The Deanship of Scientific Research at IMSIU has announced the results of the Research Groups Support Track for its first edition in 2025. This track represents one of the University's key executive initiatives aimed at increasing both the volume and quality of indexed scientific output, enhancing research investment efficiency through post-publication support, and linking funding to measurable performance indicators.
During the first edition of 2025, with the application period extending from May 4, 2025 to December 15, 2025, the Deanship received a total of 1,232 applications. Of these, 985 applications were approved, reflecting an acceptance rate of 80%, while 247 applications were rejected.
The distribution results by database demonstrated a strong focus on global indexing platforms. A total of 748 supported papers were indexed in Web of Science, representing 75.9% of all approved publications. These were distributed across quartiles as follows: 28.8% in Q1, 32.9% in Q2, and 14.2% in Q3.
In Scopus, 204 supported papers accounted for 20.7% of the approved research outputs, distributed as 4.4% in Q1, 5.5% in Q2, and 10.9% in Q3.
With regard to regulated Arabic scholarly publishing, 33 papers were supported through Arcif, representing 3.4% of the total accepted publications. These were distributed as 1.4% in Q1, 0.8% in Q2, and 1.1% in Q3.
The total number of beneficiaries reached 327 faculty members. Among them, 18 researchers attained the maximum funding cap of 10 research papers each. Faculty members from scientific colleges accounted for 63.3% of the support (207 faculty members), while 120 faculty members from theoretical colleges benefited, representing 36.7%.
By academic rank, associate professors received the largest share of support at 46%, followed by full professors at 28%, and assistant professors at 26%. Male faculty members represented 78% of beneficiaries, compared to 22% female participation.
The Deanship identified several reasons for the rejection of certain submissions. The primary reason was non-compliance with the unified institutional affiliation format (27.6%). Additionally, 23.8% of submissions did not meet the publication date requirement, while 16.9% failed to align with the required journal quartile classification (Q1–Q3). These findings reflect clear organizational opportunities to improve acceptance rates in future cycles without increasing the allocated budget.
On this occasion, the Dean of Scientific Research, Prof. Salem A. Al-Yami, emphasized that the Research Groups Support Track is one of the University's most important executive instruments for directing research output toward quality, consistency, and collaborative work. He noted that the first cycle results demonstrate the maturity of the research support system and growing awareness among researchers regarding indexed publication standards.
In turn, the Vice President for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, Dr. Naif M. Al-Otaibi, affirmed that this track represents a key institutional step in strengthening the University's research competitiveness. By increasing the volume of qualified scientific output, improving the readiness of publication data for ranking calculations, and building a nucleus of high-performing research groups, the University is strategically positioning itself to achieve greater research impact in the next phase.
The first edition of the Research Groups Support Track contributed to supporting publication in journals ranked within Q1 to Q3 quartiles, enhancing research productivity regularity, and improving the accuracy of institutional affiliation data. These outcomes support the University's advancement in global rankings and reinforce its progressive development trajectory.
This track is considered one of the principal enablers that has shifted the University from a general publication incentive model to a strategic research production framework. It has established a sustainable foundation for developing more specialized tracks in the upcoming phase, particularly in areas focused on citation enhancement and high-impact research selection.