​Research Programs

It is a strategic program directed toward developing a set of scientific skills for graduate students in the Kingdom. 

1.1). Main Goal:

Conducting original/novel research for fulfillment of M.Sc. or Ph.D. degree of high scientific quality in the higher education establishments in the Kingdom. This aims at qualifying research capabilities for promoting scientific research environment and achieving the Kingdom vision in building the knowledge society and the knowledge-based economy.

1.2). Other Goals:

• Encouraging the distinguished graduate students to make original research in different fields of science.
• Improving the scientific skills to promote the Kingdom position as a leading country in the fields of science, technology, and innovation.
• Supporting the scientific inventions and new technology and play a role in establishing the needed pillar for building the knowledge society and the knowledge-based economy.
• Strengthening the culture of joint research between the graduate students in the governmental and private universities and entities which guarantees the harmony between them.

1.3). Scientific Fields:

 

1.4). Program Methodology:

The projects of this program pass through the following 3 main stages:

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1.5). Required Outcomes:

• The min. requirement for Ph.D. student is 6 points and 3 points for M.Sc.:
• An issued patent = 4 points.
• A published journal paper = 3 points (more points for higher IF journals).
• Papers presented in conferences and workshops = 2 points.
• Participations in KACST scientific occasions = 1 point.
• Assigning cash reward for the additional scientific outcomes on a relative basis when the min. requirement is exceeded.

1.6). Summary of the program:

It is a strategic program directed toward developing a set of scientific skills needed for developing the technological local content and achieving the Kingdom Vision 2030.

2.1). Main Goal:

Conducting original/novel research for fulfillment of M.Sc. or Ph.D. degree of high scientific quality in the higher education establishments in the Kingdom. This aims at qualifying research capabilities for promoting scientific research environment and achieving the Kingdom vision in building the knowledge society and the knowledge-based economy.

2.2). Other Goals:

• Encouraging the distinguished research leaders for conducting original research in basic science fields as per the recent international knowledge.
• Encouraging the promising researchers for developing research ideas with a novelty of a high challenge.
• Improving the scientific skills for promoting the Kingdom position as a leading country in the fields if science, technology, and innovation.
• Supporting the new scientific and technological inventions and playing a role in building the needed pillar for developing the local technological content.
• Reinforcing the involvement of graduate students in conducting the basic research in the Saudi Universities.
• Reinforcing the culture of joint research between the research groups in the universities and national research centers which guarantees the harmony between them.

2.3). Scientific Fields:

 

2.4). Program Methodology:

The 3 main stages in executing these projects are:

2.5). Required Outcomes:

• The min. requirement for project outcomes is 10 points.
  • An issued patent = 4 points.
  • A published journal paper = 3 points (more points for higher IF journals).
  • Papers presented in conferences and workshops = 2 points.
  • Participations in KACST scientific occasions = 1 point.
• Assigning cash reward for the additional scientific outcomes on a relative basis when the min. requirement is exceeded.

2.6). Summary of the program:

It is a strategic program directed toward achieving specific vital goals of national social/economic importance, resulting in establishing national industries and services that are leading in the world.

3.1). Main Goal:

Supporting certain researches in fields which serve the Kingdom’s directions towards reinforcing and diversification of national income resources.

3.2). Other Goals:

• Building national capabilities in certain strategic fields leading to creating long-term/leading national industries in the general context of sustainability.
• Developing competitive researches which concentrate on the necessary national needs with its huge social and economic impacts.
• Strengthening the development of long-term and permanent links between the universities and industry.
• Implementing the Kingdom’s vision for building a society of knowledge and a knowledge-based economy.
• Supporting the universities in putting a strategy for the scientific research and playing a bigger role in the national transition program 2020.

3.3). Scientific Fields:

3.4). Program Methodology:

The 3 main stages in executing these projects are:

3.5). Required Outcomes:

• The min. requirement for project outcomes is 12 points.
  • An issued patent = 4 points.
  • A published journal paper = 3 points (more points for higher IF journals).
  • Papers presented in conferences and workshops = 2 points.
  • Participations in KACST scientific occasions = 1 point.
• 1 issued patent is at least needed among the outcomes.
• Assigning cash reward for the additional scientific outcomes on a relative basis when the min. requirement is exceeded.

