Administrative Support for Interdisciplinary Science Research Teams
Structured, institutionally-mandated support through the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research and the Interdisciplinary Science Research Committee.
Multidisciplinary Research Support
The Deanship is committed to fostering a vibrant research culture across the University. It provides essential support for interdisciplinary research, cross-college collaboration, proposal development, and funded research initiatives. By offering guidance, resources, and funding opportunities, the Deanship helps faculty and researchers strengthen partnerships, advance innovative ideas, and secure external support for impactful projects.
Institutional Framework
Interdisciplinary science research at the University of Bahrain is supported through a two-tier administrative model. At the operational level, the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research (DGSSR) provides continuous, day-to-day administrative services to research teams. At the governance level, the Interdisciplinary Science Research Committee provides strategic direction, institutional coordination, progress follow-up, and reporting to the University leadership.
Together, these two tiers ensure that faculty forming interdisciplinary science research teams have a single recognised administrative home with defined staff, a defined committee, defined responsibilities, and defined reporting cycles.
Dedicated DGSSR Staff Supporting Interdisciplinary Teams
Four members of staff within the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research are assigned specific responsibility for supporting interdisciplinary science research teams. They act as the first point of contact for team leads and co-investigators across all colleges, and they manage the day-to-day administrative workflow associated with interdisciplinary projects.
| Function | Role | Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|
| Lead | Head of the Scientific Research Department, DGSSR | Provides overall administrative leadership for interdisciplinary research support, liaises with the Interdisciplinary Science Research Committee, and signs off on team-level decisions. |
| Pre-Award Support | Research Grants & Proposals Officer | Supports interdisciplinary teams in preparing proposals, internal approvals, budget coordination across colleges, and submission through the CMS (Committee Management System). |
| Post-Award & Compliance | Research Projects Coordinator | Coordinates the execution plan for funded interdisciplinary projects, manages reporting cycles, approvals, and interactions with college-level coordinators. |
| Documentation & Reporting | Research Documentation & Impact Officer | Maintains official records of interdisciplinary research activity, prepares evidence dossiers for institutional reports and external benchmarking, and supports the Committee’s documentation function. |
The Interdisciplinary Science Research Committee
The Interdisciplinary Science Research Committee follows up on the progress of interdisciplinary research teams and provides the institutional governance layer that complements the day-to-day support provided by DGSSR staff. The Committee brings together senior leadership from across the Deanship, quality assurance, partnerships, human resources, and representatives from every college engaged in science research.
Composition
| Role / Representation | Position |
|---|---|
| Dean of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research | Chair |
| Director of the Quality Assurance and Accreditation Centre | Member |
| Representative of the Office of the Vice President for Partnerships and Development | Member |
| Head of the Scientific Research Department, DGSSR | Member |
| Representative of the College of Business Administration (Economics and Finance Department) | Member |
| Representative of the College of Information Technology (Computer Science Department) | Member |
| Representative of the College of Science (Chemistry Department) | Member |
| Representative of the College of Health and Sport Sciences (Allied Health Department) | Member |
| Representative of the College of Engineering (Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department) | Member |
| Coordinator of the Cloud Innovation Centre | Member |
| Coordinator of the Simulation Lab, College of Health and Sport Sciences | Member |
| Coordinator of the BENEFIT Artificial Intelligence and Computing Lab | Member |
| Representative of the Human Resources Directorate | Member |
The Committee may seek the assistance of any person it deems appropriate to carry out its assigned tasks.
Committee Functions & Responsibilities
The Committee’s responsibilities cover six functional areas of interdisciplinary research support:
| Functional Area | Description |
|---|---|
| Coordination & Strategy | Coordinates and promotes interdisciplinary science research initiatives at the University level, identifies strategic interdisciplinary priority areas, and enhances collaboration among colleges, departments, and research centres. |
| Administrative Support | Proposes and oversees institutional support mechanisms for interdisciplinary science research teams; facilitates coordination related to proposals, grants, approvals, and reporting; and identifies and addresses administrative challenges. |
| Performance Indicators | Proposes indicators for measuring interdisciplinary research performance — including joint publications, grants, projects, innovation outputs, and impact — and reviews progress with recommendations for improvement. |
| Facilities & Infrastructure | Identifies infrastructure and shared-facility needs related to interdisciplinary science research and proposes measures to enhance access to shared laboratories and research spaces. |
| Recognition & Policies | Reviews the adequacy of institutional policies and academic evaluation systems in recognising interdisciplinary science research and submits recommendations to the competent authorities. |
| Documentation & Reporting | Maintains official records and documentation related to interdisciplinary research support and activities, and prepares evidence for institutional reports, benchmarking, and ranking submissions. |
Committee Outputs
The Committee is mandated to deliver the following outputs:
- An institutional framework to support interdisciplinary science research at the University.
- A list of interdisciplinary science research performance indicators.
- Recommendations on administrative support and infrastructure.
