Steven Griffith

Research administration at the Khalifa University of Science and Technology is headed by Dr. Steve Griffiths, Senior Vice President for Research and Development and Professor of Practice.

Dr. Griffiths serves as the university’s chief officer in charge of research strategic planning and operational implementation. The administrative scope of research and development and Khalifa University includes external research partnerships, research grants and contracts, intellectual property research laboratories and research computing. The university’s research institutes and centers are also part of the research and development at Khalifa University.

Outside of Khalifa University, Dr. Griffiths is advisor to the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science, a Zayed Future Energy Prize Selection Committee member, an elected member of the Global Energy Prize International Award Committee, member of the UAE Executive Team for R&D Expenditure Indicators and additionally engaged as an evaluator and mentor in regional and international research and innovation competitions and programs. He served as a member of the Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA) Board of Directors from 2012 to 2015 and advised the government of Alberta, Canada on provincial innovation system structuring during 2014. Dr. Griffiths is Associate Editor and Editorial Board member of Elsevier’s international journal Energy Strategy Reviews as well as Associate Editor and Editorial Board member of Springer’s international journal Energy Transitions. Dr. Griffiths serves as advisor to journals and magazines focused on energy systems and technology innovation while regularly providing insights on innovation, energy policy and energy strategy for international peer-reviewed journals and think tank publications.

Prior to his role at the Masdar Institute and now Khalifa University, Dr. Griffiths was the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Technology and Development Program’s MIT/Abu Dhabi Program while simultaneously serving as the founding Executive Vice President of Light Pharma Inc. In these roles he worked internationally in leading the development and implementation of new software, sensing and energy technologies as well as building partnerships across multiple sectors, including energy, manufacturing and healthcare. His interests and expertise span the fields of process design, technology development, and technology strategy.

Dr. Griffiths holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from MIT and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.