Last Update on: 29 September 2024

Jump to:

1. Purpose
2. Scope
3. Definitions and Acronyms
4. Objectives
5. Eligibility Criteria
6. Grant Benefits
7. Application Documentation
8. Review and Evaluation
   
9. Acknowledgements
   
10. Implementation, Compliance, and Reporting
    
11. Compliance and Performance Indicators
    
12. Document Amendment Information
    

1. PURPOSE

The purpose of these guidelines is to support the administration of the Early Career Research Grant.

2. SCOPE

1. These guidelines apply to meet the needs of faculty who have recently received their Ph.D., or those who are away from research for various reasons. 
   
2. These guidelines apply to all KFUPM faculty and researchers.

3. DEFINITIONS AND ACRONYMS 

4. OBJECTIVES

The Early Career Research Grant aims:

1. To assist the career development for new faculty joining KFUPM after recently receiving PhD, introduce them to the research culture and opportunities at KFUPM, and familiarize them with the relevant research procedures.
   
2. To help faculty members who have been relatively uninvolved in their research to reinvigorate their research activities, improve their own research profiles, and contribute to KFUPM’s overall research outcomes.

5. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Applicant eligibility

The Early Career Research Grant aims:

1. All professorial rank faculty members (Assistant, Associate, and full Professors) who:
   • Joined KFUPM within the last two years; or
   • Have received their Ph.D. degrees within the last two years; or
   • Have been away from research, which is defined as faculty who either:
     • Have not been involved in an internally-funded research grant (either as PI or Co-I) within the past three years; or
     • Have not published at least one journal paper within the last three years.
2. The PI shall nominate a senior faculty member who will act as a mentor for the proposed project. The nominated mentor must be a professorial rank faculty member, and agree to guide the new/junior faculty member through all project phases starting from writing/reviewing a proposal until acceptance of project final report.
3. The proposed mentor cannot be involved in more than two projects supported under the Early Career Research Grant.

6. GRANT BENEFITS

The Grant will provide a maximum of SAR 100,000 for:

1. compensation for undergraduate student (1,000 SAR/month);
2. equipment and supplies;
3. books and reference materials;
4. publication support (only for IRC affiliated);
5. journal submission fees (KFUPM Business School only);
6. international and local scientific visits.

The duration of the grant will be 12 months (one-month could be for the summer contract). 

7. APPLICATION DOCUMENTATION 

7.1 Proposal Template

1. Application may be submitted by the PI throughout the year.
2. Application must be submitted electronically through ABHATHI using the appropriate Proposal Template.

7.2 Budget Preparation 

1. Applications must include a detailed budget based on the following maximum allocations and periods.

   SN	Item	Maximum Allocation (SAR)	Period
   	Graduate Student (Pursuing PhD)	No incentive
   	Graduate Student (Pursuing MS)	No incentive
   	Researcher	No incentive
   	Technician	No incentive
   	Secretary	No incentive
   	Undergraduate Student	1,000	Month
   	Summer Compensation	12,0001	One month per project
   	Stationery	500	Per Project
   	Standard Desktop/Laptop2	6,000	Project
   	Special Desktop/Laptop2	15,000	Project
   	Standard Printer2	1,500	Project
   	Multifunction Printer2	2,000	Project
   	Standard Scanner2	500	Project
   	Workstation (Type – B) 2	13,000	Project
   	Workstation (Type – A) 2	26,000	Project
   	Books and Reference Materials	2,500	Project
   	Publication	13,500	Project
   	Journal Submission Fee (KFUPM Business School Only)	3,600/Project	US $300 per paper for first submission
   	International Scientific Visit3	14 Days	Per Year
   	Local Scientific Visit3 (within KSA)	2 Days	Per Visit
   	VAT Expenses DR	15% of the total	Project

   ¹It will be the actual payment according to the salary figures from faculty affairs and based on the remaining annual vacation.

   ²The approvals of information technology peripherals like Desktop/Laptop/Printer/Scanner are subject to justifications, No Objection letter from ICTC and not being issued from a previously approved project by the DR.

   ³International visits should be aligned with conference attendance (e.g. in the same country with few days immediately preceding/after conference dates), and maximum one visit per year. 

    

2. When the proposal is accepted, the approved project budget will be conveyed before the official start of the project along with the project approval memo.

8. REVIEW AND EVALUATION

1. Proposals will be evaluated by selected internal reviewers, and if necessary, international experts in the field.
2. Proposals will then be screened and evaluated by DR.
3. The criteria include the following:
   • project justification;
   • relevance to KFUPM research strategic areas;
   • clarity and achievability of proposed objectives;
   • methodology;
   • significance of the project’s expected outcomes.
4. The URC shall discuss the proposals received and their evaluations, and either:
   • recommend for immediate approval; or
   • not recommend approval.
5. Applicants will be advised and informed accordingly.  

9. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Proper acknowledgment as per the stipulated KFUPM acknowledgment rules and regulations as given at the link here, any deviation from which will render the respective publication-outcome as NOT acceptable.

10. IMPLEMENTATION, COMPLIANCE, AND REPORTING

1. DR shall implement these guidelines.
2. The DR shall monitor projects supported by Early Career Research Grants.
3. Non-compliance with any provision in these guidelines shall be reported to DR.

11. COMPLIANCE AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 

In monitoring and reviewing the implementation of these guidelines, the following compliance and performance indicators shall be used:

1. Number of grants awarded each year;
2. Submission of funded project progress and final reports;
3. Number of successfully completed projects each year.
   

12. DOCUMENT AMENDMENT INFORMATION