CIT PhD student wins two NRF prizes

CIT PhD student wins two NRF prizes

Kanna Al-Falahi won  the Young Emirati Researchers Prize (YERP) and the Young Emirati Postgraduate Research Students Mobility Award (YEPRSMA) both attributed by the National Research Foundation (NRF).

Following her proposal entitled “Community Detection and Influence Maximization In On-­-Line Social Networks", Ms Kanna Al Falahi has successfully won the Young Emirati Postgraduate Research Students Mobility Award (YEPRSMA 2013 ) and the “Young Emirati Researchers Prize” (YERP 2013). Both competitions were organized by the National Research Foundation (NRF).

About NRF:

The National Research Foundation (NRF) was created by His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Higher Education & Scientific Research in March 2008 to help build a competitive knowledge economy in UAE and be a key element in the UAE national innovation system. NRF is a Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research initiative that will help promote research activity in private and public universities, colleges, centers, institutes and companies, by individuals or teams of researchers in UAE. NRF has been established to provide research leadership in the country and to provide funding support on a competitive basis to researchers in the country. Research projects that survive international peer review, that contribute social and economic benefits to UAE, and enhance the development process in the country will be supported. Without a strong university research base it is impossible to have a successful national innovation system and competitive knowledge economy. A strong university research base enables a competitive knowledge economy to be created. A strong research base in the UAE universities with high quality doctoral programs in place will produce the next generation of national researchers who will help build the competitive knowledge economy.

About the YERP Prize:

With the Young Emirati Researchers Prize (YERP) the NRF wants to acknowledge the effort young Emirati researchers and innovators have already made to contribute to the knowledge base in any scientific discipline. YERP 2013 is a prize-based competition aimed at young Emirati researchers who have completed either a PhD or Master’s by research in recent years. It is granted to Emiratis demonstrating outstanding research performance. At the same time, the prize aims to inspire the next generation of young Emiratis to pursue a research career.

The YERP 2013 is open to all disciplines and aims to:

• Honor outstanding young national talents in research.
• Encourage researchers to continue their contribution to building and enlarging a solid base of knowledgeable,  capable and well-trained research knowledge workers in UAE.
• Encourage young people in the UAE to engage in a research career.

About the YEPRSMA Award:

The Young Emirati Postgraduate Research Students Mobility Award (YEPRSMA) 2013 program is intended to encourage young Emirati postgraduate research students to explore academic environments outside the UAE, gain knowledge in the relevant field of study and establish international networks. YERMA aims to reinforce the international dimension of the career of Emirati researchers by giving them the opportunity to be trained and acquire new knowledge in a high-level organization active in research, established outside the UAE during an outgoing phase. Subsequently, these researchers will return with the acquired knowledge and experience to their home organization.

The YEPRSMA 2013 is open to all disciplines and aims to:

• Allow young Emirati postgraduate research students to realize an outgoing phase to an international host organization for training and acquiring new knowledge.
• Reinforce the international dimension of the career of Emirati researchers.
• Transfer internationally gained knowledge to home organization in the UAE.
• Encourage young Emirati researchers to establish an international network of collaboration.