King Salman International Award for Disability Research Announces Winners of Fourth Edition

Chairman of the Board of the King Salman International Award for Disability Research Ahmed Al-Rajhi announced the winners of the fourth edition of the award, which attracted broad international participation, with 770 nominations received from 111 countries across all six continents, representing more than half of the world’s countries.

 Al-Rajhi emphasized that the fourth edition represents a significant milestone in the award’s development and reflects its growing international presence and scientific standing, with the continued support and close follow-up of Special Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the King Salman Center for Disability Research Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz.

 Al-Rajhi said that the fourth edition featured five main award categories: Health and Medical Sciences; Psychological and Educational Sciences; Rehabilitation and Social Sciences; Technological Applications in Disability; and Universal Accessibility.

 The award’s scope was expanded over the last two editions to include Technological Applications in Disability and Universal Accessibility, in response to developments in disability research and practice and in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.

 He added that throughout the fourth edition, the Award Board, General Secretariat, and relevant committees worked in accordance with clear governance procedures covering nomination, evaluation, judging, and approval of the results.

 During the edition, three meetings of the Award Board, one meeting of the Joint Team, and 10 meetings of the Scientific Committee were held, in addition to meetings of the relevant subcommittees.

 A series of workshops was also held to explore ways to strengthen the award’s international presence and support its long-term scientific standing and development, in coordination with the Executive Management of the King Salman Center for Disability Research.

 The evaluation and judging process spanned six months and was conducted in several stages. The process began with a review of the nominations to verify their compliance with the award’s eligibility requirements, followed by the selection of the top 10 nominees in each category for the shortlist.

 This was followed by the selection of three nominees in each category for the final stage. In the final phase, the recommendations of the judging committees and the results of the comparative assessment were reviewed in accordance with the award’s approved criteria.

 The Award Board subsequently approved the winners, with two winners selected in four of the five categories. Based on the decision of the Award Board, the winners of the fourth edition are as follows:

 In Rehabilitation and Social Sciences: Christopher Gerard Maher — Australia, and Stefano Negrini — Italy.

 In Technological Applications in Disability: Conor Walsh — Ireland, and Rory Alan Cooper — United States of America.

 In Health and Medical Sciences: Steven Wayne Scherer — Canada, and Valerie Lvovitch Viegon — New Zealand.

 In Psychological and Educational Sciences: Daniel Patrick Hallahan — United States of America.

 In Universal Accessibility: Abdul Latif Al-Fawzan Autism Center — Al-Khobar, and ACCEL INTERNATIONAL Ajyal Center — Dhahran.

 Al-Rajhi affirmed that the selection of the winners followed a rigorous scientific evaluation of their contributions, achievements, and impact within their respective fields of specialization, in accordance with the award’s approved criteria and the judging committees' reports.

 He congratulated the winners of the fourth edition and expressed his appreciation to the members of the Award Board, the Scientific Committee, judges and experts, the General Secretariat, the executive team, and everyone who contributed to the successful implementation of this edition.

 Al-Rajhi expressed his appreciation to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for their continued support of disability and scientific research, and for their support of the King Salman International Award for Disability Research.

 He also expressed his appreciation to Special Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz for his continued follow-up and support of the award and his commitment to its development and international presence.

 Al-Rajhi further thanked the management of the King Salman Center for Disability Research and all those who contributed to the successful implementation of the fourth edition.