- Documented evidence for institutional reporting purposes.
- An annual report outlining interdisciplinary science research activities and key performance indicators.
Meetings & Reporting
The Committee meets periodically at least twice per semester. Emergency meetings may be convened at the Chair’s invitation or at the request of the majority of members.
The Committee submits periodic progress reports to the University President in October and March of each year, via the designated University Committees email (committees@uob.edu.bh), using the standard periodic report template.
Interdisciplinary Research Clusters
Proposals submitted to the interdisciplinary research programme must address genuinely interdisciplinary research areas and fall within one or more of the following five strategic clusters defined by the University:
| Cluster | Focus |
|---|---|
| Sustainability, Climate & Environmental Economics Cluster | Climate action, sustainability and the economics of the environment. |
| AI, Smart Technologies & Digital Economics Cluster | Artificial intelligence, smart systems and the digital economy. |
| Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology Cluster | Next-generation materials science and nanoscale engineering. |
| Health & Biomedical Innovation Cluster | Clinical, biomedical and health-systems innovation. |
| Water–Energy–Food Nexus Cluster | Integrated solutions across water, energy and food security. |
Application Process & Requirements
Interdisciplinary research teams seeking institutional support apply through their college via the Committee Management System (CMS) of the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research. Key requirements include:
- The Research Project Form must be completed and submitted together with all attachments required by the form.
- The proposed research area must be interdisciplinary and fall within one or more of the five clusters listed above.
- The execution plan for each research project must not exceed one year.
- Applications must be submitted through the college via the CMS of the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research.
The Deanship announces submission windows for the interdisciplinary research call each academic year. Current windows are published on the Deanship portal.
2024–2025 Funded Projects
The following interdisciplinary projects were supported during the 2024–2025 cycle. Each project is delivered by a multi-member research team led by the listed Principal Investigator and spans two or more scientific disciplines:
| No. | Project Title | Principal Investigator | Multidisciplinary Areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Transition metal doped catalysts for nitrogen reduction | Dr. Tariq Mahmood | Chemistry Materials Science Nanotechnology |
| 2 | Thiazole derivatives and biological applications | Dr. Ezzat Khan | Organic Chemistry Biotechnology Pharmacology |
| 3 | Agri-photovoltaics greenhouse in Bahrain | Dr. Javed Iqbal | Renewable Energy Agriculture Environmental Science |
| 4 | Detection of Tetrabromobisphenol A | Dr. Ayman H. Kamel | Analytical Chemistry Environmental Science Public Health |
| 5 | Bentonite-Chitosan pollutant removal | Dr. Ahmed AbdelFattah | Environmental Engineering Materials Science Chemistry |
| 6 | Microplastics degradation reactor | Dr. Suad A. Rashdan | Nanotechnology Environmental Engineering Chemistry |
| 7 | Iron oxide nanoparticles for hyperthermia | Dr. Kheireddine El-Boubbou | Biomedical Engineering Nanotechnology Oncology |
| 8 | Biodegradable composites for wastewater | Dr. Wael Amer | Polymer Chemistry Environmental Engineering Materials Science |
| 9 | Fruit waste nano-catalysts | Dr. Irshad Ul Haq Bhat | Green Chemistry Nanotechnology Sustainability |
| 10 | Antibiotic resistance determinants | Dr. Ali Bin Thani | Microbiology Public Health Pharmacology |
| 11 | Drought tolerance in tomato | Dr. Muhammad Azeem | Plant Science Biotechnology Agriculture |
| 12 | Anti-hyperpigmentation plants | Dr. Salwa Al-Thawadi | Pharmacology Botany Biochemistry |
| 13 | Anti-diabetic plants | Dr. Salwa Al-Thawadi | Botany Pharmacology Biochemistry |
| 14 | Eco-friendly antibiotic solutions | Dr. Muhammad Nauman Zahid | Biotechnology Microbiology Green Chemistry |
| 15 | AI waste management system | Dr. Jaflah AlAmmari | Artificial Intelligence Environmental Engineering Computer Science |
| 16 | AI in healthcare education | Marwan Altheeb | Artificial Intelligence Health Sciences Education |
| 17 | Teacher gender and reading achievement | Dr. Parween R Ebrahim | Sociology Education Psychology |
| 18 | Drinking water disinfection efficiency | Dr. Niaz Bahadur Khan | Public Health Environmental Engineering Microbiology |
| 19 | Doped SAC solder alloy | Dr. Riaz Muhammad | Mechanical Engineering Materials Science Electrical Engineering |
| 20 | Economic development in Bahrain | Dr. Qaiser Munir | Economics Public Policy Sustainability |
Contact
Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research
University of Bahrain, Sakhir Campus, P.O. Box 32038, Kingdom of Bahrain
Interdisciplinary Science Research Committee Secretariat: committees@uob.edu.bh
Web: uob.edu.bh/deanship-of-graduate-studies-scientific-research/interdisciplinary-research-support
