Sunday 15 / March / 2026
Muscat: The Research and Innovation Authority has announced the opening of applications for the 13th cycle of the National Research Award for 2026, starting today, Sunday, March 15, and continuing until June 16.
This initiative reflects the Authority's ongoing commitment to motivating researchers in the Sultanate of Oman to conduct high-quality, globally competitive scientific research and to emphassze the importance of publishing in peer-reviewed and prestigious journals, thereby enhancing the standing of Omani scientific research on the international stage.
The award targets two main categories of researchers in this cycle. The first category is dedicated to researchers holding a PhD or equivalent medical degree at the senior specialist level or higher. The second category focuses on encouraging emerging researchers without a PhD, ensuring comprehensive support across various academic and professional levels.
The award encompasses six strategic fields that align with national development aspirations: education and human resources; information and communication systems; health and community services; culture, social sciences, and basic sciences; energy and industry sectors and the environment and biological resources.
The general terms and conditions for applying for the award stipulate that the applicant must be the principal investigator whose name appears at the top of the list of authors of the published research. The published research must be relevant to the needs of the Sultanate of Oman and related to one of the award's categories. The published research must not have previously won any other local or international award. Furthermore, the research must have been published after March 15, 2023, in a peer-reviewed scientific journal indexed in Scopus or Web of Science or a peer-reviewed Arabic journal listed on the award's page on the official website.
The award is limited to original research and studies only. Review papers, conference papers, historical research, book chapters, medical reports, and similar materials will not be considered. Each researcher is entitled to submit only one application for the award across its various categories and fields. If a researcher submits more than one application, all applications will be disqualified.
Applicants must provide proof of approval from all members of their research team for the award. Evaluation will be limited to applications submitted electronically through the award's online system, along with all required documentation. Applications that do not meet the criteria will be disqualified.
It is worth noting that the National Scientific Research Award has recognized a total of 140 winners since its inception. The award aims to strengthen the connection between research and innovation outputs and stakeholders, and to encourage researchers to publish scientific work, which is a key indicator in quality rankings and the Global Innovation Index.
