The Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) program is accepting proposals from developing country researchers interested in collaborating with counterparts who are funded by selected U.S. government-supported agencies.
PEER is an international awards program that brings developing country scientists and engineers together with researchers funded by U.S. federal science agencies to address global development challenges. Through catalyzing collaborative research and strategic partnerships and leveraging existing U.S. investments in research, PEER is designed to elevate the use of science and technology in addressing local and global development challenges in USAID-presence countries. Not only does PEER support research relevant to USAID’s development objectives, it also establishes long-lasting research relationships that build capacity, strengthen the research ecosystem, and enable collaborators to become better partners in development. Since its launch in 2011, PEER has supported more than 300 projects in more than 54 countries with an investment of approximately $59 million.
PEER program staff will be holding an optional one-hour webinar on Wednesday, 14 November beginning at 10:30 a.m. (U.S. Eastern time). Webinar participants must register in advance on the WebEx website and will receive another link by e-mail.
The program is currently inviting pre-proposals for projects up to one year in duration (with a possible 6-month no-cost extension) that will lead to development-related policy or programmatic change from applicants in the following specific countries or regions or working on the following topical areas:
- Multiple Countries / Last Mile Awards
- Multiple Countries / Family Planning and Reproductive Health
- Multiple Countries / Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Health in North Africa
- Iraq / Water Research and Conservation to Keep People Healthy and Increase Employment
- Peru / Strengthening Natural Resource Management in Peru
- Tunisia / Economic Growth, ICT, and Small and Medium Enterprises
Applications are accepted only from developing-country scientists working in partnership with colleagues currently funded by the following U.S. federal science agencies: the National Science Foundation (NSF); the National Institutes of Health (NIH); NOAA; the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), including the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), and the United States Forest Service (USFS); the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Smithsonian Institution. Please note Family Planning and Reproductive Health focus area applicants can also partner with U.S. university recipients (including prime awardees and sub-awardees) of USAID family planning and reproductive health funding.
The full PEER pre-proposal solicitation, instructions, eligible country lists, details on the special focus topics above, frequently asked questions, and a link to the online application website are available at https://www.nationalacademies.org/peer. Potential applicants are encouraged to review the materials carefully. PEER is implemented by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on behalf of USAID, and potential applicants or partners with questions are invited to contact the program’s staff at peer@nas.edu.