UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science nears full proposal milestone phase

ABU DHABI, 16th August, 2016 (WAM) -- The UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science, UAEREP, is nearing the completion of its next milestone phase with midnight on August 17th serving as the cut-off deadline for receiving full proposals for the second cycle of the programme. Aiming to advance rain enhancement science, technology and applications, the first-of-its-kind programme encourages more investment in research, leading to further international cooperation and partnerships in rain enhancement operations in addition to driving radical scientific research in the field. It also seeks to explore new and innovative ways to increase rainfall in arid and semi-arid regions. The programme has selected 15 pre-proposals for its next phase following a rigorous review process by the programme’s technical committee this May in Abu Dhabi. The shortlisted pre-proposals highlighted scientific topics related to innovative seeding materials and improving their performance, numerical modelling and studies on aerosols and their relation to cloud formation processes. Alya Al Mazroui, Programme Manager of the UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science, said, "By receiving the full proposals on the set deadline, we will have reached a new milestone phase in this second cycle of the research programme. We are looking forward to evaluating all of these proposals to finally select the winners of this cycle. We also expect participating full proposals to be of a high-calibre and very competitive since they offer innovative and promising scientific ideas that will add significant value to rain enhancement science." The review and evaluation process for the full proposals is set to be conducted from August 21st to September 22nd, followed by a panel meeting of the programme’s international technical committee in Abu Dhabi on October 3rd and 4th. Intended to examine and select the full proposals, the committee features 10 international experts supported by 16 ad-hoc reviewers, specialised in key scientific areas related to the topics of the proposals. Up to five research proposals will be selected this year to share the programme’s US$5 million grant. The final selections will be based on strict weighted evaluation criteria that look for high quality scientific research and innovation. They will factor in the overall scientific and technical merit, significance and innovation, approach, project/delivery plan, milestones and deliverables, the investigator and team, the required/available resources and budget, and capacity building. The awardees of the programme’s second cycle will be announced at a ceremony in January, 2017, during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. The second cycle of the UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science registered great geographical interest, drawing 91 pre-proposals from 398 researchers and scientists from 180 institutions across 45 countries, including 15 new countries. This cycle complements the remarkable success of the programme’s inaugural cycle, which was launched in 2015. - Emirates News Agency, WAM - http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395298805262.html