Research proposals are now being accepted by Community Jameel Saudi and King Abdulaziz University following an announcement by Jameel Fund for Infectious Disease Research and Innovation (Jameel Fund) welcoming the 2nd round of researchers seeking support for research projects of critical importance to the Gulf-region and worldwide.

In this latest open call, awards are available for essential research aiming to understand transmission and pathogenesis of coronaviruses, including COVID-19, SARS, MERS and other respiratory viruses. This can include projects relating to prevention, diagnosis, treatment and understanding of the pathogenesis of these viruses. Today’s announcement builds on the comprehensive efforts made by Community Jameel Saudi in collaboration with King Abdulaziiz University in developing skills and supporting scientific research to empower the Saudi community and leading scientists by providing vital research opportunities.

Hassan Jameel, Vice Chairman of Community Jameel Saudi, said: “Advancing scientific research is essential to the progress of humankind and can only be achieved through the efforts of dedicated teams. By launching the second round of research grant proposals, Community Jameel Saudi and King Abdulaziz University reaffirm a joint commitment to tackling some of today’s biggest health issues, such as the coronavirus pandemic. We are also thankful to Imperial College London for their continued collaboration on this mission. As we empower more Saudi scientists and researchers to pursue their projects, we can discover increasingly innovative ways to respond to urgent health challenges in the Kingdom, which aligns with the broader national ambitions of the Saudi Vision 2030.”

The deadline for proposal submission is 13 June 2022 and the announcement of approved projects will be made in July 2022. The duration of each project is 12 months, and the starting date of accepted proposals is no later than 1st October 2022.

Prof. Adel Abuzenadah, the director of King Fahd Medical Research Center in King Abdulaziz University, said: 'This collaboration with Community Jameel Saudi falls under the strategic goals of KAU to contribute in developing an environment that stimulates and supports creativity and innovation to achieve the university goals under the Saudi Vision 2030. The initial round of funding was very instrumental in supporting 8 distinct research teams from the University to achieve their research objectives in the fight against infectious diseases. These funded projects are helping to tackle global health issues; amongst them is the development of countermeasures for coronaviruses, better understanding of their pathogenesis, and improving the efficiency of diagnostics. We are enthusiastic about continuing this collaboration and initiating the second phase of this fund through Jameel Fund for Infectious Disease Research and Innovation.'

Research proposals will be evaluated by a joint committee comprising representatives from King Abdulaziz University, Imperial College and experts in the field based on a set of criteria, the most important of which is sufficient knowledge and experience in the research field of infectious diseases, in addition to applicant scientific qualifications and the extent of the project’s contribution to the treatment of infectious diseases.

Of the project’s many positive outcomes, this round of research grants seeks practical solutions, in addition to research articles published in peer-reviewed open access ranked scientific journals to further advance the spread of knowledge and solutions to prominent issues.

Community Jameel Saudi signed several cooperation agreements with King Abdulaziz University to support scientific research focusing on infectious diseases, and to promote collaboration in various academic and development fields.

Application forms must be submitted to the Research Office in King Fahd Medical Research Center via email kfmrc-sa@kau.edu.sa.