Luis Legorburu

Doha QU premises, October 16th 2014

Join Research Proposal for NPRP-EP

Contents

CurrentSituation

IMPORTANT

NECESSARY

To establish the Main Research Lines

To comply with NPRP-EP requisites

Selection criteria• Qatar National Interests• Tech. Roadmap

Multidisciplinary• Detected Synergies &

barriers• Effort Coordination

Proposal Plan• Proposal Structure• Next steps

Scientific merit• Chosen research Lines• Publications driven Criteria

Formal Aspects• Evaluation• Templates, etc.

Resources• Available own Time (PRs)• Collaboration needs

Project Planning• Project & Publication Plans• Budget

Proposal Elaboration

3

Evolution of the proposal and current situation

Current situation

* Note. 2nd phase was almost immediately substituted by 3rd phase

Academic IndustrialAcademic Industrial

• SI, KM, officially contacted by IB• Difficulties for Industrial partners at

NPRP• IP issues• Payment issues?

Micro grid• Campus level• Labs• Data center

Medium term Research project• Former Micro Grid• Applied derived Research• Derived Training development

Long term Intensive Research project• Former Micro Grid• Pure Multidisciplinary derived Research• Long term Derived Training development

Funding: Own resourcesRequisites: Industrial MediumTerm: 1 yearBudget: ≈ 0.5M US$

Funding: QNRF NPRP 8th cycleRequisites: ACADEMIC MediumTerm: 1 - 3 yearsBudget: ≈0.3 - 0.9M US$

Funding: QNRF NPRP-EPRequisites: ACADEMIC HIGHTerm: 1 - 5 yearsBudget: ≈ 1 - 5M US$

1 2* 3 (Now)

4

• In order to select our main initial lines, we must take in account two considerations:

– As Qatar National Research Fund is expected to finance our effort, we would choose our research lines taking in account the best interests of Qatar.

– As the opportunity to have available a multidisciplinary project team is usually rare, we would use it on our advantage choosing the lines that could get the most profit of this fact

• In principle, the selected line/lines would involve the combination of:

– EE: Energy efficiency, Renewable Energies (integration), Smart Grid related technologies.

– ICT: Advanced Control Methodologies and Algorithms, Cibersecurity.

• Additional Considerations:

– For a five year research project it is fundamental to define clearly from the very beginning clear research lines and objectives in order to keep focused.

– Of course the lines and objectives will evolve in the time, as the research advances. (That is naturally expected in any research project of this length).

Main Research Lines

5

Research Lines Selection Criteria

Research Lines Selection Criteria

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Multidisciplinary Collaboration

Energy efficiency

Smart Grids

Renewable Integration

EE

Advanced control

Cibersecurity

ICT

EE2

EE3

ICT4

ICT5

• When studying the Background for selection we would focus ourselves in two aspects:

1. Current Barriers to the advance:• Lack of infrastructure (Labs, controlled environment, real time Data, etc.)• Lack of trained Staff• Other hindrances to further development (Focusing on these related to multidisciplinary issues)

2. Detected Synergies:• When collaboration between different areas is needed for further advance

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• Qatar National Research Fund programs, including NPRP, are strongly Academic oriented:

– In the Academic world, is the Individual effort what is taken in account; and the only reliable measure are the quantity and quality of the publications from the individuals, and in this case, their relevance in relation to the proposal.

– The industrial partners are collective oriented. They are the Companies who supply reliability and are trustworthy or not. Most of the staff that the Companies are able to allocate to any project have not significant publications.

– The only way for the QNRF to estimate the qualifications of the Researchers is the number and relevance of their peer reviewed publications

– In the same way, the compromise letters from participants require named resources.

• NPRP-EP (Exceptional proposals) is more exigent than the cyclic NPRP programs:

– Stronger filters (more (20?), and more relevant publications required from Principal Researchers, etc.)

– Additionally to the usual evaluation by three different reviewers as in the cycle-based program, the QNRF steering Committee has the ultimate decision to award the proposal or not.

NPRP-EP requisites

8

• Chosen research lines: (The scientific merit)

– With similar publication driven criteria as used to evaluate the qualification of the Researchers, the decision to choose any specific issue as research line would be properly based on referenced publications

– The originality of the idea and novelty of the approach, at least, depends on the researcher himself. It would be properly stated.

– The project conception, organization, budget is in this case a collective effort.

– But the significance of the specific line of research, both in the area as the expected results, would be properly justified with references.

