Deanship of Scientific Research

The Deanship of Scientific Research of AlMaarefa university aspires to a culture of research for new knowledge and new applications of existing knowledge. It assures a research-friendly environment and provides all necessary resources for staff and students to excel in research and publication in top journals. The research program is tightly integrated with the academic programs and is relevant to sustainable national development goals.

Message from the Supervisor for the Deanship of Scientific Research

AlMaarefa University (UM) works on the principles of generating long lasting knowledge and yield value to the community. It is an undeniable fact that knowledge-based on research will provide sustainable development and could be useful for widespread benefits. The deanship in AlMaarefa University (UM) is privileged to be defining our future by spreading the culture of research across all its spectrum through support and encouragement. It works on fostering active research among students, faculty members, and other employees. The center acts as a channel of contact and collaboration for research units of all three colleges of the University.  Organizationally, the University research committee regulates the executive functions of the center and it directly reports to the University Vice-rector for its plan, objectives, implementation, and achievements.

As an integral component of the strategic plan, the deanship has developed an executable and reliable research plan for the next six years (2020-25). The commitment to the transformational and new entrepreneurial approach to research, discovery, innovation, and technology transfer is evident from this plan. It aims to contribute to the prosperity and wellbeing of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  The third strategic goal of UM is to ‘Promote and support high impact scientific contributions’. There are sixteen initiatives/projects proposed during this period and 69 Key performance indicators are identified. The research center in coordination with all stakeholders will monitor work towards the execution of this plan. This ambitious plan for our research requires an unwavering commitment to developing a sound foundational infrastructure of policies, guidelines, and procedures that can efficiently and effectively nurture this expanded research plan for all stakeholders. Although this inaugural Research Plan will allow this journey to begin, we recognize the inevitable need for its constant evaluation and revision to meet yet unknown opportunities.

Message from the Director of the Research Center

Healthcare professionals constantly demand that the community develop and implement innovative remedies and technologies to overcome health-related difficulties and improve their quality of life. Scientific innovation, technology development, and their use for the welfare of mankind are possible only through creative minds and innovative approaches. Students and professors at health science colleges and universities are top-notch researchers with cutting-edge knowledge in clinical, translational, epidemiological, pharmaceutical, patient care, and population research. Since the beginning of the academic year 2019–20, AlMaarefa University has seen a transformation in terms of greater support and encouragement for scientific publications, which has significantly improved high-quality research publications. During 2020, this supporting mechanism helped in the publication of 56 research articles, which increased to 175 in 2021 and further elevated to 491 in 2022. The leadership of the university is keen to maintain consistency or even further improve our accomplishments in scientific publications and their citations. One central area on which we are focusing is on developing our own research infrastructure. This can be achieved through both internal and external support. Therefore, the research center requests all teaching staff and students to improve the utility of the existing instruments and infrastructure available in the university laboratories in addition to investing a major share of their research funds obtained either from the university or outside the university to develop their laboratory’s research infrastructure. The research center is also happy to inform you that we have started working on developing a central research laboratory as per the ISO 17025 standards. The research center is also developing research chairs to focus on specific thrust areas to develop expertise and promote significant contributions to society. The Dariyah Gate Research Chair, Medical Education Research Chair, Drug Development Research Chair, and Natural Product Research Chair are some of them being discussed at the preliminary stage. The research center also wants to start the AlMaarefa University research journal, which will be discussed shortly with all stakeholders. This is the beginning of our journey; we recognize the inevitable need for its constant evolution and updating with the support and coordination of all researchers at the university.

Mission:

To create an exceptional climate of support for AlMaarefa University researchers.

Vision:

To be a leading research-intensive university in the region and to be seen as a critical partner in developing and advancing research and technology initiatives.

Values:

• Research excellence
• Scientific integrity
• Collaborated and teamwork
• Social commitment

Objectives and Tasks

The deanship of Scientific Research aims to support and encourage scientific research at AlMaarefa University in line with the strategic plans and objectives. The deanship seeks to achieve its objectives through the implementation of the following tasks:

• Prepare the executive operation plan for scientific research at University within the framework of its strategic plan, objectives, and policies, and follow up its implementation.
• Prepare the executive operation plan for scientific research at University within the framework of its strategic plan, objectives, and policies, and follow up its implementation.
• Follow up on the progress of scientific research groups in the University and to ensure the adequacy and effectiveness of their performance, coordinating their activities to achieve harmony and integration among them.
• Coordinate with the appropriate local and international research institutions as a prelude to cooperating with it for the purposes of scientific research in order to serve the objectives and policies of the University in building local or international partnerships and/or agreements.
• Establish the policies and procedures that encourage scientific research and research in the University and provide the necessary support to achieve the University’s goals in achieving outstanding scientific research.
• Propose scientific research programs in the medical, health, and technology fields to achieve the University’s goals in the contribution to attaining the objectives of the national plan for science and technology and innovations in Saudi Arabia.
• Encourage the scholars and researchers of the University’s faculty and students with intellectual and/or innovative capabilities to recruit and develop their capabilities to achieve the University’s scientific excellence goals.