Muscat – Thirteen scientific research papers were recognised at the 11th edition of Oman’s National Research Award. The ceremony, held at Oman Across Ages Museum in Manah, Dakhliyah on Monday, was part of the 11th Annual Researchers Forum themed ‘Innovation and Entrepreneurship’.

The event was attended by Dr Khamis bin Saif al Jabri, head of Oman Vision 2024 Implementation Follow-up Unit, and officials of the higher education and research community. The award, organised by Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, received 274 submissions this year, with 167 entries in the category of PhD holders and 107 in the emerging researchers category. A total of 207 papers advanced to the final evaluation stage.

H E Dr Rahma bint Ibrahim al Mahrooqi, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, underscored the role of innovation and entrepreneurship in building a knowledge-based economy. She highlighted the ministry’s efforts under the 10th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), which include 13 strategic initiatives aimed at supporting research and fostering innovation.

Seven researchers in the PhD and equivalent category were awarded for their contributions across six research sectors.

In the Communications and Information Systems sector, Dr Mohammed Abdullah al Husaini from Arab Open University was honoured for his research on the impact of tissue properties and cooling techniques on breast cancer detection. Dr Arunadevi Karuppasamy from Gulf College was recognised for her work on the use of neural networks and machine learning techniques in classifying breast cancer pathology images.

In the Culture, Social and Basic Sciences sector, Dr Ali Rostami from University of Nizwa was awarded for his research on dev-eloping cyclic carbonates from epoxides and carbon dioxide using natural hydrogen bond donors.

In the Environment and Bioresources sector, Dr Mohammad Reza Nikoo from Sultan Qaboos University received recognition for his study on improving water quality in reservoirs using selective withdrawal strategies.

The Energy and Industry sector award went to Dr Mingjie Chen from SQU for his research on a novel method of carbon dioxide storage and heat recovery using closed tanks and brine extraction.

In the Education and Human Resources sector, Dr Abdullah Humaid al Abri from University of Technology and Applied Sciences was honoured for his study on using mobile-supported language learning to enhance students’ lexical fluency through learning-oriented assessment.

In the Health and Community Service sector, a research team was recognised for its work on genomic and geospatial epidemiology.

Six researchers were awarded in the Emerging Researchers Category for their contributions in six key sectors.

In the Information and Communication Systems sector, Dr Mai Khalfan al Dairi from SQU received recognition for her research on detecting banana fruit bruises using fractal-based image processing technology.

In the Culture, Social, and Basic Sciences sector, Dr Iman Khalid al Salmi from the University of Technology and Applied Sciences was celebrated for her research on tri-copper compounds with selective anti-cancer cell proliferation activity.

In the Environment and Bioresources sector, Ms. Azhar Juma al Hinai from the Environment Authority was honoured for her innovative electrochemical microbial cell design, which facilitates water desalination, chemical production, and energy generation.

In the Energy and Industry sector, Dr Khaloud Moosa al Balushi from the University of Technology and Applied Sciences was awarded for her study on the effects of wetting droplets of binary mixtures on engineered surface modifications.

In the Education and Human Resources sector, Ms. Marhouna Hamed al Maqbali from the Ministry of Education was recognised for her research on the challenges facing innovation management in Omani higher education institutions, as seen through the perspectives of innovative students.

In the Health and Community Service sector, Dr Aisha Ramadhan al Huraizi from Sultan Qaboos University Hospital was recognised for her prospective study on delirium and its impact on short- and long-term health outcomes for patients admitted to the internal medicine department.