الملخص الإنجليزي
The study aimed to identify the reality of the impact of research funded in the
Sultanate of Oman, first from a scientific point of view, through scientific publication, the
impact factor (H-index), and analysis of statistical data related to research funding as well as
classification and expenditure for the period from 2009 to 2021, and secondly, its impact from
an applied point of view through understanding the reality of investment Funded research,
applying its results, and identifying obstacles to not applying research results.
To conduct this study, the researcher used the mixed approach through the use of
statistical data extracted from the Scopus database of research outputs related to the funded
research and comparing it with the data collected from the RIMS system for submitting
research proposals and the annual statistical reports of the Deanship of Scientific Research at
Sultan Qaboos University, analyzing it and answering the first axis of the study about The
scientific impact, and to achieve the second axis, the researcher used semi-open personal
interviews. The study sample consisted of twelve interviews, including nine researchers from
academic and research institutions associated with the Ministry of Higher Education,
Scientific Research, and Innovation, and three workers in the research administration and
decision-makers in it. The interviews were analyzed using a method objective analysis.
On the side of the scientific impact of the funded research, the study reached a set of
results, the most important of which are: an evolution in research outputs in terms of an
increase in the number of scientific publications related to funding and an increase in the
number of reference citations according to the H-index scale, and that Sultan Qaboos
University is considered the most published among the institutions that receive funding
Followed by the University of Nizwa, and the published research outputs are considered of
high value according to the scimagojr scale, as 42% of the total 444 published articles were
published in the first quarter Q1 list as the highest scientific value of refereed journals, and
36.5% were published within the second highest value of refereed journals Q2.
In the aspect of applied impact, the study also found weak application and investment
of funded research with an awareness of the importance of research outputs, and the funded
research is not related to existing problems, except for the research consultancy program at
Sultan Qaboos University and the Ejaad program at the Ministry of Higher Education,
Scientific Research, and Innovation, in which challenges are presented from the industrial
sector to academia, In addition, the indicators for measuring the applied impact of funded
research are summarized in the following: finding solutions to existing problems, economic
return, building research capabilities, creating a new product and establishing a start-up
institution. The private sector in the aspect of research and development, and the lack of
research funding and the lack of research cadres and building their capabilities, and the
opportunities for local and external cooperation are limited and the absence of an integrated
system capable of developing research stages.
The study concluded with several recommendations, the most important of which are:
focus on national research priorities and work on developing the electronic system for
submitting research proposals, linking them to global databases and enabling them to measure
the direct and indirect impact of funded research, and urging the private sector to contribute to
the scientific research and innovation systems actively and seriously.