– About the results; what we are looking for is:

• Impact of the contribution to the literature (justified when possible, and mentioning the objective journals and forums when available)

• If the possibility of IP exploitation is detected at this early stage, it would be stated

Scientific merit

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• Three steps:– Filters

• Bad or old templates and structures (annexes, references, etc.)

• More than 40 pages

• Incorrect Downloaded docs

• PR´s number of peer reviewed relevant recent publications (20?)

• Non-relevant publications included

• Extreme care with plagiarism issues: please reference every quotation

– Expert evaluations (probably 3 experts, from QCRI and/or QEERI)• Scientific merit (based mostly on publications) 70%

• Budget merit 30%

– QNRF Steering Committe Decision• Based on Expert evaluations

• AND how well our selection criteria matched the National Priorities and the NPRP research lines

Formal Aspects

10

• In our experience, when dealing with multiple researches in multiple disciplines, iterative methodologies work better

• The core of the process is simple and straightforward:– The individual pieces of information are gathered (in a format as uniform

as possible) from the individual participants– The coordinator tries to elaborate the individual pieces into a join and

coherent document– The document is reviewed by the individuals for adjustments and fine

tuning. Usually the discussions are known by every individual.– The coordinator considers the adjustments in a new version of the

document and send it for a new review.– The process ends when satisfactory or after a number of iterations.

• When the Document has reach stability, – Budgeting is possible– Complementary information can be used to refine the plans (e.g., the list

of forecasted events will serve to fine tuning the conferences plan, etc.)

Proposal Elaboration

11

• General data for every Principal Researcher:– Availability (estimated average) and cost of PR and Assistants– Sample:

• Data needed for every Main Research line:– Description with base references (owned/third parties) list.– Planning & coordination data:

Resources

Principal Researcher

8 days per month760 US$ per day

80% Own research lines

20%Collaborations

Assistant Researchers

15 days per month480 US$ per day

30%

70% Own research lines

Year 1 Year 5Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

Your own work organization (as You feel adequate)

Infrastructure needs: e.g. electric load real time data for 2 buildings, metheo data, lab, etc.

Expected Collaborations: e.g. ICT , control algorithm for…

Theoretical basePublication

Preliminary ResultsPublication (©)(X 2 if very relevant collaboration)

ConferenceAnd/ordemonstration

Report forTrainingimprovement

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• For the planning I will try to join the information coming from the individual Principal Researchers in a coordinated plan

Project Planning

Usually a number of

iterations are needed until we

have a satisfactory coordinated

plan.Then we can

Budget.

13

Background literature survey

Proposal Plan

Objectives

Research design and methods

Anticipated results and evaluation

criteria

Strategy for project

continuation

Plans for disseminating

research results

Nov 2014 Jan 2015Dec 2015

• PRs Qualification• Relevance (both based on Peer reviewed Publications)

• Idea originality• Approach

• Project conception & organization

• Resources• Budget

• Significance • Area• expected results

• Contribution to literature

• Dissemination mechanisms

• Results Exploitation (IP)• Benefits• Scientific merit 70%

• Budget merit 30%

Support Slides

• Qatar Research Structure• NPRP: QNRS Lines (I-IV)

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Qatar Research Structure

Member Research centers Financing Facilitator

Research Granting ProgramsCalls Developed by QNRF from QNRS*

Qatar National Research Strategy(2012)

QNRS

R&D

* Note. 9 programs, these three ones are the most relevant for us

←

Qatar Research Structure

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NPRP: National Priorities Research Program (I/IV)

NPRP: National Priorities Research Program

• QNRS 2012- NPRP:

– Enterprise-Wide Pillar (EW)• Goal EW.1—Governance and vision• Goal EW.2—Monitoring and evaluation• Goal EW.3—R&D eco-system• Goal EW.4—R&D workforce and education: Develop Qatar’s current and future capacity to execute the

QNRS• Goal EW.5—R&D partnerships: Develop a productive R&D and innovation ecosystem in Qatar through

knowledge sharing, collaboration and cooperation.

– Energy and Environment Pillar (EE)• Goal EE.1—Oil and gas• Goal EE.2—Renewable energy: Achieve sustainable development through economic diversification,

including solar energy and alternative fuels.• Goal EE.3—Energy efficiency: Sustain economic prosperity, development, responsible use of natural

resources, and a proactive role in climate change mitigation.• Goal EE.4—Understanding and protecting Qatar’s natural environment: Provide a sustainable

environment for future generations.• Goal EE.5—Environmental sustainability: Improve quality of life, protect health, and promote sustainable

development within Qatar’s built environment.• Goal EE.6—Addressing global climate change: • Goal EE.7—Cross-cutting basic research and applications:

Ref: http://www.qfrd.org/images/QNRS_2012.pdf ←

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NPRP: National Priorities Research Program (II/IV)

NPRP: National Priorities Research Program

• QNRS 2012- NPRP:

– Computer Sciences and Information and Communication Technology Pillar (ICT)• Goal ICT.1—Infrastructure: • Goal ICT.2—Computing and data analytics• Goal ICT.3—Arabic language technologies (ALT) and social computing• Goal ICT.4—Systems, applications and robotics• Goal ICT.5—Cross-cutting enabling research: Develop research programs that support & enable other

research sectors.

