Prince Sultan University
Funding for Scientific Conferences Participation Policy (RS0004)
| Policy Code | RS0004 |
| Policy Title | Funding for Scientific Conferences Participation Policy |
| Owner | The Research and Initiatives Center |
| Responsible Office/Department | President |
| Approved by | University Council |
| Original adoption | 2 February 2017 |
| Recent Review | 15/5/2024 |
| Effective date | 15/5/2024 |
Policy Statement
Prince Sultan University faculty members may be getting funded for participating in scientific conferences in accordance with the following regulation.
Background and Justification
Funding conference attendance is a strategic investment in the intellectual capital of the university. It not only fosters the growth and development of individual faculty members and their networks but also enhances the overall academic standing and research output of the institution.
Scope and Purpose
Scope: Institution-wide
Purpose:
This policy provides guidelines for funding the attending scientific conferences by faculty members.
Principles of the Policy
To ensure that the process of funding conference participation is fair, transparent, and aligned with the broader objectives of the university, while also providing meaningful professional development opportunities for faculty members and researchers.
Definitions
- Scientific Conference: A place where researchers and scientists from various countries are gathered to discuss and exchange ideas about the results of their scientific findings.
- Faculty Member: All faculty members of Prince Sultan University with Master’s and PhD degrees.
- Researcher: The appointed member for a research position.
Responsibilities and Implementation Strategies
The conference attendance request must be processed by the CRC committee of the respective college. The CRC is the only committee responsible for the evaluation of the conference attendance requests. The conference attendance requests should be processed in less than 10 working days to avoid delays to proceed with VISA requests and other travel arrangements.
The roles of faculty member, CRD and RIC is presented in the RIC Website: http://ric.psu.edu.sa/apply-for-a-conference.php
Quality Assessment:
The conference quality must be verified and approved by the CRC. The evaluation includes acceptance ratio, number of editions, quality of reviews, quality of paper, reputation of chairs, and reputation of publishers.
Conference Categories:
- Category A: Full funding (air tickets + accommodation + registration fees)
- Category B: Air tickets and registration fees
- Category C: Air tickets or registration fees
- Category D: No Funding
- Local Conferences: Participation allowed with approval, funding only in special cases.
Accommodation and Travel Allowance
500 SAR per day for the exact number of conference days plus one day before and one day after. For keynote speakers, PSU may cover air tickets and up to 500 SAR travel allowance if partially sponsored by the organizer.
Posters, Demos, Workshops, Abstracts
Supported up to Category B, with exceptions for top-quality A-ranked conferences. Abstracts are supported for humanities, social sciences, and DES deanship faculty members.
Additional Criteria
The conference must match faculty research interest and not contradict Saudi social and Islamic values. Indexing in Scopus is recommended but not mandatory.
Plagiarism Check
Papers must have plagiarism reports. Above 30% not accepted. Max 25% self-similarity and 15% plagiarism.
Attendance
Faculty can attend one conference per semester, with coverage for classes arranged before leaving. One day before and after the conference is allowed.
Invited Keynote Speakers Rules
If fully sponsored by organizers, PSU faculty can attend. If partially sponsored, CRC decides support level based on conference quality.
Procedures for Handling Policy Violation
Any violation may be reported to the respective college or directly to the Research and Initiative Center (RIC), which may escalate to higher management.