Research, Innovation & Development Projects Portfolio
A centralized digital reference portfolio comprising a collection of ideas, challenges, topics, and needs that require research, development, or innovation, organized according to the university’s strategic research and innovation focus areas.
Initiative Concept
The initiative involves establishing a digital portfolio of research, innovation, and development ideas, topics, and challenges collected from government entities, the private sector, and relevant industries, in addition to priority topics identified at the national or sectoral levels.
The portfolio will be made available to researchers, faculty members, postgraduate students, graduation project students, and innovation teams. Beneficiaries will be able to explore ideas and topics requiring investigation, research, development, or innovation and use them as a basis for selecting research topics, academic theses, graduation projects, or innovation projects.
Selecting a topic from the portfolio does not necessarily require direct communication with the entity that originally identified the challenge. Rather, the portfolio primarily serves as a reference for ideas and topics arising from actual needs.
Where an entity expresses interest in collaboration, or where a project requires data, information, or an application environment, the Deanship may, where feasible, facilitate communication between the researcher and the entity in accordance with the requirements of each case.
Main Focus Areas of the Portfolio
The portfolio’s contents will be classified according to the university’s strategic research and innovation focus areas:
Transportation and Logistics
Transportation and Logistics projects portfolio.
Environment and Sustainable Development
Environment and Sustainable Development projects portfolio.
Defense and Security Technologies
Defense and Security Technologies projects portfolio.
Health and Biotechnology
Health and Biotechnology projects portfolio.
Rationale for the Initiative
Researchers, postgraduate students, and graduation project students often face challenges in identifying topics that offer practical value and address genuine needs.
At the same time, government entities, companies, and various industries have numerous challenges, needs, and questions that require:
Scientific investigation.
Analysis.
Research and development.
Technological solutions.
Innovative solutions.
Process or operational improvements.
Prototype development.
Foresight studies.
However, many of these needs are not visible or readily accessible to the research community. The portfolio addresses this gap by collecting, organizing, and making these topics accessible, thereby creating a source of research, development, and innovation ideas derived from real-world needs.
Mission
To provide the research and academic community with structured access to the needs and challenges of various sectors, helping direct research, innovation, and development toward topics with meaningful value and impact.
Overall Objective
To establish a sustainable and organized reference portfolio of ideas, challenges, and topics requiring research, innovation, or development, and make them available to researchers and students to support the selection of their projects, research studies, and academic theses.
Specific Objectives
The initiative aims to:
- Identify and consolidate research, development, and innovation topics, challenges, and needs.
- Provide researchers and students with a continuous source of research ideas.
- Help postgraduate students select thesis topics that address real-world needs.
- Direct graduation projects toward topics with practical and applicable value.
- Encourage researchers to work within the university’s strategic focus areas.
- Strengthen the alignment of research and projects with national and sectoral priorities.
- Increase the proportion of applied research and projects with measurable impact.
- Identify new opportunities for research, development, and innovation.
- Support research centers in identifying future research topics and programs.
- Build a knowledge base for monitoring recurring challenges and emerging needs across different sectors.
- Facilitate collaboration opportunities with external entities when needed and when collaboration is feasible.
- Support the development of solutions, prototypes, and innovations arising from topics listed in the portfolio.
Target Beneficiaries
The initiative primarily targets:
Faculty members.
Researchers.
Postgraduate students.
Graduation project students.
Research centers.
Research teams.
External entities, through providing a platform for sharing their needs and challenges with the research community.
Sources of Portfolio Content
The portfolio will be developed using several sources, including:
First: Government Entities
Ministries, authorities, and other government entities will be approached to identify and obtain:
- Challenges.
- Priorities.
- Topics requiring investigation.
- Research and development opportunities.
- Research questions.
- Technological and development needs.
Second: Private Sector
Companies and business establishments will be engaged to identify:
- Operational challenges.
- Problems requiring solutions.
- Development needs.
- Innovation opportunities.
- Areas for improving efficiency.
- Opportunities to develop products or services.
Third: National and Sectoral Priorities
The Deanship may add topics derived from:
- National strategies.
- Research priorities.
- Sectoral directions and trends.
- Emerging technologies.
- Foresight studies and reports.
Fourth: The University and Research Centers
Research centers may propose priority topics for inclusion in the portfolio, subject to review.
What Does the Portfolio Include?
The portfolio is not limited to “challenges.” It may also include:
Research ideas.
Challenges.
Operational problems.
Research questions.
Topics requiring investigation.
Opportunities to improve a process or service.
Technological needs.
Opportunities to apply artificial intelligence.
Applied research projects.
Consultancy studies.
Impact assessment studies.
Foresight studies.
Opportunities to develop prototypes.
Proof-of-concept opportunities.
Opportunities to innovate new products or services.
Joint research and development opportunities.
Content Classification
Each topic within the portfolio will be classified according to the following elements:
Focus Area
- Transportation and Logistics.
- Environment and Sustainable Development.
- Defense and Security Technologies.
- Health and Biotechnology.
Nature of the Topic
- Research.
- Development.
- Innovation.
Priority Level
- High Priority.
- Medium Priority.
- Future Priority.
Beneficiary Journey
Researchers and students will access the portfolio and search or filter its contents according to:
Strategic focus area.
Appropriate project type.
Keywords.
Priority level.
They will then be able to view a brief description of the selected topic.
Level of Entity Involvement
When a topic is added to the portfolio, its level of engagement with the originating entity may be specified as follows:
Level 1: Open Idea
The topic is presented solely as an idea or research need. Researchers may independently explore and develop it without contacting the entity.
Level 2: Additional Information Available
Additional information about the topic may be requested from the entity when needed.
Level 3: Data Available Upon Request
Relevant data are available and may be requested in accordance with the entity’s applicable procedures.
Level 4: Collaboration Opportunity
The entity is interested in engaging with the researcher or team working on the topic.
Level 5: Project Participation
The entity may participate in supervision, provide data or expertise, offer a testing site, or support project implementation.
