Research Strategy

Ajman University (AU) considers research a significant part of University’s purpose and accordingly places strong emphasis on impactful research and scholarship. One of its key strategic goals is to enhance the quality, relevance, and impact of research and intellectual contribution by its faculty and students. AU’s commitment to research, scholarship, innovation and creative activity is reflected through provision of appropriate physical, fiscal, and human resources. Its research strategy, as described below, supports and promotes research and scholarly activities directed towards the creation, integration and application of knowledge:

1. Nurture a culture of research across all disciplines and at both graduate and undergraduate levels.
2. Identify research areas of significance for academic colleges, University, and community at large. These shall include some relevant research areas identified in UAE Vision 2021, Ajman Vision 2021, and the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030.
3. Increase AU’s national, regional, and international ranking in research and scholarship by hiring, retaining, and rewarding outstanding research-active faculty.
4. Improve the research infrastructure and funding mechanisms at AU to promote research across all disciplines.
5. Enhance cooperative research through research collaboration, strategic partnerships, and engagement with industry, business, and government organizations.
6. Provide sufficient budget for internally-funding research grants for faculty, their professional development and performance enhancement. Also, improve the number and quality of externally-funded research grants.
7. Recruit outstanding graduate students through scholarships and awards from internal as well as external sources.
8. Enhance the quality of existing graduate programs and introduce new graduate programs reflecting global trends and catering to local and regional market needs.
9. Encourage and support organization of research conferences and research competitions.
10. Provide concrete incentives (financial and non-financial) for faculty members to conduct high-quality and high-impact research.

Research Expectation:

Each faculty member at AU is expected to publish at least one peer-reviewed research paper per academic year.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

1. Starting from 2017-18 academic year, the number of research papers published in Scopus-indexed or other prominent journals per college per academic year shall exceed one-third of the number of faculty members in each college. This number shall gradually increase over the coming years and by 2022, the number of research papers published in Scopus-indexed or other prominent journals per college per academic year shall exceed two-thirds of the number of faculty members in each college.
2. Each college shall set a target for submitting proposals for external research funds. Starting from 2017-18 academic year, each college shall submit at least two research proposals for externally-funded grants. Starting from 2018-19 academic year and thereafter, each college shall submit a minimum of four research proposals per academic year with at least one proposal being successful in obtaining external research funds.
3. Starting from 2018-19 academic year, each college shall initiate at least one interdisciplinary research per academic year.