Institutional Funding Track for Women’s Empowerment

Introduction

The institutional funding initiatives for universities launched by the Deputyship for Research and Innovation at the Ministry of Education serve as one of the key enablers for strengthening universities’ identities and advancing the level of scientific research while ensuring alignment with national priorities.

The Women’s Empowerment Support Track represents an integral part of the University’s identity as a women’s university. It aims to provide a stimulating research environment that supports the research identity of Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, aligns with its vision of becoming a beacon of knowledge, and fulfills its mission of excellence and leadership in scientific research.

The Vice Rectorate for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, represented by the Deanship of Scientific Research, has developed a strategic plan that supports the research identity of the Deputyship for Research and Innovation at the Ministry of Education. The plan seeks to benefit from institutional support, provide a research environment that supports the University’s identity and attracts researchers, and adopt and launch a number of initiatives and programs that promote scientific research.

Among these initiatives is the Institutional Funding Track for Women’s Empowerment, which represents a qualitative advancement in research funding procedures and enhances their effectiveness in line with researchers’ needs. The program contributes to achieving the University’s strategic objectives by improving the quality of scientific research published in indexed journals and advancing the University’s position in international rankings, which place significant emphasis on indicators of scientific research productivity and publication.

Program Description and Significance

The program aims to motivate and support male and female researchers in advancing the University’s research identity by conducting high-quality research addressing women and women’s empowerment and publishing the findings in scientific journals.

This includes social, educational, psychological, economic, scientific, health, media, technological, and other studies addressing local and global issues and challenges related to women.

A budget of SAR 25,000 has been allocated for the program and will be disbursed in two installments:

• First installment: 50% of the approved project budget upon signing the contract.

• Second installment: 50% of the approved project budget following approval of the recommendation of the University’s Permanent Committee for Institutional Support responsible for managing funding under the Strategic Plan for Research and Innovation, based on the project’s financial and final report and submission of the published research.

The published research must comply with the requirements specified under the Application and Publication Requirements and must be published in an internationally indexed scientific journal included in:

Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection

and indexed in citation indexes such as:

Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) or
Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI)

with a classification of Q1, Q2, Q3, or Q4.

Research published in WOS Emerging Sources or in journals without an impact factor is not accepted.

Objectives

• Benefit from institutional funding to strengthen the University’s identity as a women’s university.

• Encourage interdisciplinary research collaboration among the University’s departments and colleges and researchers at local, regional, and international universities in areas related to women’s studies and empowerment.

• Motivate male and female researchers to direct their research toward supporting the University’s research ecosystem and identity by facilitating research funding procedures and enhancing their effectiveness.

• Contribute to the development of research policies related to women’s health, empowerment, and well-being.

• Increase the number of scientific research papers published in indexed journals. The project output is a research paper published in an international journal indexed in the Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection and having an impact factor according to the Journal Citation Reports (Clarivate Analytics) for scientific, engineering, medical, social sciences, and humanities disciplines (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4).

• Improve the University’s position in global rankings and support opportunities for inclusion in new rankings.

Application and Publication Requirements

1. The project outputs must align with the University’s identity by addressing studies related to women and women’s empowerment and publishing them in scientific journals. This includes social, educational, psychological, economic, scientific, health, media, technological, and other studies addressing local and global issues and challenges related to women.

2. The project must have a Principal Investigator who meets the following requirements:

• The Principal Investigator must be a member of the University or a member of the self-operation program of the Health Affairs Administration and its affiliated centers at the University at the time of submitting the funding application.

• The Principal Investigator must not be on scientific sabbatical leave, scientific assignment, or exceptional leave throughout the duration of the project contract.

• If the faculty member is employed under a contract, evidence must be provided confirming that they will remain employed by the University for at least one year from the date of signing the contract.

3. At least one member of the research team must be a Saudi national affiliated with the University or with the self-operation program of the Health Affairs Administration and its affiliated centers at the University at the time of submitting the funding application.

4. The Principal Investigator must undertake to publish an Original Research article in an internationally indexed scientific journal included in:

Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection

and indexed in citation indexes such as:

Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) or
Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI)

with a classification of Q1, Q2, Q3, or Q4.

Research published in WOS Emerging Sources or in journals without an impact factor is not accepted.

5. Research must not be published in a journal included in the list of prohibited or predatory journals, nor may the publisher be included in the prohibited list, in accordance with the circular issued by the Vice Rector for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, No. 16997, dated 1/5/1440 AH.

6. The University affiliation must be the first and sole affiliation for all researchers from Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University and employees of the self-operation program of the Health Affairs Administration and its affiliated centers at the University. Double affiliation is not permitted.

