UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science to decide 2017 Cycle Awardees

ABU DHABI, 1st October, 2017 (WAM) -- The UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science is holding a two-day Final Technical Evaluation Meeting on 1st and 2nd October, to name the awardees of the programme’s Third Cycle competition at an exclusive ceremony to be held during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in January, 2018. Launched by the Ministry of Presidential Affairs of the UAE, and managed by the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology, NCMS, the UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science is an internationally-recognised initiative that offers a grant of US$5 million to be shared by up to five winning research proposals. At the Final Technical Evaluation Meeting, an 11-member committee of international experts, supported by 16 adhoc reviewers, will select this year’s final awardees in accordance with international best practice including reports on each proposal by the reviewers. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, NCMS Director, said, "All the ambitious and innovative projects we received this year demonstrate the creativity needed to advance rain enhancement as a water sustainability solution in regions suffering from scarcity. Through playing our part in catalysing new global scientific and technological networks, the UAE is enabling innovation to secure new sources of water for the benefit of all." Alya Al Mazroui, Director of the UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science, said, "The global attention and interest received by the UAE Research Programme for Rain Enhancement Science over the last three years is a testament to its success in reviving interest in an underfunded field of science and technology. We are grateful for the work of our Final Evaluation Meeting committee and our expert panel of reviewers for their hard work in assessing such an impressive shortlist of proposals to select the final winners to be honoured at our awards ceremony next January."