3.6). Summary of the program:

It is a new strategic program which aims to support research centers and researchers in the Kingdom for developing techno-logical inventions through transferring the researchers to the level of initial prototypes, and then expanding to the manufacturing and marketing level.

4.1). Main Goal:

This program aims to establishing and developing new companies in the field of advanced technology and creating thousands of job opportunities in order to contribute in the economic development of the Kingdom.

4.2). Other Goals:

• Filling the gap between the research and industry and helping the researchers for approaching the manufacturing and marketing level.
• Finding the solutions for the main research and development challenges in the Kingdom.
• Developing the Saudi competencies for working in the fields of high technology.
• Reinforcing the technological invention in the research entities.

4.3). Scientific Fields:

4.4). Program Methodology:

The 3 main stages in executing these projects are:

4.5). Summary of the program:

It aims to support researches which concentrate on certain topics of a big impact on the national level on short-term or medium-term.

5.1). Main Goal:

This program aims at coordinating the national efforts for finding & developing solutions that are based on the research and development for problems and issues which directly affect the position of the Kingdom or the prosperity of its nationals.

5.2). Other Goals:

• Providing a special platform to facilitate advertising on the important research topics with the relevant entity and receiving research and development proposals from the research establishments.
• Adhering to top follow-up and evaluation criteria to reinforce the chance for achieving the desired goals of the researches.
• Encouraging the distinguished research leaders for conducting researches whom their outcomes contribute in meeting the direct national needs.

5.3). Scientific Fields:

The fields differ according to the nature of the problem. In general, the researchers can apply for this program using the subprograms portal. For now, 2 subprograms are launched:

5.4). Program Methodology:

The 3 main stages in executing these projects are:

5.5). Required Outcomes:

• The outcomes are determined in each subprogram (patents, publications, training of national cadres or developing new prototypes) and classified according to their importance and assigned points as specified by the supervisory committee of the subprograms.
• The min. requirement is determined for all the outcomes taking into account the duration and approved fund of the project.
• A specialized team is delegated to evaluate and follow-up the progress of the project as per the points system.

5.6). Summary of the program:

Item	Description
Beneficiaries	The concerned entities
Entities	Saudi Universities & national research centers
Time/Duration	Varying
Budget	Varying
Budget Items	Manpower compensations, supplies and equipment, trips, and others
Evaluation	Advisory Panel in KACST
Performance Indicators	# of issued patents and # of publications

It is a strategic program which supports the need of the technology-based small and medium companies in the innovation field. Also, the program supports the research and developing capabilities in the companies which contributes in supporting the local content in the Kingdom.

6.1). Main Goal:

This program aims at reinforcing the small & medium companies’ contribution in the local outcome through providing research grants which aim to develop and invent technologies of economic feasibility.

6.2). Other Goals:

• Reinforcing the competition between the advanced technologies in the private sector.
• Motivating the technological invention in the small & medium establishments to guarantee a sustainable development.
• Increasing the portion of the private sector from the innovative outcomes.
• Finding research and development solutions for the challenges which face the private sector.
• Developing the Saudi qualifications for working in the high technology fields.

6.3). Scientific Fields:

6.4). Program Methodology:

The 3 main stages in executing these projects are:

 

6.5). Summary of the program:

The aim behind this program is to find connectors between the universities and private sector establishments for supporting the settlements efforts through the technological developments.

7.1). Main Goal:

This program aims to reinforce the high quality researches to solve the problems faced by the industry through the research partnerships between the industrial establishments, research establishments, and KACST. Also, this program aims to develop products & services to increase the competition between the national companies and promote the local outcome.

7.2). Other Goals:

• Providing solutions for the problems which faced by the industry in the Kingdom.
• Connecting the researchers with industry to focus the research and development efforts for promoting the local content.
• Encouraging and facilitating the participation of industrial sector in research and development partnerships.
• Strengthening the university research in the Kingdom which is related to the industry.

7.3). Scientific Fields:

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7.4). Program Methodology:

7.5). Summary of the program: