Internal grants are derived from the University’s annual budget and other internal resources, as well as unconditional research donations made to the University by outside bodies, without stipulating specific restrictions on the research topic. Internal grants are used to support academic research which is expected to yield original results or findings that generate new knowledge and to develop concepts consistent with the research and educational objectives of the University. Results obtained are also likely to generate interest in a subsequent research project of a broader scope to be considered from other funds. For Regulations and Guidelines click here.

Deanship of Research Fund is a new funding scheme intended to support researchers with small grants. Small grants are an important part of research support available in institutions of higher education the world over. They are often employed to support research projects that explore novel areas in their fields, perform preliminary research work that is fundamental to more extensive future investigations, and/or to facilitate inter-disciplinary research projects. They are generally short-term in nature, usually offering support for around one year, and often have relatively small available budgets when compared to full research funding. Applications are open all year and are evaluated two times a year. For Regulations and Guidelines click here

 The generous funds donated by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos are used to support long-term, multidisciplinary strategic research projects of importance to the Sultanate. The aim of such projects is to generate new knowledge and discoveries leading to substantial socio-economic benefits to the Omani society in the long run. Researchers are expected to obtain major results and identify anticipated direct benefits to prospective users. This type of research is expected to help the University build an infrastructure for “centers of excellence” in vital areas, in addition to making a solid contribution to the advancement of University’s academic programs. This type of research should generally go along with the Sultanate's long term planning goals. For Regulations and Guidelines click here.

The Block Funding Program (BFP)

The Block Funding Program (BFP) is a national research program adopted by The Ministry of Higher education, Research and Innovation (MoHERI) in the Sultanate of Oman. This program allocates small-to-medium size research grants to support short-term and mid-term research projects in areas defined by researchers from academic and research institutions in Oman and serve the national research priority areas as well as TRC priority themes. The main goal of this program is to sustain and develop further excellent in research and to create a competitive economy through advanced and evidence –based research. To achieve this goal, MoHERI identifies three categories of grants namely, Research Grant (RG), Graduates Research Grant (GRG) and Undergraduates Research Grant (URG). Call of submission is once per year and MoHERI shall receive the application of the ranked proposals through RIMS. Grants will be awarded final approval by MoHERI, the full budget of each block fund i.e. RG, GRG or URG will be released to the Research Institutions. For Regulations and Guidelines click here. 

Strategic Research Program

The Strategic Research Projects Program is one of the most important programs for supporting and financing research projects in the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation. The program serves strategic directions and focuses on national priorities in various service, economic and social fields, in line with Oman Vision 2040 AD, including for example: health and food security, energy security, water research, and the use of artificial intelligence techniques. It is hoped that the results of research projects funded in the program will be an important factor in formulating evidence-based decision-making, and raising efficiency and productivity, by finding practical solutions to the challenges facing the sector. government. The application for strategic programs is based on the announcement from the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation. For Regulations and Guidelines click here  

External grants are received from sponsors, such as national, regional and international agencies, industry, individuals and philanthropic organizations, to support academic research in certain specific fields. The Deanship of Research gathers information on such donations and disseminates it to Colleges and Research Centers, for circulation to researchers. In some cases the researcher may apply directly to the sponsor. However, the Deanship’s approval has to be obtained. The terms and conditions is based on agreement.

Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) and Omantel signed a grant agreement. The grant is intended to support research and development activities and other forms of scientific and technical cooperation between SQU and Omantel. The total budget allocated by the company for this grant is OMR 60,000 per year for 5 years. This grant is intended to be used for providing financial support for faculty and researchers at SQU who wish to pursue research projects identified by Omantel.

Industry and business from the private and public sectors stand to benefit from University’s know-how and technical facilities through consultancy activities sponsored by them. This typically involves applied research for problem solving and in some cases systematic development of new knowledge for the benefit of the sponsor, to address current problems (threats), create new opportunities, or sometimes encounter unexpected discoveries. The experience gained contributes to the advancement of the University’s research capabilities and academic programs, making them more relevant to addressing major social and economic problems of the Sultanate, while building stronger research ties with various sectors. It also creates an innovative and entrepreneurial environment at the University for generating intellectual property, with commercial potential that would promote a new knowledge-based industry, create local employment, and bring additional revenues to the University from licensing royalties. In addition, in some colleges these activities improve the prospect for future employment of research students by sponsoring organizations. Besides expertise, the nature of the project may also require the use of University facilities.

The International Co-Funding Program (ICFP) aims at promoting strategic, multi-disciplinary collaborative research conducted by the university’s faculty, staff, and postgraduate students with international researchers. In addition to its strategic benefits, it establishes a framework for international collaboration that provides SQU researchers access for collaboration with their international counterparts. The main concept of the co-funding program is the facilitation of international collaboration with internationally recognized institution and researchers. This program will offer numerous benefits to the university and Oman, including the promotion of research caliber and capacity building, increasing the university’s research output and intellectual property, and building strong international networks with research focused institutions, which will directly contribute to SQU’s internationalization and global standing. For Regulations and Guidelines click here.

The USRF at SQU operates by selecting undergraduate student research projects with the highest potential to result in IP, innovative outputs, value-added products and services, and solutions for socio-economic issues, and extending various forms of support to them. Once selected by first the College Research Committee and then the Deanship of Research Central Evaluation Committee, awarded projects receive financial support to help guarantee the production of IP, high quality innovative products, prototype, or services, and/or solutions to socio-economic issues. In addition, undergraduate students supported by the program are given the opportunity, under the guidance of their faculty supervisors, to interact with faculty and experts from across the university to discuss their projects, and with industry representatives and other concerned stakeholders whose input may enhance project outcomes. For Regulations and Guidelines click here.