Grants Programs for Universities and Research Centers (GPURC) is a new strategic program in the kingdom's research and development support ecosystem. It is a long-term strategic investment aimed at developing a set of scientific skills needed to boost Saudi Arabia’s position among leading countries in the field of science, technology, and innovation. It works by providing financial and technical support to Saudi graduate students.
Nawaf Alghamdi, who is currently pursuing his MS/ Ph.D. under the supervision of Prof. Mani Sarathy earned his chemical engineering degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison as part of
KAUST's Gifted Students Program. It was his work entitled "Upgrading Low-Grade Feedstocks Using Catalytic Pyrolysis" that won him this grant which will provide him support for up to two years on his research.
"I feel really fortunate to have the support of both KAUST and KACST for my research. It gives me great joy to create a bridge between KAUST and KACST because the best scientific work emerges from collaborations between research entities. My current research involves catalytically upgrading low-grade feedstocks using unconventional catalysts. I'm working on building a complete set up from scratch to conduct my research, which is what I'll use most of the KACST fund for. My long-term research goal is to push the boundaries of science by utilizing my reaction engineering skills to improve catalysis-based operations." said Nawaf Alghamdi.
- by Raheena Abdurehim
