterial pathogens”, in the “Natural Sciences and Biological Sciences” domain. Under the Emirati Faculty Research Mobility, the following researchers were honored: Dr. ALI HUMAID MOHAMED HASSAN ALMARZOOQI, for his research “Hydropyrolysis of Biomass to Biofuels”, HANIFA EASA EBRAHIM TAHER ALBLOOSHI for his research “Green technologies for biofuel production”, and both are in the Engineering and Technology and Chemical Engineering domain, and ALI ABDALLA SAIF HILAL ALNAQBI for his research “3D matrix hepatocytes cells evaluation: mechanical tests”, in the Technology and Medical Engineering domain.

In the field of Social Sciences and Social and Economic Geography, the following researchers were honored: AHMAD KHADEM AHMAD BIN TOUQ ALMARRI from the UAE University for his research “Public Participation Geographic Information System (PPGIS) in UAE Smart Government Services: A global analysis of potential utility for PPGIS”, and in the field of Social Sciences, Media, and Communications, BADREYA NASSER ABDULLA KHAMIS AL JUNAIBI from UAE University was honored for her research “Digital Media Platforms and Education in China, USA and UAE”. As for the Grants for Research Cooperation between Universities and Industry Sector 2014, the following researches were honored: “Achieving efficient nitrogen removal in high temperature and salinity wastewater treatment: A microbial process modeling approach” for Dr. Jorge Rodriguez from Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, in the field of Engineering and Technology/ Environmental biotechnology, “Smart Biomimetic Superhydrophobic Self-Cleaning Materials” for Dr. Pance Naumov, in Engineering and Technology / Materials Engineering, from New York University Abu Dhabi, “Creating an Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Bio-Bank for the study of Cardiovascular Disease” for Dr. Nicolas Christoforou, in Engineering and Technology/ Medical Engineering, from Khalifa University, “A decision support system for modeling and mapping sand dunes encroachment risk using satellite data in the United Arab Emirates” for Dr. NAEEMA MOHAMED DAWOOD ALHOSANI from UAE University in the field of Environmental Engineering,  “Cytogenetics comparative study of houbara genome” for ABDULLAH FAHAD ZEBEN ALMUTERY, in the field of Natural Sciences/Biological Sciences, from University of Sharjah, “Big Data Analytic for Improving and Sustaining the Growth of Dubai Hospitality Knowledge Economy (BDAH)” for Professor Farhi Marir in the field of Natural Sciences /Computer and Information Sciences, From Zayed University, “High Power-Density Step-up/Step-down PFC Real Bridgeless Rectifier” for Dr. Abbas Fardoun from UAE University, in the field of Engineering and Technology / Electrical engineering, Electronic Engineering, and Information Engineering, “Optimizing Nation-City-Corporate-Product Brand Fit for the UAE: Effects of Consumer Familiarity, Perceived Country Values, and Product Origin on Buyer Behaviour” for Dr. Melodena Stephens Balakrishnan, in Economics and Business from University of Wollongong in Dubai, “From Education to Employment: Identification of Key Priorities for Employability of Emirati nationals in Public and Private Sector” for Dr. ABHILASHA SINGH in the field of Business and Economics from American University in the Emirates, “The Innovative Triple Helix Model for Research and Development in the United Arab Emirates” for Dr. ABDULLA MOHAMMED RAHMAH ALSHAMSI, in Social Sciences / Economics and Business, from the British University in Dubai, “Workplace Engagement and Leadership among Women in the UAE: A Proposed Framework”, in the field of social sciences for Dr. Payyazhi Jayashree from University of Wollongong in Dubai, “Genetic factors associated with Type I Diabetes Mellitus among Emirati children: Emphasis on the role of HLA, PTPN22, CTLA-4, IL-2Ra” in the field of Medical and Health Sciences /Health sciences, for JUMA MUSABAH MOHAMMED ABDULLA ALKAABI from UAE University, and “The effect of arginine and citrulline supplementation on endothelial dysfunction in mitochondrial diseases” for FATMA ABDULBAQI MOHAMMAD SALEH ALJASMI from UAE University.