Academic Research Grant (ARG)

Academic Research Grant (ARG)

Supports Qatar universities and researchers through institutional grants for basic and applied research.

Eligibility · QA

The Academic Research Grant (ARG) is an investigator-led research funding program administered by the Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council (QRDI), which consolidated Qatar National Research Fund's grant portfolio under its apex governance in 2023–2024. ARG funds original academic research across all disciplines at approved institutions inside Qatar, supporting projects for up to three years at a maximum of QAR 900,000 per year. The program is open to continuous calls through the Innolight portal at connect.qrdi.org.qa.

Eligibility is restricted to full-time faculty and researchers affiliated with approved Qatari institutions. The Lead Principal Investigator must hold a terminal degree (PhD, MD, or equivalent) and may submit only one application per call cycle. At least 80% of the total annual budget must be expended inside Qatar, and at least 65% of total project effort must be delivered within the country. For-profit entities, non-profits, and individual applicants unaffiliated with an approved institution are not eligible.

ARG is one of Qatar's longest-standing academic grant mechanisms and operates as a cornerstone of QRDI's Scientific Research funding pillar. Applications are submitted through the QGrants system at connect.qrdi.org.qa. Competitive proposals should demonstrate strong national relevance aligned with the Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Strategy 2030, meet QRDI's budget-in-Qatar thresholds, and document the Lead PI's institutional affiliation clearly. The multi-stage review process covers proposal submission, external peer review, and an awards decision, with Post-Award Management requirements thereafter.