Qatar Foundation for Social Work Announces Social Worker Award

The Qatar Foundation for Social Work (QSW) today organized a press conference to announce the launch of the "Social Researcher Award", in its first edition, which is a specialized research award in the field of social work, which aims to stimulate the production of knowledge and scientific evidence and translate them into applied solutions that contribute to the development of social programs and services, and make a tangible impact on the quality of life of beneficiaries, with the official support of the Social and Sports Activities Support Fund "Daam".

The award comes within the framework of promoting scientific research in the field of social work, encouraging researchers to study priority social issues, and providing solutions and recommendations based on scientific evidence, in a way that contributes to the development of social policies, practices and services, supports knowledge-based decision-making, and promotes the achievement of sustainable social impact.

The Award's vision, "From Research to Knowledge, and From Knowledge to Impact", embodies the direction that the Foundation seeks to consolidate, which is to make scientific knowledge a basis for the development of social practices and services, and that research results go beyond the boundaries of study and documentation to real opportunities for benefit and application.

In this context, the Award seeks to enhance awareness of priority social issues, encourage innovation in addressing them, discover and develop national research capabilities, in addition to enriching the social knowledge base and making its outputs available to researchers, practitioners and decision-makers.

The research proposals will take place from 1 to 15 November 2026, through three tracks targeting high school students, university students, academics, and social workers.

The award is centered on the theme of "Family Cohesion", in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030 to build a cohesive society based on family and social cohesion, and in line with the priorities of the Qatar Foundation for Social Work in promoting family stability and sustainable social development.

The targeted research areas cover three main areas: social phenomena and transformations, services, interventions and social impact, and policy, advocacy and societal change.

These areas aim to encourage research that addresses social, economic and cultural transformations affecting the family and society, evaluate and measure the impact of social programs and services, as well as study policies, legislation and initiatives that contribute to strengthening social protection, empowering individuals and families, and achieving social cohesion.

The target research groups include persons with disabilities, the elderly, women, children, families, orphans who have lost support, youth at risk, and caregivers, which enhances the orientation of scientific research towards social issues related to the needs of individuals, families, and society.

The award allows participation through three main tracks, designed to suit different experiences and scientific and professional stages, and promotes the integration of academic knowledge, field practice, and community awareness.

The schools track targets secondary school students in public and private schools in the State of Qatar, and allows individual participation or as part of a research team, provided that participation includes an educational supervisor on the research.

As for the universities and academics, it targets undergraduate and postgraduate students, researchers, and members of the academic staff, while the social sector workers are working in the social sector, practitioners, and specialists in institutions, centers, and entities working in the social sector.

The award requires that the applicant be a Qatari citizen or resident in the State of Qatar, that the submitted work must be original and prepared by the participant or participants, and that he or she has not previously won another research award, while adhering to honesty and scientific integrity, scientific research ethics, protecting the participants' rights, privacy, confidentiality of their data, intellectual property rights, and scientific documentation of sources and references.

The technical requirements for research vary according to the track, as the research volume in the schools track ranges between 6,000 and 8,000 words, with a simplified list of sources, while the research volume in the universities, academics, and social sector tracks ranges between 8,000 and 12,000 words, not counting appendices and references. In the last two tracks, an executive summary not exceeding 250 words is required, and adherence to the scientific methodology and the approved documentation requirements.

In this context, Ms. Shaima Al Janahi, Director of the Strategic Planning Department at the Qatar Foundation for Social Work, stressed that the Social Researcher Award seeks to enhance awareness of priority social issues, and encourage participants to provide innovative visions and solutions based on scientific research, in a way that contributes to the development of social services and programs and improves their impact.

Al-Janahi explained that the award is keen to support this trend from the early educational stages, in a way that develops the analytical and innovation skills of the younger generations, and opens the way for researchers and community members to contribute effectively to understanding social challenges and proposing appropriate solutions and initiatives to address them.

She added that the Award's association with the Qatar Foundation for Social Work and its specialized service centers provides a unique opportunity to link the outputs of scientific research with the reality of practice and application, as the participating research can contribute to the development of services and programs, and enable researchers to follow up on the impact of the results of their presentations on the lives of the beneficiaries.

For his part, Mr. Yousef Mohammed Al Nuaimi, Director of the Shared Services Department at the Social and Sports Activities Support Fund (Daam), said: "The Fund's support for the Social Researcher Award comes out of the belief in the importance of scientific research in studying social aspects and providing practical solutions that contribute to the development of programs and services provided to the community."

The award is an opportunity to discover research potential, encourage researchers and social workers to employ their knowledge and expertise in a way that serves the community, and contributes to providing actionable recommendations.

The award adopts three main stages of evaluation and judging, starting with the evaluation of research proposals, then evaluating the completed research, and ending with the evaluation of the final proposals. Participants are subject to approved evaluation models and criteria that include the scientific value of the research, originality and innovation, theoretical framework, methodology, analysis and results, recommendations, social impact, quality of the report and scientific documentation.

The judging process will be handled by a scientific committee that includes specialized arbitrators from various academic and professional institutions in the State of Qatar, ensuring integrity, transparency and objectivity.

The procedures include the evaluation of each proposal or research by at least two reviewers independently, with participation referred to a third arbitrator in the event of a material discrepancy between the evaluations.

According to the approved plan for the award, the first phase aims to qualify 30 research proposals to implement research, with ten proposals for each track.

After the completion of the implementation phase and the evaluation of the completed research, 15 papers will qualify for the final submission, with five papers for each track, and nine winners will be selected, with three winners in each track.

The award allocates financial rewards to the first three places in each track, according to the following distribution:

Schools track: 20 thousand riyals for the first place, 15 thousand riyals for the second place, and 10 thousand riyals for the third place.

Universities and Academics Track: 50 thousand riyals for the first place, 30 thousand riyals for the second place, and 20 thousand riyals for the third place.

Social Sector Workers Track: 50 thousand riyals for the first place, 30 thousand riyals for the second place, and 20 thousand riyals for the third place.

The stages of the award will start with the reception of entries and proposals during the period from 1 to 15 November 2026, followed by the evaluation of proposals from 16 to 30 November, with the results of the first phase to be announced on 3 December 2026.

Qualified research will be conducted from 3 December 2026 to 7 March 2027, and the completed research will be evaluated from 7 March to 7 April 2027. The results of the second phase and the final bids are scheduled to be announced in April 2027, with the final results to be announced and the closing ceremony to be held in May 2027.

Qatar Foundation for Social Work invited those wishing to participate to visit its website www.QatarSocial.org to view the award's page, the terms and conditions of the award, the requirements for participation, details of research tracks, evaluation criteria, timetable, and other information related to the application.

The award reflects QSF's orientation towards promoting scientific research as a tool for understanding priority social issues, developing policies, services and practices, and employing knowledge to support decision-making and achieve sustainable social impact, thus contributing to improving the quality of life of individuals, families and society.

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