Long-term Assistance and Services for Research (LASER)

Post date: Jan 10, 2018 8:23:16 AM

The US Consulate in Erbil announced opportunity for Long-term Assistance and Services for Research from the U.S. government. The United States Agency for International Development's (USAID) U.S. Global Development Lab seeks a five year cooperative agreement with a Higher Education Institution (HEI) to establish and leverage a strong international network to help solve pressing development challenges through research.

Deadline; January 24, 2018.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=299303

About LASER

The United States Agency for International Development's (USAID) U.S. Global Development Lab seeks a five year cooperative

agreement with a Higher Education Institution (HEI) to establish and leverage a strong international network to help solve

pressing development challenges through research. The resulting Long-term Assistance and Services for Research (LASER)

network will work in partnership with USAID to engage academics and stakeholders in identifying and refining critical

development research questions. LASER will fund research projects that address those questions so that the entire research

system - from universities to policy-makers and civil society - can engage, educate, and contribute to the success of the

research projects towards achieving development impacts. Additionally, LASER will increase the human and institutional

capacity of higher education institutions in low and middle-income countries to become global leaders in research. The

resulting LASER network will not only generate new knowledge for USAID, but also initiate long term, sustainable

collaborations between U.S. and developing country institutions that are characterized by equitable university partnerships.

Through LASER, USAID strives to engage with global university partners, leading to a connected global research network

focused on development challenges, and stakeholders that are better equipped to use research to further their country’s

development.

Eligibility

Only HEIs are eligible to serve as the lead implementer, however consortium applications that include other organizations (eg,

NGOs, private sector) are welcome as long as the lead applicant is an HEI. USAID specifically seeks to support a university

whose operations includes the creation, engagement, and/or growth of a large, international network of university researchers,

centers, and institutes across disciplines that can 1) independently identify and address new and impactful research questions

with high relevance to the international development community, 2) partner with USAID Missions, Bureaus, and Independent

Offices to address unique research needs identified by USAID, and 3) provide opportunities to work with and build up

individual and institutional capacity of HEIs and their communities in low and middle-income countries.