Approved in College Board
Meeting dated 14-02-2011
COLLEGE of ENGINEERING
Sultan Qaboos University
Proposal Preparation and Submission for HM Grant – An Internal Guideline
The importance of research has been recognized at Sultan Qaboos University from
the very beginning. The Charter states that “one of the University’s objectives is
to “uphold scientific research as the most effective tool in establishing accurate
facts, problem solving and the prediction of social patterns as well as undertaking
research in the fields of technology in relation to the Omani Society, in particular,
and others, in general, in order to enhance the intellectual capabilities and quality
of life of mankind as a whole and of the Omani society in particular".
Among the many types of research funds/grants available to SQU community, the most prestigious one is the His Majesty (HM) Grant for research on strategic issues related to Oman. In this regard, the university timelines to be followed are as follows: Activity
Proposal Submission to PSR
External Review
Timeline
st
1 December
January-March
College Research Committee Recommendation
Approval Announcement
Start of Project
University Day
15th May
The College of Engineering needs to take proactive measure to submit excellent strategic research proposal to make sure that it will successfully pass the evaluation criteria and secure the grant. To achieve this, concerted and streamlined efforts are needed from the office of Assistant Dean (PSR) and all departments. It is recommended that the ADPSR and Departments must encourage senior faculty members to initiate HM proposal, which is well thought and professionally executed. In view of this and providing ample time to write proposal, it is proposed that the College should have its own schedule to work on HM proposals. The suggested internal timelines are as follows: # Activity Responsibility 1 HoD should announce and discuss probable HM HoD proposal in the Department Board. Please encourage senior faculty members to take the lead and form a combination of senior and junior faculty members. This will allow mentoring of new faculty members. Collaborators and co‐
investigators from outside the department and college should be identified. 2 Preliminary 2‐page submission to the HoD / Department Head. The submission must include Department title, objectives, scientific merit, relevance to Board Oman and tentative budget with no breakdown. The proposal should be discussed in the Department for approval. The goal is give tips to PI to write a good proposal. 3 Initial Presentation to College Board PI and ADPSR 4 Draft submission to Department Postgraduate Department Studies and Research Committee. The committee PSR will review and give positive feedback to PI for Committee recommended changes. and PI 5 Final Presentation to College Board PI and ADPSR 5 Final submission to ADPSR office PI and HoD 6 Review by College PSR committee and changes CPSR and PI by PI, if any 7 Forward proposals to Dean of Research ADPSR Timeline February April May September October October th
30 November 1st December The list of criteria considered for HM grants are listed below. These are university criteria and are listed in this document to assist PI in writing good proposal. 1) Scientific Merit: Contribution of the project to extending existing knowledge and anticipated benefits of such new knowledge. 2) Methodology: Adequacy and efficiency of proposed research methodology for‐
achieving the given objectives, and feasibility of implementation using existing facilities. 3) Investigators' Track Record: Educational background, research experience, past achievements and productivity of principal investigator and co‐investigators. 4) Roles of Investigators: Details of the individual contributions of investigators. 5) External Collaboration / Co‐investigators: Commitment from external organizations to collaborate and contribute resources to the project. 6) Relevance to the Sultanate of Oman: Anticipated impact of the proposed work 7)
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on issues of strategic importance to Oman or Omani society. Teamwork: Inter and intra‐departmental collaboration, with the detailed role of each investigator. Mentoring Young Researchers (Research Assistants): Involvement of junior faculty members, graduate and undergraduate students and the job description of each research assistant. Implementation Plan: The deliverables and time frame. Budget Justification: Efficient use of existing University equipment and facilities. New Equipment: Importance or long term value of new resources to be acquired. Multidisciplinary Nature: The project should be multidisciplinary and preferably involve inter‐college collaboration. Strategic Objectives: The project should make an important contribution to the socio‐economic development of the Sultanate. Final Submission List: 1) Hard & soft copy of Research Proposal using F1 form, http://www.squ.edu.om/Portals/13/doc/RD_F1.doc 2) Hard & soft copy of personnel data of PI, Co‐PI and all investigators using F2 form, http://www.squ.edu.om/Portals/13/doc/RD_f2.doc 3) Arabic translation of first page of F1 if the proposal written in English & English translation if the proposal written in Arabic.