2. The funded project must involve at least one postgraduate student from Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, as required for the postgraduate student category. The specific nature of the project dictates the maximum number of students involved. Additionally, the names of all project members must be included in the published research.
3. The research team must include at least one Saudi national who is either a university staff member or an employee at the Directorate of Health Affairs and its affiliated centers at the university.
4. The project seeking funding must not have concluded before the funding application submission.
5. The project seeking funding cannot be based on content extracted from a book or scientific thesis.
6. The lead researcher must commit to publishing the project's findings in an international scientific journal indexed in databases like the Web of Science (WOS) core collection. The journal should be also included within citation indicators such as the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) or the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI). Research published in journals lacking impact factor (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4) or indexed in WOS emerging sources will not be considered as they do not meet the funding criteria.
7. Researchers involved in the project must commit to the project's intellectual property rights as per the approved agreement form.
8. Researchers must adhere to scientific research ethics and obtain approval from the university's relevant scientific research ethics committees if required. The Deanship of Scientific Research reserves the right to take appropriate actions in case of any violations of scientific research ethics or recognized scientific misconduct at local or international levels.
9. Upon approval of project funding, the research team cannot make significant alterations to the project, including changes to the project type, topic, methodology, or budget, without the approval of the Standing Committee for Funding Research Projects.
10. The research team is obligated to complete the project according to the proposed plan approved by the Deanship of Scientific Research, maintaining the original composition of researchers. Any changes to the number or identities of researchers require approval from the Standing Committee for Funding Research Projects. Failure to comply may lead to contract termination, with the matter referred to the Scientific Research Ethics Committee.
11. The contract duration is one year from the signing date and may be extended for a similar period subject to approval from the Deanship of Scientific Research.
12. Researchers can request an extension of the research period from the Deanship of Scientific Research at least 30 days before the project's end, including:
a. Justification for the extension detailing the research progress achieved so far.
b. Proposed steps to complete the research during the extension period, which requires written approval from the Deanship of Scientific Research.
c. Attachment of the approved work progress form.
13. If the project's designated timeframe expires as per its approved schedule without completion, the Standing Committee for Funding Research Projects may, based on the lead researcher's justifications, grant an additional period of up to six months to finalize the project. No additional financial support will be provided during this extension. Exceptions to this rule may be granted by the Deanship of Scientific Research Council.
14. In case the lead researcher leaves the university before project completion, they must submit a report to the Deanship of Scientific Research requesting the transfer of project responsibility to an alternative researcher. The Standing Committee for Funding Research Projects will review the request and make appropriate recommendations.
15. In the event that the research team is unable to continue the project, the Council of the Deanship of Scientific Research, upon recommendation from the Standing Committee for Funding Research Projects, will choose between two options:
A. Terminating the project and cancelling the contract with the lead researcher, thus ending financial commitments.
B. Appointing a new lead researcher, either from the existing team or externally, to complete the project.
16. A final report, along with published research, financial reports, and invoices, must be submitted upon project completion as per the agreement.
17. Upon submitting the final financial report of the research project, the research team remains obligated to address any deficiencies in the report or fulfill outstanding research objectives without the Deanship of Scientific Research incurring additional financial obligations.
18. University members involved in the research team must each establish and activate two accounts on Google Scholar and Orcid. They should indicate their affiliation with Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, as well as their respective college and department within the university. This requirement is fundamental for applying to any funding programs offered by the Deanship of Scientific Research.
Second: Published Research Approval Conditions:
1. Research must be original and published as an article.
2. Research must be published in an international scientific journal indexed in databases like the Web of Science (WOS) core collection. The journal should be also included within citation indicators such as the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) or the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI). Research published in journals lacking impact factor (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4) or indexed in WOS emerging sources will not be considered.
3. Research must not be published in journals listed as banned or pirated, or by publishers listed as banned, as per the circular issued by the Vice President for Postgraduate Studies and Scientific Research, No. 16997, dated 1/5/1440 AH, provided on the following links:
https://predatoryjournals.com/journals
https://predatoryjournals.com/publishers
4. Researchers must have their only affiliation as employees at the university or the Directorate of Health Affairs and its affiliated centers at the university. Double affiliations are not permitted. The affiliation shall be in the following format: Department name/ College name/ Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University.
5. All communications with the journal must use the official university email address.
6. Only official university emails of team members should be included in the affiliation.
7. The second party must acknowledge the university's support for the research in the following format: This research project was funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, through the Young Researcher Funding Program, grant No (XX- YRFP-XXX)
8. All project members' names must be included in the published research. In the event that the advisor or assistant does not participate in the publication, a moral acknowledgment thanking them for their assistance in completing the research should be included after acknowledging the deanship's support according to the approved format for the program.
9. Researchers are not permitted to collaborate with individuals from entities or countries with which the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not deal by law. Journals originating from such entities or countries are also prohibited. Researchers bear full scientific, legal, and ethical responsibility for the published research.
10. Research published before the contract signing date will not be considered.
11. Research papers including acknowledgment to any other support entity within the university will not be considered.
12. A 25% deduction from the support amount will be applied for each acknowledgment to a third party.
13. Adherence to the regulations and ethics of scientific research is required.
14. Adherence to citation criteria and controls set forth by the university is required.
15. Scientific research and inventions resulting from this collaboration are deemed the property of Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University. Researchers bear full scientific and legal responsibility for the content submitted to the university.
Third: Financial Controls:
1. The financial dues for the research project will be provided in two installments: the first installment, comprising 50% of the approved budget, is disbursed after the contract is signed. The second installment, also 50% of the approved budget, is disbursed after the final report is endorsed by the Council of the Deanship of Scientific Research. This endorsement is based on the project's final financial report as well as the submission of published research, as per the conditions for published research approval.
2. The lead researcher (mentioned as the second party in the contract) is responsible for distributing all financial dues to project members according to the approved budget for researchers' remunerations. This distribution should occur upon receipt of the designated financial payments and submission of all requisite documentation following the Unified Regulations for Scientific Research. Financial disputes among researchers will not be entertained.
3. Remunerations are disbursed according to Article 12 of the Unified Regulations for Scientific Research.
4. In the event that the research project is not completed for any reason and the Council of the Deanship of Scientific Research, upon the recommendation of the Standing Committee for Funding Research Projects, decides to terminate the project and the contract with the lead researcher, any financial obligations expected to be fulfilled upon project completion will be nullified. Additionally, the lead researcher will be required to refund any disbursed amounts according to the regulations established by the Deanship of Scientific Research.
