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ABU DHABI / WAM
The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) has announced awarding AED1.2 million in funding across five significant research projects related to Early Childhood Development (ECD).
The projects will be conducted by researchers and academics coming from local and international higher education institutions.
The move comes within the ECA’s efforts to develop and implement an effective ECD research ecosystem, inform evidence-based policymaking, and support planning and quality improvement. This contributes to the ECA’s endeavours to promote holistic child development and wellbeing from pregnancy to the age of eight, by focusing on four sectors, including health and nutrition, child protection, family support, education and early care. In this regard, Hamda Mohamed Al Suwaidi, a senior researcher at the ECA said, “The research projects will enable the ECA and its partners to address challenges facing young children and their families in Abu Dhabi, thus developing effective and evidence-based solutions.”
“Through our collaboration with researchers from local and international universities and institutions, the ECA seeks to address two ECD-related challenges in Abu Dhabi – chronic absenteeism and early intervention. This collaboration aims to deliver insights for policymakers, service providers, and other stakeholders to take action to support the ECD sector,” she added.
Al Suwaidi affirmed that the ECA is working on developing an integrated research ecosystem utilising new technologies, artificial intelligence applications and robust scientific methodologies.