The National Science-Research Promotion Program (NSPP) is a diverse STEM research initiative launched by Qatar University’s (QU) Young Scientists Center (YSC) in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies. After a thorough review process, a specialized committee of researchers meticulously selected six intriguing research projects for this cycle of NSPP grants.
Among these winning projects, the first one, supervised by Dr. Zaid Hussein Hasan Almaayah from the College of Pharmacy, titled “Examining the Role of Nampt Activator and NAD(H) in Sepsis-Induced Cardiac Inflammation,” involves students Faisal Abdulla Al Hammadi, Abdulaziz Sultan Al-Zaraa, Safar Rashid Al Hajri, and Abdullah Al Yafei from the Qatar Leadership Academy (boys). This project investigates the inflammatory response triggered by sepsis in the heart, providing students with valuable hands-on experience in medical scientific research.
Under the supervision of Dr. Reema Tayyem, Department of Human Nutrition, the second winning project entitled “Development of Two Functional Foods for Children with Diabetes: Low-Glycemic Index Biscuits Coated with Chocolate to Treat Anemia and Vitamin D Deficiency,” involves high school students Muneera Al-Buainain, Aisha Al-Khater, and Fatima Al-Ibrahim from Qatar Academy (Al-Wakra). This project aims to address the dietary needs of children with diabetes while enhancing health awareness and problem-solving skills among the participants.
The third winning project, titled “Zebrafish as Animal Model for Testing Industrial Water,” supervised by Dr. Maha Al-Asmakh from the Department of Biomedical Sciences, involves high school students Mishal Ahmed Almehaid, Sultan Mohammed, and Saad Nasser Al-Mannai from Ibn Taymeya School for Boys. This project seeks to assess the potential toxic impacts of industrial water on aquatic organisms using zebrafish as an animal model.
Led by Prof. Mohammed Abu-Dieyeh from the College of Arts and Sciences, the fourth winning project, titled “Evaluation of Rhizobacteria Isolated from Limonium axillare Rhizosphere to Enhance the Growth of Arugula,” includes team members Ibrahim Khalid Alemadi, Faisal Mohamad Al-Harami, and Jassim Mohamad Al-Mansouri from Hassan Bin Thabit School for Boys. This project explores natural methods for enhancing crop productivity and sustainability.
Supervised by Dong Suk Han from QU’s Center for Advanced Materials (CAM), the fifth successful project, “Blue Energy Generation using Water Salinity Gradient in Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) Desalination Plant,” involves students Tamim Sultan Nasser Al-Musayfri, Mubarak Salem Ismail Al-Adsani, Khalifa Mubarak Al Kuwari, and Saif Nasser Saif Al Kuwari from Omar bin Abdulaziz School for Boys. This project aims to explore sustainable methods of energy production by utilizing the salinity gradient between seawater and desalinated water.
The sixth winning project titled “Designing Spherical Solar PV to Trap More Energy,” supervised by Dr. Amith Khandakar from the College of Engineering, focuses on developing spherical solar photovoltaic (PV) systems to improve energy capture efficiency. Participating in this project are students Talal Al-Merri, Yara Al-Merri, Mohamed AlSaeed, and Zena Alsaeed from the Swiss International School. This project aims to improve solar energy absorption, potentially increasing energy production compared to traditional flat panel systems.
Prof. Noora Jabor Al-Thani, YSC Director, expressed her pride in the quality of the awarded research projects of the third cycle of the NSPP. She emphasized the crucial role of this innovative program in enhancing knowledge and inspiring students' creativity, which contributes to achieving the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030 and reflects the center's continuous commitment to research excellence. Prof. Noora also highlighted the remarkable successes achieved in the previous cycles of the program, expressing her optimism about the outcomes and potential of the awarded projects to make a significant impact in advancing scientific progress.