OSRA Research Grant

Specific Research Priority Areas

OSRA Grant Program supports innovative, fundamental, and applied research, including comparative and policy-oriented studies, that address the realities of the Arab family worldwide. This cycle specifically focuses on four main themes that represent priority research areas. Proposals are encouraged to have tangible impact, contributing to the development of policies, programs, and measures, as well as building theoretical knowledge related to the Arab family in different contexts around the world.
 
 

1. Policies Theme

This theme focuses on the study and analysis of public and social policies related to the family. The topics include, but are not limited to, the following

• Policies related to family formation (marriage, unwellingness to marry, marital well-being, housing, etc.)
• Population dynamics policies (including declining fertility, rising rates of singleness, active aging, etc.)
• Policies aimed at addressing negative social phenomena (divorce, family breakdown, domestic violence, etc.)
• Family-friendly policies (work-life balance, childcare, parental leave, etc.)
• Social protection policies (care for the elderly, single-parent families, vulnerable and priority groups, etc.)
• Family and environmental sustainability policies (climate change, shifting roles, families’ economic resilience, etc.)

2. Programs Theme

This theme focuses on the design, evaluation, and development of family programs – both intervention and prevention – to address behavioral, social, and developmental issues. The topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Preventive and intervention programs for digital addiction, substance abuse, or risky adolescent behaviors.
• Parenting programs that promote father involvement, develop parenting skills, and support children with disabilities.
• Programs to strengthen family resilience in times of crisis (wars, disasters, displacement, migration).
• Pre-marriage and post-divorce programs to reduce family breakdown.
• Intervention programs aimed at protecting family members from social, behavioral, and psychological challenges.
• Cost-benefit analysis of selected relevant family programs.

3. Measures and Indicators Theme

This theme highlights the development of scientific tools and indicators to measure the well-being and cohesion of the Arab family. The topics include, but are not limited to:

• Developing a family cohesion scale.
• Developing a family well-being scale.
• Sub-indicators to measure marital satisfaction, intergenerational solidarity, child well-being, parental involvement in education, etc.

4. Theoretical Track

This theme encourages the development of theoretical frameworks to understand the Arab family within contemporary challenges. The topics include, but are not limited to:

• Theoretical models on the transformations of the Arab family structure across generations.
• Theoretical studies on cultural diversity, migration, and identity formation within Arab families in the diaspora.
• Comparative frameworks linking Arab family well-being with global family policy trends.
• Studies exploring the relationship between gender roles, societal change, and family cohesion.