Muscat – The Research and Innovation Authority (RIA) on Tuesday announced the opening of registration for the fourth Scientific Publication Support Programme for 2026, aimed at supporting scientific papers published during 2025. Applications will remain open until July 15.

The initiative is designed to provide financial assistance to researchers seeking to publish their work in leading internationally peer-reviewed and indexed journals, particularly those ranked in the Q1 and Q2 categories, as well as recognised Arabic-language journals.

The programme received strong interest in 2025, attracting 217 applications. Following a rigorous evaluation process, 193 research papers met the required criteria and were approved for funding.

RIA said the programme seeks to strengthen Oman’s research ecosystem by easing publication costs and encouraging researchers to disseminate high-quality scientific output through internationally recognised platforms.

Applications may be submitted through two tracks. Under the Author Track, applicants must be employees or students of research institutions affiliated with the Authority. The application must be filed by the primary or corresponding author, with prior consent from all co-authors, and the applicant must have borne part or all of the publication expenses.

The Research Institution Track is open to institutions that have fully covered the publication costs of eligible papers. Unlike the author track, this route does not require prior approval from the paper’s authors before applying for financial support.