1. National University of Mongolia Tuesday, September 25th, 2012
Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) Science
National University of Mongolia Tuesday, September 25th, 2012
PEER Science is a grant program funded by USAID in partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF). It provides support for researchers in 87 eligible countries worldwide on a wide range of development-related topics
Dr. Dalal Najib
U.S. National Academy of Sciences

2. Outline Partners: USAID, NSF, NAS Scope of PEER Science Topics
Eligibility
Finding an NSF partner
Application process
First cycle: examples

3. What is USAID?
USAID is the United States’ principal international development agency, devoted to easing suffering, spreading prosperity and increasing security in the developing world.
Mission director

4. USAID works in most of the world
Climate Change
Water
Food Security
Biodiversity
Global Health
Conflicts and Disasters
Renewable Energy
Education

5. NSF’s Mission and Role
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense…”
With an annual budget of ~$6.8 billion (FY 2011), NSF is the funding source for approximately 20% of all federally supported basic research conducted by America's colleges and universities.
In many fields such as mathematics, computer science and the social sciences, NSF is the major source of federal backing.

6. NSF Programmatic Organization
NSF Directorates
Biological Sciences (BIO)
Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE)
Education and Human Resources (EHR)
Engineering (ENG)
Geosciences (GEO)
Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS)
Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE)
NSF Office of the Director
Office of Cyberinfrastructure (OCI)
Office of Integrative Activities (OIA)
Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE)
Office of Polar Programs (OPP)

7. U.S. National Academies
Constituted of: the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), the Institute of Medicine (IOM), and the National Research Council (NRC)
Established in 1863 by an Act of Congress
Private, non-profit institution, independent scientific body that advises the government on any subject of science
Committee members are top-level scientists that volunteer their time and knowledge to address important policy questions
The National Academies are implementing the PEER Science program

8. NSF and USAID: Different Mandates But Mutual Areas of Interest
MOU
Congressional mandate is scientific research
Primary client is the US science community
Funding is allocated to US institutions
Merit review for research proposals is fundamental
Congressional mandate is foreign assistance
Primary clients are developing countries
Funding flows to foreign partner and/or US institution
Bureaus, regions, and missions need buy-in

9. Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) Science
PEER Science is a USAID-funded competitive grants program that invites developing country scientists to apply for funds to support research and capacity-building activities in partnership with their NSF-funded collaborators on topics of importance to USAID (e.g., water, climate, biodiversity, disaster mitigation, renewable energy).
Model for how PEER works. NSF funds U.S. scientist; developing country collaborator applies to PEER for funding.

10. Benefits of PEER U.S. Science Development Building capacity
Inclusive international research community
Science diplomacy
Development objectives
Informs policy & practices
Data for evidence-based programs
New technologies
Global scope & International collaborations
Effectiveness
Access to local knowledge
Access to resources
Facilities
Unique ecosystems
Geological formations
Hydrological regimes

11. PEER Science Topics

12. Food Security
Agricultural development
Fisheries
Plant genomics

13. Climate Change Impacts
Water sustainability
Hydrology
Ocean acidification
Climate process and modeling
Environmental engineering

14. Other Development Topics
Renewable energy
Disaster mitigation
Water
Biodiversity

15. PEER Science: Eligibility
Developing country PIs must be:
Affiliated with and based at an NGO, academic, or government-managed research institution
Partnering with an NSF-funded U.S. researcher who is a PI (not a co-PI) on an active NSF award
We encourage proposals involving multiple institutions and/or regional collaboration between eligible countries

16. Finding a U.S. Partner Existing collaboration:
Does your US contact have an NSF grant?
Does your US contact work closely with an NSF grantee?
New collaboration: Use the NSF database
NSF database

18. How to apply? Online application
Do your homework: make sure your topic fits USAID priorities
Find an NSF funded partner
Prepare your application in a word document in advance
Prepare your attachments ( getting signatures takes time)
Submit by the deadline
NSF database

20. PEER Science Award: Deadline: December 4th, 2012 Decision in May 2013
Single institution awards: from $30,000 to $60,000 per year
Multiple institutions and/or countries: up to $110,000 per year
Deadline: December 4th, 2012
Decision in May 2013

21. PEER Science Cycle 1: Awards by Region
Nearly 500 applications from 63 developing countries
42 projects from 25 countries were selected based on
scientific merit
projected development impact
prospects for strength of collaboration between developing country scientists and their American counterparts.
Project duration ranges from 1 to 3 years
11 involved female PI (27%)
Budgets from $27,000 to $325,000
USAID’s share is $4.8 million dollars of investment in S&T for development, leveraging over $46 million of NSF-funded research

22. PEER Science Cycle 1: Awards by Subject
Example of grants in social sciences

23. Examples of successful proposals
Developing translation software 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
Big questions at the intersections of science and development:
Studies of environmental change in Sri Lanka and Peru
Modeling geo-hazards in Bangladesh and the Caucuses
Soil conservation and water retention in Ethiopia
“We recognize that the best ideas come from shared collaboration where both sides can learn from each other”

24. Useful contact information
PEER Science :
USAID Mongolia: Ms. Alyson McFarland
More questions:
Visit our PEER website: