Amman: Jordanian university research centers face significant shortages in funding, equipment, and qualified personnel despite a high level of alignment between their work and national priorities, according to a new study released Thursday by the Economic and Social Council (ESC).
According to Jordan News Agency, the study, titled "Research Centers in Jordanian Universities: Reality, Challenges and Opportunities," surveyed 30 centers to assess their capabilities, infrastructure, partnerships, and contribution to development and public policymaking. Results showed that 83.4 percent of the centers lack sufficient equipment for research activities, while 53.3 percent operate without independent premises.
Sustainable financing was identified as the leading challenge, accounting for 30.9 percent of reported constraints. A shortage of qualified research personnel and administrative and organizational barriers were also among the main obstacles affecting the centers' ability to expand their work. Despite these constraints, the study found that 86.7 percent of research centers reported alignment between their plans and outputs and Jordan's national priorities.
Links with businesses and international institutions were also relatively strong. Some 63.3 percent of the centers reported cooperation with the private sector, while around half have international partnerships. ESC President Musa Shteiwi said that developing university research centers requires sustainable funding, more flexible governance, and greater investment in research infrastructure and human resources.
He stated that the role of research centers should extend beyond producing academic studies to translating findings into practical recommendations and solutions that can support policymaking and help direct resources toward higher-impact programs. Shteiwi highlighted artificial intelligence, the digital economy, climate change, water scarcity, energy and food security, and changing labor market requirements as areas where stronger research capacity is increasingly important.
The study also identified an imbalance in research priorities. University centers tend to focus on public policy, economics, energy, and water, while relatively few specialize in social issues, demographic trends, and changes affecting families. Shteiwi called for closer integration of social and economic research to provide policymakers with a more comprehensive evidence base.
He identified three priorities for strengthening the sector: diversifying funding and improving infrastructure and human resources; expanding cooperation and the sharing of expertise, data, and equipment among research centers; and establishing stronger links between research output and policymaking. Reda Khawaldeh, head of the council's specialist group representing ministries and public institutions, said the findings indicate that Jordan has an established research base, but its impact is constrained by gaps in financing, equipment, and staffing.
The study recommended establishing a national data portal containing information on research centers, their specializations, capabilities, projects, and partnerships. It also proposed introducing a unified set of key performance indicators to track funding, equipment, partnerships, training, and institutional performance, alongside standardized mechanisms for presenting research findings.
Another recommendation calls for establishing shared "Core Facilities," allowing universities to pool expensive research equipment and make it available across institutions. The study also urged greater access to sustainable domestic and international funding, stronger partnerships with the private sector and national and international institutions, and greater emphasis on applied research.
Such measures, it said, could strengthen innovation, improve research quality, and increase the contribution of university research centers to Jordan's economic and social development and evidence-based policymaking.