Awards Categories

Student Awards (5 AWARDS):

• QAR 10,000 – Bachelor’s Degree First Place
• QAR 5,000 – Bachelor’s Degree Second Place
• QAR 10,000 – Master’s Degree First Place
• QAR 5,000 – Master’s Degree Second Place
• QAR 10,000 – Best Qatari National Student Award

Academic Research Award:

• QAR 15,000 – Best Academic Research Paper

Research Focus/Topics:

• Personal Finance
• Corporate Finance
• Financial Markets
• Behavioural Finance
• Risk Management
• Stock Market and Economic growth
• FinTech and Digital Banking
• Sustainable & Green Finance
• Crowdfunding
• Investor Behaviour
• Banking Regulations and Policies
• Islamic Finance and Banking
• International Finance
• Any contemporary topic related to Finance and Banking (e.g. Role of Technology in Finance and Banking sector, etc.)

Conditions for Submission Eligibility Criteria:

General Criteria (Applicable to All Categories):

• Applicants must be Qatari citizens or residents of Qatar.
• Submissions must be made individually; each participant may submit only one dissertation/research paper.
• Research must be original and exclusive, not previously awarded or under consideration elsewhere.
• All submissions must demonstrate a clear relevance to the Qatari economy.

Student Category:

• Participants must be either recent graduates of 2024 or 2025, or currently enrolled in their final year of a bachelor’s or master’s program at an accredited academic institution in Qatar.
• Research projects must be nominated by universities in Qatar (maximum five per institution: two Bachelor’s, two Master’s, one Qatari national).
• Each student must submit both a research dissertation and a poster.

Academic Research Category:

• The principal researcher must be a resident of Qatar and employed at a university, research center, or higher education institution in Qatar.
• The research must be published or accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed international journal indexed by Clarivate (Web of Science / Journal Citation Reports) for English-language submissions.
• For Arabic-language submissions, the research must appear in a peer-reviewed journal approved by the Award Committee.
• Only research published within the last two years will be considered.
• Research directly derived from master’s theses or doctoral dissertations will not be accepted.

Poster Requirements:

• Size and Format: The poster must be A1 size (594 x 841 mm) in PDF format, with a clear and visually appealing layout.
• Content: Include the research title, researchers' names, abstract, objectives, methodology, findings, and conclusions. Highlight key visuals like graphs or images.
• Clarity: Present information concisely using bullet points, brief explanations, and diagrams. Avoid text overload.
• Design: Use readable fonts and colors that enhance clarity and engagement.
• Review: Ensure the poster is reviewed by the student before submission for accuracy and quality.

General Terms:

• Dissertations should be submitted in either PDF or Word formats, with the author’s name omitted from the files to ensure impartial evaluation.
• A personal introductory paragraph about the author/student in English and/or Arabic must be included in the application.

Judging Criteria:

Originality and Innovation:

• Does the research introduce new ideas or perspectives in the field of finance or banking?
• Is the approach unique and creative?

 Relevance and Impact:

• How relevant is the research to current issues and trends in finance and banking?
• What is the potential impact of the research on the industry or society?

Methodology:

• Are the research methods appropriate and well-executed?
•  Is the data collection and analysis robust and reliable?

Clarity and Presentation:

• Is the research clearly written and well-organized?
• Are the arguments and conclusions logically presented?

Depth of Analysis:

• Does the research provide a thorough and in-depth analysis of the topic?
• Are the findings well-supported by evidence?

Practical Applications:

• Can the research be applied in real-world scenarios?
• Does it offer practical solutions or recommendations?

Contribution to Knowledge:

• Does the research contribute to the existing body of knowledge in finance and banking?
• How significant is this contribution?

 Ethical Considerations

•   Does the research adhere to ethical standards and practices?
• Are any potential conflicts of interest disclosed

How to Apply:

Universities in Qatar will nominate up to five dissertations (two Bachelor dissertations, two Master’s dissertations, and one dissertation by a Qatari national at a Master’s or Bachelor’s level) via email to FRA@QFBA.EDU.QA

The QFBA Award Committee will contact nominated students and arrange the submission of posters and dissertations.

Published research articles must also be submitted by email to FRA@QFBA.EDU.QA