Rain enhancement programme roadshow to increase awareness on its objectives
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ABU DHABI, 24th February, 2020 (WAM) --The UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science, UAEREP, has launched a roadshow to introduce local universities and embassies in the UAE to the Programme’s objectives and promote collaboration with scientific research community locally, as the Programme is gearing up to open its fourth cycle for submission beginning of 2021.
Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, Director of NCM and President of the Regional Association II (Asia) of WMO, said, "This roadshow articulates our continued efforts to offer innovative solutions to meet global water security challenges and demonstrates our keen interest to collaborate with active partners in addressing such challenges. We are confident that through visiting local universities and embassies in the UAE and meeting with key stakeholders from scientific research community, we can leverage our collective efforts to find innovative solutions to water security and sustainability challenges. This will support our efforts to carry out successful rain enhancement operations using innovative scientific methods."
As part of the roadshow, the Programme aims to create awareness about its achievements and nine awardee projects among the local scientific community, and discuss ways of enhancing collaboration and research partnerships. Furthermore, it will invite scientists and researchers from the UAE universities as well as academic and research institutions from the countries covered during its embassy visits to submit proposals for the 4th cycle of UAEREP Award. These proposals should serve the new research areas that will be announced in June, 2020 as part of the Programme’s new direction and future goals.
Meanwhile, the Programme will hold meetings with the deans and heads of research departments at local universities to inform them about the research areas that the Programme will focus in future. This will help the Programme build stakeholder consensus around its research goals and priorities to ensure the relevance and quality of proposals for the future of the research Programme, while enhancing the efficiency of cloud seeding operations in line with UAEREP’s key objectives.
For her part, Alya Al Mazroui, Director of the UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science, said, "UAEREP seeks to work closely with like-minded research and academic institutions to advance rain enhancement and weather modification research locally and internationally. Our latest roadshow comes as part of our preparations for the Programme’s fourth cycle in 2021 where we aim to attract outstanding research proposals that contribute to the advancement of rain enhancement research and reinforce our reputation as a global platform to promote capacity building, and knowledge sharing."
During the fourth edition of International Rain Enhancement Forum hosted by Abu Dhabi beginning of this year, UAEREP revealed that the call for project proposals for the fourth cycle of the grant Programme will officially open for submission beginning of 2021 and will target new research areas under the Programme’s new structure and evaluation criteria.