SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AUTHORITY IN UAE

An independent National Authority for Scientific Research with an initial budget of Dh100 million has been set up to beef up research activity in the country, a top higher education official has revealed. A board of trustees will oversee the budgetary and expenditure policy in accordance with the by-laws of the authority, said the minister. Speaking to the media at his palace Shaikh Nahyan said the establishment of the authority was part of his ministry’s strategy to constitute a successful programme for scientific research in the country. A national strategy was recently launched by Shaikh Mohammed on securing excellence and distinction in the performance of all the government ministries and departments. The strategy was endorsed by the Cabinet. It was decided that the quality of the conducted research, impact of research on developing social, cultural and economic life of the society and the level of awareness the society has about the importance of scientific research, will be considered as the benchmark for assessing the performance of the Scientific Research Authority.