KAUST announces inaugural Global Research Partnership center grants

• Texas A&M University’s Institute for Applied Mathematics and Computational Science (IAMCS), led by Principal Investigator James Calvin, is designed to partner research and graduate education in applied mathematics and computational science at KAUST through joint development and pursuit of annual research themes, weekly seminars, and semi-annual and annual research working sessions. The Center will engage mathematicians, statisticians, and computer scientists on problems in the earth sciences, material sciences, and bio-sciences. Applications include reservoir modeling, thermoacoustic and photoacoustic imaging related to diagnosis of disease, models of gene expression, and imaging of complex data such as seismic data. As part of the Center activity, Texas A&M will launch and maintain graduate and postgraduate fellowships that allow graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to receive supervision, earn degrees, and/or contribute to research both at TAMU and at KAUST.
  
  

The selection of the Centers was based on criteria including scientific merit and quality of the proposed research, demonstrated research center capability, organizational plan for executing the research over five years, the ability to collaborate in a team environment, and the direct relevance and benefits of the proposed research to the mission areas of KAUST, including energy and environment, materials science and engineering, biosciences, and applied mathematics and computational science.

Between five and seven supplementary reviewers evaluated and scored each KAUST GRP Center proposal in detail. A total of 65 international experts drawn from the community of academic and industrial researchers around the world contributed reviews.

The GRP Technical Advisory Committee and advisors evaluating and recommending proposals for funding included:

• Omar Abdul-Hamid, Ph.D., manager, Saudi Aramco Research and Development Center

• Roland Chin, Ph.D., professor of computer science and vice president of Academic Affairs, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

• Ahmed Ghoniem, Ph.D., Ronald C. Crane (1972) Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

• Steve Koonin, Ph.D., chief scientist, British Petroleum and former provost, California Institute of Technology.

• Michael Thomashow, Ph.D., university distinguished professor and director, MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University

• David Tirrell, Ph.D., division chair, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology

• Fawwaz Ulaby, Ph.D., provost-designate, KAUST, and Arthur Thurnau Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan