The Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs in Qatar, in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports and Youth, has introduced the Outstanding Young Researcher Award. The award is part of the Qatar National Youth Policy Action Program, developed in partnership with all policy stakeholders with the aim of achieving policy objectives across various sectors.
This biennial award aims to encourage young individuals to engage in scientific research in all areas. Winners are rewarded with cash prizes, with the first-place recipient receiving QR100,000, the second-place winner QR75,000, and the third-place winner QR50,000. The focus of the award is on researching pressing social issues, with the inaugural year’s theme being “Delayed marriage age and its impact on young people in Qatari society.”
The announcement of the award was made during a press conference attended by representatives from both ministries. Sheikh Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Ghanem Al Thani, Director of the Department of Islamic Research and Studies, detailed the main research topics identified for the competition. These topics include the importance of marriage for individuals and society, legal evidence supporting early marriage for young people, statistics on the average marriage age, reasons for delaying marriage, and the impact of delayed marriage on young people, families, and society.
Researchers participating in the award must adhere to specific conditions to ensure the quality of their research. These conditions include being a resident of Qatar aged between 20 and 35, following the designated research topics, providing a copy of their CV and ID card, and implementing any corrections or comments made by the referees. Collaborative research projects are allowed, but winning researchers are prohibited from participating again for four years.
Maha Al Rumaihi, Director of the Planning, Quality and Innovation Department at the Ministry of Sports and Youth, expressed her enthusiasm for the award’s launch. She emphasized the importance of the award in addressing pressing social issues and providing solutions for them. Al Rumaihi highlighted the collaborative efforts with the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs as part of Qatar’s National Youth Policy’s initiatives.
Overall, the Outstanding Young Researcher Award aims to foster a culture of scientific research among young individuals in Qatar. By focusing on pressing social issues, the award encourages researchers to explore innovative solutions that benefit society as a whole. Through collaboration between government ministries and policy partners, the award contributes to achieving the objectives outlined in the Qatar National Youth Policy Action Program.
