This year the participation in UREP varied, with students from six academic institutions in Qatar including: Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Qatar University, Texas A&M University in Qatar, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, University of Doha for Science and Technology, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar.
The projects presented by participating institutions covered an impressive range of innovative research areas from creating a smart robot that helps with elbow rehabilitation using muscle signals, studying how to make the blue ammonia supply chain more sustainable, and using nanocellulose from date pits as a natural coating to keep strawberries fresh for longer. Other projects featured a drone system that cleans and monitors solar panels, and a special bandage made with natural oils to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The competition awards are divided into two categories: the poster presentation category and the oral presentation category. A total of 14 judges evaluated the projects, including 32 for the poster presentations and 5 for the oral presentations. Projects were assessed based on their scientific merit, research outcomes, student learning experience, and presentation quality.
This year in the oral presentations, Mr. Ahmad Hamdan, Miss Lubna Zar, Miss Waqar Mogassabi, Mr. Mohannad Abu Haweeleh, Ms. Dima Nasrallah, and Ms. Menatalla ElBadway from Qatar University, secured first place in the oral presentation category with their project titled Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Activity of Novel Nanofibers Bandage Formulated with Juniperus Communis Essential Oil Targeting Antibiotic Resistant Bacterial Strains.
In second place, Mr. Diram Tabaa, Mr. Abrar Tasneem Abir, Mr. Deep Chandra, Mr. Devang Acharya, Mr. Sai Lingampalli, and Ms. Rama Sulaiman from Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar were awarded for their project HyBrush: A Hybrid UAV Brushing System for PV Monitoring and Cleaning.
Third place went to Mr. Hamad Al Mannaei, Miss Hajar Nasr, Mr. Bader Aldelayel, Mr. Talal AlTamimi, Ms. Hiba Ibrahim, and Ms. Noor Hazim from the University of Doha for Science and Technology for their project on the Hybrid Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of Blue Ammonia Supply Chain.
Additionally, the poster presentations witnessed high competition, where 32 teams presented their research outcomes. In joint first place, Mr. Ibrahim Al-Mutawa, Mr. Ahmed Al Ansari, Mr. Shaunak Sarker from Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar ranked first place with the project, Evaluation of the Antibacterial Activity of Cold Atmospheric Plasma Technology on Mouse-Induced Diabetic Foot Ulcers.
Students, Ms. Syeda Kashfeen Zehra, Asmaa Zaoud, Fatima AbouMaali, Moza Al-Derhim, Khaled Alharami, Meimouna Hamed from the University of Doha for Science and Technology also ranked first placed with their project: Rahma - A Cross-Platform App to Facilitate Clothes Donation, Collection and Receiving.
Second place was shared by two teams from Qatar University. The first team included Ms. Alaa Al-Qadhi, Ms. Abrar Abdelrahman, Ms. Asma'a Al Mulla, Ms. Nassima Zerouali, and Ms. Latifa Al Khayyat for their project titled Epidemiology of Infections in Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Patients (EPINE): A Retrospective Study. The second team included Mr. Adil Abdulhameed, Ms. Razan Abu-Resh, Mr. Haseeb Tariq, Mr. Nahar Anwar, Mr. Sebastian Cortez, and Mr. Usama Javed for their project titled Development of Smart Molecular Recognition Membrane Materials for Lithium Recovery from Liquid Solutions.
Two teams also came joint third with Ms. Hadil Ahmed, Miss Ayah Elsafi, Miss Basant Abouelgoud, Miss Laila Mohammadniya, Miss Mennahalla Kuna, Ms. Shehela Sulthana from Qatar university, with their project, titled: Investigation and Development of AI203 Based Anti-Soiling Coatings for Surfaces in Arid Regions: A Case Study in Qatar.
Additionally, another team from the University of Doha for Science and Technology came third on their project titled: Smart Outcome Driven Remedial Course Generator in Tertiary Education. The team is made up of students: Mr. Osama Abdul Khalique, Ms. Sadia Abdulhalim, Ms. Shifa Mhaskar, Mr. Rakif Khan Pathan, Mr. Saeed Farah, and Ms. Amna Al Kubaisi.
The competition also recognized the winners of the Best Representative Image of an Outcome (BRIO), which celebrates visual communication of scientific concepts and research in Qatar through art. The competition this year received 39 images and amassed more than 7047 votes from the public and Qatar's scientific and academic communities. The top three BRIO contest winners were
Third Place: Imperfect Nanofibers: Future of Atmospheric Water, created by Dr. Bahman Boostani from the University of Doha for Science and Technology.
Second Place: Emerging Micro-Blood Vessels, created by Hend Eldous from Hamad Bin Khalifa University.
First Place: Missing Gene: A Mini-Pancreas Without Hormones, created by Noura Aldous from Hamad Bin Khalifa University.
Aysha Al-Mudahka, Senior Program Director at QRDI Council said: “This competition serves as a valuable platform for nurturing young research talent, empowering participants to develop impactful projects that contribute to Qatar’s national vision. As we conclude the 17th cycle of UREP and the 9th edition of the BRIO Awards, we take pride in QRDI Council’s continued commitment to fostering innovation and research excellence over the past 17 years. The quality of the projects presented this year reflects the strong potential of our young researchers to drive real-world impact and advance Qatar’s research ecosystem.”
UREP was launched in 2006, and since then it has awarded over 5811 undergraduate students from 8 universities across Qatar for their contributions to 1540 projects during the past UREP cycles including this one. Exceptionally, 1289 UREP projects have been completed in the past 19 years, emphasizing the program's enduring impact.
The Undergraduate Research Experience Program showcases QRDI Council’s continuous efforts to strengthen Qatar’s research, development, and innovation (RDI) ecosystem in alignment with Qatar National Vision 2030, which aspires to position the nation as a global hub for talent in cutting-edge innovation, research, and development across key sectors such as sustainable energy, healthcare, and technology. Through competitions like UREP, the Council aims to inspire and empower young researchers to recognize their pivotal role in driving scientific progress and shaping the future of innovation in Qatar.