The Deanship of Scientific Research at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU) has announced the results of the Global Research Partnership Track with high-impact researchers for its first edition in 2025. The track represents one of the University's selective and elite funding streams aimed at maximizing research impact through high-impact international partnerships.
During the submission period, which extended from November 2 to December 15, 2025, the Deanship received 141 applications. A total of 131 applications were approved, reflecting a high acceptance rate of 93%, while 10 applications (7%) were rejected.
The distribution of applications across colleges indicated notable progress within the scientific disciplines. The track also demonstrated balanced participation across academic ranks, including 49 Associate Professors (34.8%), 48 Assistant Professors (34.0%), and 44 Professors (31.2%), underscoring the inclusiveness of the initiative across varying levels of academic expertise.
Male researchers accounted for 121 applications (85.8%), while female researchers submitted 20 applications (14.2%). Reflecting the active role of IMSIU scholars in leading collaborative international research, 67 university-affiliated researchers served as First Authors in the supported publications, and 74 researchers assumed the role of Corresponding Author.
The Deanship clarified that the primary reason for rejecting certain applications was publication in journals not ranked within the top 10% globally. These cases accounted for six applications, representing 60% of the total rejected submissions. Other limited cases involved incomplete publication status, failure to meet the First Author or Corresponding Author requirement, or publication in journals indexed under ESCI. This affirms the rigorous and objective application of the track's eligibility criteria.
On this occasion, the Dean of Scientific Research, Prof. Salem A. Al-Yami, emphasized that the track marks a qualitative advancement in the University's research funding system, transitioning from supporting classified publications to supporting high-impact global publishing linked to substantive international research partnerships. He noted that prioritizing journals ranked within the top 10% worldwide and high-impact indicators ensures maximizing both the scientific value and ranking impact of each supported publication.
For his part, the Vice President for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, Dr. Naif M. Al-Otaibi, stated that the Global Research Partnership Track is among the funding streams most closely aligned with global ranking indicators, given its contribution to increasing citation impact, strengthening international research collaboration networks, and building a globally recognized research reputation grounded in meaningful partnerships. He added that the current results establish a strategic foundation for targeting even more selective tiers of international journals and researchers in future editions.