– Health Pillar (HE)• Goal HE.1—Addressing national health priorities• Goal HE.2—Building enabling health research

– Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities Pillar (SAH)• Goal SAH.1—Society• Goal SAH.2—Culture• Goal SAH.3—Public and economic life• Goal SAH.4—Capabilities, coordination and cross-cutting

Ref: http://www.qfrd.org/images/QNRS_2012.pdf

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NPRP: National Priorities Research Program (III/IV)

NPRP: National Priorities Research Program

• QNRS 2012- NPRP:– Enterprise-Wide Pillar (EW)

• Goal EW.1—Governance and vision• Goal EW.2—Monitoring and evaluation• Goal EW.3—R&D eco-system• Goal EW.4—R&D workforce and education: Develop Qatar’s current and future capacity to execute the QNRS.

– EW.4.1: Draft and implement a comprehensive 5-10 year National Research Workforce Plan.– EW.4.2: Strengthen K-12 and undergraduate programs in the fundamental sciences & mathematics.– EW.4.3: Enhance and create new graduate programs in areas of national interest.

• Goal EW.5—R&D partnerships: Develop a productive R&D and innovation ecosystem in Qatar through knowledge sharing, collaboration and cooperation.

– EW.5.1: Develop and strengthen interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research partnerships between the academic, private and public components of the research enterprise both within Qatar and internationally.

– Energy and Environment Pillar (EE)• Goal EE.1—Oil and gas• Goal EE.2—Renewable energy: Achieve sustainable development through economic diversification, including solar

energy and alternative fuels.– EE.2.1: Create and implement a comprehensive solar energy research program to include solar electric and solar thermal

applications.– EE.2.2: Develop technology for converting carbon dioxide to useful fuels &/or chemicals using biological/biochemical

approaches• Goal EE.3—Energy efficiency: Sustain economic prosperity, development, responsible use of natural resources,

and a proactive role in climate change mitigation.– EE.3.1: Improve the efficiency of energy use in Qatar, with special emphasis on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

• Goal EE.4—Understanding and protecting Qatar’s natural environment: Provide a sustainable environment for future generations.

• Goal EE.5—Environmental sustainability: Improve quality of life, protect health, and promote sustainable development within Qatar’s built environment.

– EE.5.4: Conduct research that informs and enables more sustainable urbanization and a healthier living environment.• Goal EE.6—Addressing global climate change: • Goal EE.7—Cross-cutting basic research and applications:

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NPRP: National Priorities Research Program (IV/IV)

NPRP: National Priorities Research Program

• QNRS 2012- NPRP:

– Computer Sciences and Information and Communication Technology Pillar (ICT)• Goal ICT.1—Infrastructure: • Goal ICT.2—Computing and data analytics• Goal ICT.3—Arabic language technologies (ALT) and social computing• Goal ICT.4—Systems, applications and robotics

– ICT.4.1: Develop a research and development program on wireless networking to develop and employ an integrated, next generation, wireless sensor network, including research on mobile applications and services.

– ICT.4.2: Develop a research and development program on embedded and integrated systems and sensor networks as an enabler for development in many sectors.

– ICT.4.3: Build a research and development program on applied robotics with use-inspired applications to include work on computer vision and the integration of state-of-the-art robotics systems.

• Goal ICT.5—Cross-cutting enabling research: Develop research programs that support & enable other research sectors.

– ICT.5.1: Develop a research program on information security.– ICT.5.2: Develop a demand-driven bioinformatics research program serving both genomics-driven investigations and emerging

research effort in energy and environment.– ICT.5.3. Develop a national research program in high-performance modeling, simulation, and data analysis which crosscuts a

variety of scientific areas.

– Health Pillar (HE)• Goal HE.1—Addressing national health priorities• Goal HE.2—Building enabling health research

– Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities Pillar (SAH)• Goal SAH.1—Society• Goal SAH.2—Culture• Goal SAH.3—Public and economic life• Goal SAH.4—Capabilities, coordination and cross-cutting

Thank you very much