Sinan Akdoğan & Berk Can Dereci (OMÜ Kurumsal İletişim Koordinatörlüğü Haber Merkezi)
Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) has successfully secured funding for 179 projects in the "2209-A University Students Research Projects Support Program" conducted by TÜBİTAK BİDEB for the 2023/2 period. This achievement marks a significant step towards OMU’s goal of becoming a research university. The performance of these TÜBİTAK BİDEB-supported projects was thoroughly reviewed in a meeting held at the Atatürk Congress and Culture Center.
The meeting included prominent figures such as Rector Prof. Dr. Yavuz Ünal, Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Selim Eren and Prof. Dr. Murat Terzi, faculty deans, vocational school directors, academics, and students.
OMU is on its way to becoming a leading research university in Türkiye, thanks to its pioneering developments and an entrepreneurial, innovative ecosystem supported by TÜBİTAK BİDEB. The university’s commitment to research and development is reflected in the range of funded projects, with 179 projects earning the backing in this cycle.
The Education Faculty led with 46 projects, making it the most productive faculty, followed by the Health Sciences Faculty with 28 and the Faculty of Science with 25. Other faculties and vocational schools also received support for various projects:
• Engineering Faculty: 23 projects
• Faculty of Agriculture: 17 projects
• Faculty of Human and Social Sciences: 10 projects
• Medical Faculty: 7 projects
• Yaşar Doğu Faculty of Sports Sciences: 6 projects
• Veterinary Faculty: 5 projects
• Faculty of Theology: 4 projects
• Ali Fuad Başgil Faculty of Law: 2 projects
• Faculty of Fine Arts: 2 projects
• Yeşilyurt Demir Çelik Vocational School: 2 projects
• Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences: 1 project
• Faculty of Tourism: 1 project
In his remarks at the meeting, Rector Ünal emphasized the importance of starting research and development (R&D) projects early, stating, "We value having a culture of R&D, as the goals you set now will form the foundation for your future projects and research, easing the process for you and your advisors. We fully believe that our students will participate in more quality projects with their professors in the future. By starting research and production now, our students will shape their lifestyles and be ready for methodological advancements. When applying to master's or doctoral programs, defining your research topic is crucial. Successfully developing and completing these projects brings significant benefits to all of us, enhancing our university’s prestige and creating an environment that handles quality demands."
Prof. Dr. Yavuz Ünal continued, "We plan to offer our master's and doctoral students the opportunity to work on their projects. R&D is a culture and a way of life, and preserving this culture is extremely valuable. We aspire to be a research university not just in name but in reality, making actual changes and improvements. We will start by providing financial support to senior students for their capstone projects and the projects they develop. This support will be sufficient to sustain them, with scholarships planned at 6,000 TL for master’s and 9,000 TL for doctoral programs. Our goal is to nurture new researchers and strengthen this field. For the 2023 – 2024 period, we aim to renew OMU's infrastructure, particularly strengthening our R&D infrastructure. We have separated our laboratories into educational and R&D categories, with the latter being accessible not only to our university members but also to external researchers."
The TÜBİTAK BİDEB 2209-A program encourages entrepreneurial undergraduate and associate degree students in formal education to engage in research through projects. Additionally, OMU was recognized for its contribution to industry-oriented research with five projects supported under the "2209-B University Students Industry-Oriented Research Projects Support Program" for the 2023/2 period.
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