Peer presentation

USAID's  Partnerships  for  Enhanced    Engagement  in  Research  (PEER)  Program  

Presenter  Name,  Ph.D.  Office  of  Science  and  Technology  

United  States  Agency  for  Interna>onal  Development  

                                 United  States  Agency  for  Interna=onal  Development  (USAID)    

USAID  is  an  independent  agency  that  furthers  U.S.  foreign  policy:  •  Promotes  broad-­‐scale  human  progress  •  Expands  stable,  free  socie>es  •  Creates  markets  and  trade  partners  for  the  United  States  •  Fosters  good  will  abroad.    USAID  works  in  over  100  developing  countries,  focusing  on:    •  Climate  Change  •  Food  Security  •  Global  Health            •  Educa>on  •  Renewable  

Energy  

•  Water  •  Biodiversity    •  Conflicts  and  Disasters  

USAID’s  Office  of  Science  and  Technology  •  USAID  is  commiPed  to  advancing  the  role  of  science  and  

technology  and  solving  the  most  cri>cal  development  problems  through  the  independent  Office  of  Science  and  Technology  (OST)    

 •  OST’s  focuses  on  four  opera>onal  pillars:    

1.  Data  and  Analy>cs  2.   Transforma=onal  and  Collabora=ve  Research  3.  Open  Innova>on  4.  Higher  Educa>on  Solu>ons  Network  

                                 United  States  Agency  for  Interna=onal  Development  (USAID)    

Office of Science and Technology Open  Innova=on  • Launched  Grand  Challenges  for  Development:  Saving  Lives  at  Birth,  All  Children  Reading,  Powering  Agriculture,  Making  All  Voices  Count  

• Prizes  and  Open  Innova>on  • LAUNCH  Innova>on  Program  with  NASA  

Transforma=onal  and  Collabora=ve  Research  

• Enhanced  collabora>on  with  federal  science  agencies  like  NASA,  NSF,  NOAA,  USGS,  NIH  

• Programs  to  support  these  efforts  like  PEER  with  NSF  and  NIH  

Higher  Educa=on  Solu=ons  Network  

• Established  a  network  of  universi>es  that  will  bring  new  solu>ons,  data  and  analy>cs  to  the  Agency  

• Leverage  crea>vity  of  students  

Data  and  Analy=cs  • Central  GIS  support  to  Agency  augments  the  planning,  monitoring,  evalua>on,  and  communica>on  of  development  work  

• Technical  Support  to  Missions  in  building  GIS  capacity  

Office  of  Science  and  Technology  

(Dr.  Alex  Dehgan)  

Partnerships  for  Enhanced  Engagement  in  Research  (PEER)  

Benefits  of  PEER  

United  States  •  Increase  global  scope  and  

foster  interna>onal  collabora>ons  

•  Bolster  research  effec>veness  

•  Access  local  knowledge  •  Access  resources  

•  Facili>es  •  Unique  ecosystems  •  Geological  forma>ons  •  Hydrological  regimes  

Developing  Country  •  Build  capacity  •  Include  interna>onal  

research  community  •  Develop  science  diplomacy  •  Realize  development  

objec>ves  •  Inform  policy  and  prac>ces  •  Provide  data  for  evidence-­‐based  

programs  •  Incorporate  new  technologies  

PEER  Science  

Partnerships  for  Enhanced    Engagement  in  Research  (PEER)  Science    •  PEER  Science  is  a  joint  program  between  USAID  and  the  Na>onal  Science  Founda>on  (NSF).      

•  The  PEER  Science  Program  supports  developing  country  scien>sts  conduc>ng  research  in  collabora>on  with  NSF-­‐funded  scien>sts.  

PEER  Science  Structure    

Agriculture,  water,  biodiversity  conserva>on,  and  disaster  mi>ga>on  research

NSF USAID

PEER SCIENCE

Competitively funds U.S. researchers

Competitively funds developing country researchers

The  Na=onal  Science  Founda=on  Mission    

The  Na>onal  Science  Founda>on  (NSF)  is  an  independent  federal  agency  created  by  Congress  in  1950  "to  promote  the  progress  of  science;  to  advance  the  na3onal  health,  prosperity,  and  welfare;  to  secure  the  na3onal  defense…”      Research  areas:  

•  Biological  Sciences    •   Computer  and  Informa>on  Science  and  Engineering    •   Educa>on  and  Human  Resources    •   Engineering    •   Geosciences    •   Mathema>cal  and  Physical  Sciences    •   Social,  Behavioral  and  Economic  Sciences    

PEER  Science  

•  488  proposals  from  63  countries    •  42  grants  totaling  approximately  $5.5  million  to  support  projects  in  25  countries  

•  Selec>on  based  on  scien>fic  merit,  development  impact  and  prospect  for  collabora>on  

2011:  1st  Applica=on  Cycle  

2012:  2nd  Applica=on  Cycle  –  Decisions  Expected  Spring  2013  •  237  proposals  from  54  countries  

Focused  Research  Topics:  Brazil  biodiversity  conserva>on,  Lower  Mekong  River  conserva>on,  Indonesia  

2013:  3rd  Applica=on  Cycle  –  Expected  August  2013  

PEER  Science  

Africa,  7  

Asia,  20  

Europe/Eurasia  

La>n  America,  6  

Middle  East,  8  

PEER  Science  Awards  by  Region  2011  

PEER  Science  

!

PEER  Science  

•  Developing  transla>on  somware  to  convert  spoken  Arabic  to  Moroccan  sign  language    

•  Studying  marine  biodiversity  in  Indonesia  and  the  Philippines    •  Assessing  landslide  risk  in  Lebanon    •  Analyzing  climate  change  impacts  in  Colombia  and  Ecuador    •  Addressing  drinking  water  quality  in  Kenya    

Examples  of  Successful  Proposals  

Tropical Plant Curriculum Project, Indonesia  

PEER  Science  

Marine  Conserva>on  

Biodiversity  Research  

PEER  Health    

Partnerships  for  Enhanced  Engagement  in  Research  (PEER)  Health      •  PEER  Health:  A  research  grant-­‐based  plaoorm  which  allows  USAID  Missions  to  move  quickly  to  fill  evidence  gaps  around  implementa>on  of  programs  and  interven>ons.      

•  The  PEER  Health  partnership  includes:  Researchers  in  country,  Na>onal  Ins>tutes  of  Health  (NIH)  researchers,  and  USAID  field  missions.  

PEER  Health    

The  Na=onal  Ins=tutes  of  Health   NIH’s traces its roots to 1887. Its mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. NIH conducts and supports research: •  Causes, diagnosis, prevention, and cure of human diseases; •  Processes of human growth and development; •  Biological effects of environmental contaminants; •  Understanding of mental, addictive and physical disorders; and •  Information exchange in the area of medicine

PEER  Health    

USAID    Missions  

Researchers    in  country  

NIH    researchers  

Evidence  for  improved  implementa=on  of    health  interven>ons,  services,  and  programs  

Child  Survival  Program  

Mission  Program  

PEER  Health  

•  X  pre-­‐proposals  •  81  invited  for  full  proposal  

2012:  1st  Applica=on  Cycle  –  Decisions  Expected  Spring  2013  

2013:  2nd  Applica=on  Cycle  –  Expected  August  2013  

PEER  Health  

PEER  Science:  [email protected]    PEER  Health:  [email protected]    Telephone  enquiries  for  both  programs:    +1-­‐202-­‐334-­‐3345  

Contact  Informa=on