Dubai Foundation for Future Launches Second Phase of Research and Development Initiative Grant to Bolster Innovation in Crucial Industries
Nothing sketchy here, just shedding some light on the latest round of the Dubai Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) Grant Initiative! This bad boy's been launched by the one and only H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2024, with a focus on whacking some serious problems related to technology, health, and urban development.
The Dubai RDI Programme is no small potato, fostering high-impact, future-forward research that syncs with Dubai's strategic priorities. Universities and research institutions in Dubai, if you're keen on cash and recognition, get your act together and submit your bold ideas by June 13, through their nifty website.
This time around, the spotlight's on two core domains: Cognitive Cities and Health & Life Sciences. Cognitive Cities promises to cover smart mobility, climate-resilient infrastructure, urban health intelligence, and next-generation city design. Meanwhile, the Health & Life Sciences domain invites research in clinical health, biomanufacturing, systems science, and medical innovation.
Sounds exciting, right? If you make the cut, you'll be invited to submit a full proposal with funding opportunities for up to three years. Evaluation criteria include relevance to Dubai's innovation agenda, partnership potential, scalability, and long-term impact.
During its maiden voyage back in 2024, the initiative backed 24 projects from 13 institutions, chosen from a whopping 374 submissions. Researchers across all career stages joined forces, with a significant emphasis on artificial intelligence and robotics in health and urban systems.
Khalifa Al Qama, Executive Director at Dubai Future Labs, said the programme boosts researchers and innovators to turn visionary ideas into reality, establishing Dubai as a global powerhouse for knowledge and innovation. With AED 750 million set aside for the Dubai RDI Programme's second phase, this grant initiative's a key piece in constructing a diverse, sustainable digital economy and elevating Dubai's global competitive edge.
Boot up your ideas, academics, and let's make some magic happen!
- The Dubai RDI Programme, with a focus on technology, health, and urban development, aims to foster high-impact, future-forward research that aligns with Dubai's strategic priorities.
- In the forthcoming round, the programme will focus on two core domains: Cognitive Cities and Health & Life Sciences, inviting research proposals in areas like smart mobility, urban health intelligence, clinical health, biomanufacturing, and medical innovation.
- Engaging in this initiative could lead to funding opportunities for up to three years and recognition, with evaluation criteria focus on relevance to Dubai's innovation agenda, partnership potential, scalability, and long-term impact.
- During its first year, the initiative backed 24 projects from 13 institutions, chosen from a pool of 374 submissions, emphasizing artificial intelligence and robotics in health and urban systems.
- This second phase of the Dubai RDI Programme has AED 750 million allocated, positioning the grant as a significant contributor to constructing a diverse, sustainable digital economy and elevating Dubai's global competitive edge in science, education-and-self-development, technology, economy, and innovation.
- By participating in this grant initiative, researchers and academics can turn their visionary ideas into reality, helping to establish Dubai as a global powerhouse for knowledge and innovation in the field of artificial intelligence, digital economy, and health.
