Evaluation Criteria
Proposals received by the submission deadline date will be reviewed by a dedicated scientific review committee. The external review panel will evaluate the proposals based on but not limited to the following criteria:
- Overall Impact
Was the potential for the proposed activity to- Addresses a local industrial challenge and/or a pressing global issue?
- Benefits the society or advances the local economy with clear commercial impact (Broader Impacts)?
- Significance
Does the project address a crucial problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field? - Innovation
To what extent do the proposed activities suggest and explore creative, original, or potentially transformative concepts? - Approach
Is the plan for carrying out the proposed activities well-reasoned, well-organized, and based on a sound rationale? Does the plan incorporate a mechanism to assess success? - Investigators(s)
How well qualified is the individual, team, or organization to conduct the proposed activities? - Emiratization
Does the project include Emirati individuals as team members? - Co-funding partnership
Has a second source of funding been secured for this project? - International Collaboration
Does the project include a collaboration with a reputable international institution or individuals? - Resources
Are there adequate resources available to the PI (either at the home organization or through collaborations) to carry out the proposed activities? - Budget and Timeline
Is the budget and the requested period of support fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research?
Pre-Award Process
On the bases of the external review panel’s evaluation and recommendation, suitable projects will be short-listed for funding. The applicant will be informed of the results and will be asked to attend a formal meeting, as a form of a final evaluation, to discuss the project details or to discuss the external review panel’s comments, if any.
Project Awarding and Reporting
Following the confirmation of project’s details with the applicants, Sandooq Al Watan will select the projects to be funded.
For all multi-year projects, the principle investigator or primary applicant must submit quarterly progress reports (some projects might require the submission of more frequent reports). No later than 60 days following the end of the project funding period, the principle investigator must submit a final project report, which includes the project outcomes.