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Create a Researcher Account
Register online through the official award website to create your personal profile.
Registration steps, award categories, eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria, and the submission requirements for research papers and applied projects — everything you need to know before applying.
Welcome to the GDRFA Dubai Scientific Research Award — a forward-looking knowledge platform that brings together researchers, innovators, and makers of the future to contribute to the development of scientific and applied solutions that support Dubai's leadership and the sustainability of its institutional excellence.
Driven by the vision of the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs — Dubai to entrench a culture of scientific research and innovation, this award has been launched to act as a platform that energises creative minds and provides a space for harnessing knowledge and scientific research to develop government services, enhance institutional efficiency, and shape the future.
This guide aims to clarify the participation steps, the evaluation process, and the requirements for preparing research and applied projects, ensuring a clear and smooth experience for all participants.
The participation journey runs through a fully automated digital system designed to guarantee transparency and ease of follow-up.
Register online through the official award website to create your personal profile.
Researchers must select the correct track for their submission through the Control Panel from the following categories:
Dedicated to all applied projects and scientific research that present tangible, innovative technological solutions contributing to the digital transformation journey.
Dedicated to scientific research and development projects aimed at enhancing institutional performance and improving educational skills.
Dedicated to operational research and applied projects that directly aim to improve the customer experience (service design), empower employees, and raise the efficiency and quality of services across the GDRFA Dubai.
Dubai Residency Services: Studies and development projects for the GDRFA Dubai.
The research must have been completed within the last two years, or be applicable in the future.
The work must be original — not copied or duplicated — and must not have won another award or been submitted to other awards during the same cycle.
The research must not have been previously published or accepted for publication in any scientific journal or conference.
Full commitment to the ethics of scientific research and intellectual integrity, with the work precisely addressing one of the approved themes for the chosen category.
Submissions are accepted in either Arabic or English.
Submissions may be individual or team-based, provided that no individual or team submits more than one entry in the same cycle.
Participant consents to publishing the work within the award's knowledge publications and electronic book.
Members of the review committees and the organising teams overseeing the award are not eligible to apply or participate.
Research papers undergo a rigorous evaluation based on the following eight criteria:
The extent to which the research contributes to advancing knowledge and addressing a problem of scientific or applied significance.
The uniqueness of the idea and its knowledge contribution compared with prior studies in the field.
The strength of the theoretical foundation, the recency of the references, and their logical alignment with the research objectives and hypotheses.
Clarity of the academic style, accuracy of the language, organisation of content, and consistency of presentation.
Suitability of the chosen methodology, rigor of procedures, and validity of the data collection and analysis tools where applicable.
Adherence to sound research ethics, accurate and transparent referencing of sources, and freedom from plagiarism.
Soundness of statistical (where applicable) or qualitative analysis, logical coherence of results, and the link between recommendations and the study outputs.
The extent to which the research results can be translated into practical solutions and policies applied on the ground.
Projects and operational initiatives are assessed based on the following interpretive criteria:
The novelty of the idea, the distinctiveness of the proposed solution, and the absence of a prior counterpart at the local or regional level.
The degree of alignment between the project and Dubai government priorities, and its handling of a tangible real-world challenge.
The magnitude of actual outputs, the extent of improvement, savings, and productivity achieved post-implementation.
The long-term viability of the solution and its ability to continue operating efficiently without relying on exceptional conditions.
The project's ability to link multiple entities and build institutional partnerships that amplify its real-world impact.
Harnessing digital solutions and artificial intelligence as core tools for managing and operating the project.
Clarity of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and the possibility of replicating and applying the experience in similar sectors.
The researcher must upload the paper in MS Word format, along with a PDF file as an accompanying document.
Research title in both languages, name of the researcher(s), workplace (if any), job title, academic degree (if any), email address, and contact number.
Important reminder: The submission deadline is 15 September 2026. Make sure to upload your files before the deadline via your Control Panel.
Researchers may adjust some of the sections. The proposed organisation of the research is as follows:
Get dedicated technical support for account registration and document uploads.
Together
We invite you to create your accounts on the platform and present your scientific work with confidence — contributing to the consolidation of Dubai's leadership and shaping the future of global government work.
Start your submission