The affiliation must be written as follows:

Department Name, College Name, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University

7. The official University email address must be used in all correspondence with the journal. When adding email addresses to the affiliation, only the official University email addresses of all research team members affiliated with the University are accepted.

8. The Principal Investigator must be listed as the first author of the research paper or be the corresponding author.

9. The project must be completed by submitting the full published research paper within a maximum period of one year from the date of signing the contract.

10. The research must not have received funding from any other entity inside or outside the University.

11. The Principal Investigator may apply to the program for a maximum of three research papers.

12. The submitted research must fall within the Principal Investigator’s field of specialization or a related field.

13. The content and ideas presented in the research must not conflict with Islamic values, national visions, or the University’s objectives.

14. Research must not be published with researchers from countries or entities with which the Kingdom does not maintain official relations under applicable regulations, nor in journals originating from such countries or entities. The researcher bears full scientific, legal, and ethical responsibility for the published research.

15. Researchers must comply with the citation and plagiarism regulations of Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, issued pursuant to Scientific Council Resolution No. (164/121441 AH) at its twelfth meeting held on 18/6/1441 AH.

16. Ownership of all outputs of the scientific research shall belong to the Deputyship for Research and Innovation at the Ministry of Education, whether such outputs are patents, products, or applications, in accordance with Article Six, Paragraph (A), of the Law of Patents, Layout-Designs of Integrated Circuits, Plant Varieties, and Industrial Designs, whether the inventions are registered nationally or internationally.

17. Researchers must adhere to research integrity and research ethics. The Institutional Funding Committee shall review any observations or violations in this regard and take the necessary action.

18. The published research paper must include an acknowledgment of the support provided by the Deputyship for Research and Innovation at the Ministry of Education using the following wording:

The authors extend their appreciation to the Deputyship for Research & Innovation, Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia for funding this research work through the project number XXXX.

Acknowledgment of any other funding entity, whether inside or outside the University, is not permitted.

19. Following approval of funding for the project, the research team may not make any substantial modifications to the project, particularly changes to the project type, project topic, or methodological plan, unless approved by the University’s Permanent Committee for Institutional Support responsible for managing funding under the Strategic Plan for Research and Innovation.

20. If the research project is not completed for any reason, and following review of the project and a recommendation by the University’s Permanent Committee for Institutional Support to discontinue the project and terminate the contract with the Principal Investigator, the financial commitment expected to be disbursed to the Principal Investigator upon completion of the project shall be cancelled, and the Principal Investigator shall be required to repay the amounts already disbursed.

Procedures

• The funding application shall be submitted electronically through the mechanism designated for the program and announced by the Deanship of Scientific Research, with all required information completed and all required attachments uploaded.

• The application shall be reviewed by the relevant committee and the University’s Permanent Committee for Institutional Support responsible for managing funding under the Strategic Plan for Research and Innovation.

• In case of approval, an email will be sent to the Principal Investigator containing the grant number and a copy of the contract.

• The Principal Investigator must sign the contract and submit it electronically through the program’s designated email address at the Deanship of Scientific Research within a maximum of 48 hours from the date of receipt.

• The first installment, amounting to 50% of the project budget, shall be disbursed after signing the contract.

• If the research is published in a journal indexed in the Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection, in accordance with the Application and Publication Requirements stated above and within the contractual period, the Principal Investigator shall submit an electronic request to close the project, along with the required supporting documents.

• The request shall be submitted to the University’s Permanent Committee for Institutional Support responsible for managing funding under the Strategic Plan for Research and Innovation to verify compliance with the contract requirements. Upon approval, a payment order shall be issued to the Financial Department to disburse the final installment of 50% of the project budget.

Extension

If an extension of the project is required, the relevant department at the Deanship of Scientific Research must be notified at least 30 days before the project’s specified end date.

The extension request must include:

A. Justification for the extension, explaining the research completed up to the date of the extension request, together with the necessary supporting evidence.

B. The steps required to complete the remaining research activities during the extension period.

The request and supporting documents shall be submitted electronically. Based on the Principal Investigator’s justification, the University’s Permanent Committee for Institutional Support responsible for managing funding under the Strategic Plan for Research and Innovation may grant the researcher or research team an additional period to complete the project.

The extension period must not exceed six months, and no additional financial entitlements shall be granted to the project research team as a result of the extension. The extension may be granted twice, subject to the relevant committee’s authority to make exceptions.

Description of Phase Three – Supporting Women’s Empowerment – Final Version (2)

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