On May 30th, an enlightening seminar titled "Exploring the Online World: Search for Online Funding and Grants" was conducted at the College of Pharmacy, the University of Duhok. The seminar aimed to equip the teachers of the colleges with the necessary knowledge and tools to navigate the online landscape in search of funding opportunities and grants. The event was led by Mr. Ghazwan Ahmed, a lecturer and Ph.D. student at the Pharmacology Department at the College of Pharmacy, and witnessed the active participation of educators from various colleges including Pharmacy, Medicine, Science, and Nursing.

In an answer to the question: “Why are we looking for funding?” Mr. Ghazwan stated: “We look for funding in order to discover and explore new ideas, make relations and work as a team in different academic areas, share our knowledge and skills, and exchange and think about new innovations.”

Furthermore, the attendees were told about who can get grants and funding; this includes researchers, public bodies, small and medium-sized businesses, and non-governmental and non-profit organizations. As in the online world we are dealing with different ideas, different cultures, different knowledge, different traditions, different experiences, different areas of interest, and different languages, Mr. Ghazwan recommended to get English language trainings before diving in the online world.

The seminar commenced with an overview of the concept of online funding and its significance in the academic and research domains. The seminar covered a wide range of related information to online funding and grant opportunities. Mr. Ghazwan expertly guided the attendees through the intricacies of the online world, providing them with valuable insights and practical tips on how to submit for gaining online funding from various online websites, organizations and platforms. Some of the websites that he mentioned that provide financial support are: Horizon Europe\The European Commission (supports research projects and scholarships such as Doctorates, Masters), Grants.gov (for research projects), RyanAir (for obtaining cheap flights among Europe), the International Federation of Journalists (for financial assistance as journalist-to-journalist donation).

Most of these websites are free to use; but some are to be paid, yet everyone can submit. But to gain the funding, the applicant is required to have adequate experience in the field he needs funds to, and address a serious community, cultural, or scientific challenge. To submit; first, you create an account, then you log in and select he program or area of interest that meets your needs, and you submit your proposal that describes your workplan and objectives, to obtain the consent of the evaluation committee which decides to provide the funds or not in accordance with the criteria your application meets. It is worth mentioning that the funding can be provided for all life domains projects such as academic, social, health, research projects implementation or research publishing and so on.

Mr. Ghazwan's expertise in the field of online funding and grants was further enhanced by his extensive experience during a five-month visit to Italy in the framework of Erasmus Plus Project, International Mobility. As one of the chosen applicants from the University of Duhok, Mr. Ghazwan embarked on a learning journey in Italy, focused on scientific exchange and new world developments learning. This exposure to international perspectives and practices further enriched the content and delivery of the seminar he conducted at the College of Pharmacy, the University of Duhok.

This opportunity allowed him to immerse himself in a rich academic environment, collaborate with experts in the field, and gain insights into international best practices. During his stay in Italy, Mr. Ghazwan actively participated in workshops, seminars, conferences and training programs on scientific topics. He, as a Ph.D. student, shared his practical work conducted so far as part of his Ph.D. study at the University of Duhok in the International Conference of Toxicology in London, the UK. It is worth mentioning that Dr. Ghazwan was not the only representative from the University of Duhok who had the privilege of participating in this prestigious visit. Mr. Samir Khudeda, a lecturer and a Ph.D. student at the Department of Biology, the College of Science, the University of Duhok, accompanied him on this educational journey, strengthening the collaborative efforts and knowledge-sharing within the institution. The two lecturers of the University of Duhok were chosen among a large number of applicants form the University of Duhok and the Ministry of Education at the International Relations Office, six of them were nominated, then the two lecturers excelled over the total number of applicants.

At the end of the seminar, active discussions took place among the participants on the procedures of online funding. Most importantly, it is planned to hold this seminar once again at the College of Science, the University of Duhok, soon.

THE UNIVERSITY OF DUHOK

The University of Duhok (UOD) is a public university in the city of Duhok city, which is about 150 km northwest of Erbil (Arbil, Hewlér), the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan Region (KRI). The city is situated in a beautiful valley surrounded by high mountains. The university campus is a large green area in the city's west side that provides an exciting view of the city and surrounding nature. UOD was founded in October 1992 with only two colleges to meet the region's growing demand for graduate professionals. Today, the UOD has a 19-college with 67 departments, nearly 24000 students, and over 4000 academic and administrative staff. Students thrive in one of the best regional academic communities, studying in programs such as Agriculture, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Architecture, Engineering, Humanities, Linguistics, Basic Education, and Economics as well as Spatial Planning. UOD has strong engagement through its International Relations with many Higher Education institutions and centres of excellence worldwide, such as Purdue University, Indiana University (IU), New York University (NYU), The University of Noter Dame (ND), The University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UA), BridgeWater State University in the USA, The University of Warsaw - Poland, The University of Glasgow - Scotland, The University of Twente - The Netherlands, Leipzig University, LLC University, University of Oldenburg, The University of Vechta, Europa-Universität Flensburg, TU Dortmund university, THM Giessen University in Germany, The University of Tuscia, The university of Pavia, Sapienza Università di Roma in Italy, The University of Deusto, The University of Barcelona, The University of Granada (UGR) in Spain, Lund University - Sweden, The University of Sussex in the UK, Tampere University - Finland, and so many more. The University of Duhok is an active member of the International Association of Universities (IAU), The UNIMED, the Mediterranean Universities Union, and The Association of Arab Universities (AARU).

UOD Media, June 5, 2023

Fatima Mahmood

Photo Credits: Mohammed Abdulkareem