Introduction
To build upon its success in awarding cutting edge innovation as the world’s leading scientific water prize, the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW) wished to establish a programme to provide encouragement and recognition to researchers at all stages of their careers who are actively engaged in valuable water-related research, from the most senior scientists in their fields to students just starting out. This wish led to the establishment of the Prince Sultan Water Specialist Event Participation Grant, named in memory of HRH Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, founder of the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water. Encouraging water-related research is PSIPW’s vision, and this program extends that vision.
The Prince Sultan Water Specialist Event Participation Grant supports scientific event organisers by enabling the participation of world-leading water scientists to be plenary and keynote speakers at conferences and to serve as instructors at seminars, workshops, and specialised courses. It also enables distinguished water scientists from the developing world, and young researchers from all over the world, to attend conferences, seminars, workshops, and specialised courses.
The grant is administered by the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water.
Organisations holding water-related scientific conferences, seminars, workshops, and short courses are eligible to participate as PSIPW’s grant partners. Organisations wishing to cooperate in the grant programme should contact the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water at info@psipw.org.
Grant recipients are chosen exclusively by the cooperating organisations, pending PSIPW’s approval. Individuals seeking grants should not apply to PSIPW directly. The organisation chooses the recipient of its own accord, based on one or more the following criteria:
1. Suitability of the recipient to make a positive contribution to, or benefit from, the event
2. The need of the recipient
3. Innovative nature of the recipient’s water-related work
There are three types of grants on offer.
These are two types of Distinguished Researcher Grants and a Young Researcher Grant:
Distinguished Researcher Grant
(for plenary and keynote speakers).
This grant enables the organisations hosting water-related scientific events to invite world-leading water researchers to present plenary lectures, keynote addresses, and head workshops.
Distinguished Researcher Grant (for scientists from the developing world).
This grant enables leading scientists and researchers from the developing world who have innovative water-related work to present their research and participate at international conferences and workshops.
Young Researcher Grant.
This grant enables undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate researchers with valuable water-related work to present their research and participate at international conferences and workshops.
Grant recipients from 2017-2025 hailed from 41 countries and territories.
Between 2017 and 2025, a total of 162 grants were awarded to 159 recipients from institutions in 41 countries. A total of 58 distinguished water and environmental scientists from 30 countries received the Prince Sultan Grant to present their research findings and lend their expertise to various conferences, congresses and workshops around the world. In addition, 101 young researchers from 26 countries received grants to participate in conferences and present their research. The conferences took place in Brazil, Canada, China, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, South Africa, and the United States.
The grant recipients hailed from institutions in 41 countries and territories: Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China, Columbia, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Jordan, Malawi, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Senegal, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Türkiye, Uganda, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States and Uruguay.
Partnership
Some of the cooperating organisations for this program have entered into memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with PSIPW. The participation grant forms part of a broader comprehensive cooperation agreement between the organizations. These organisations are:
- Association of Chemistry and the Environment (ACE)
- Global Network on Environmental Science and Technology (GlobalNEST)
- Universidad de Almería (UAL)
Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA)
Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA)
The grant is also administered within the context of conference sponsorships, where PSIPW agrees with the conference organisers to to provide grants in cooperation with the conference as an activity, and in return the conference organisers provide PSIPW with sponsorship benefts.
Project Partners
