Office of the Director: Research Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535, South Africa Email : director-research@uwc.ac.za PARTNERSHIPS FOR ENHANCED ENGAGEMENT IN RESEARCH PROGRAM (PEER) Summary guideline for pre-proposal application PEER is a U.S.A International Development (USAID)-funded grants program, managed by the U.S National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NAS). Through the collaboration PEER is able to provide funding for developing-country researchers to conduct development-oriented research in partnership with a U.S. government supported (USG)- researcher, from one of the nine U.S. government supported agencies. The aim of partnering with a USG-supported researcher is to provide complementary expertise and skills to the PEER project. PEER is intended to build scientific capacity and empower researchers in developing countries to use science, technology, innovation and partnerships to address local and global development challenges. Examples of research related activities that PEER will support, include: research projects with the potential to yield impact in low and middle income countries; approaches that employ new or novel applications of existing methods, practices, or protocols in a developing country context; as well as, support towards members of the research team to collect primary data. Funding may also be utilised for capacity building activities that contribute towards the PEER project research objectives, such as: education and training; international travel for conference and workshop attendance; as well as, equipment and materials for developing country institutions. It is of essence that PEER project applications align with the objectives of USAID and therefore applicants are encouraged to consult the list of projects for examples of previously supported PEER projects.
PEER proposal process Phase 1: Pre-proposal is required for all applicants Submitted through the online application system: https://www.grantinterface.com/common/logon.aspx?eqs=wg-r-jjpukym24q4inqrfq2 Deadline for pre-proposal submission: now open, until 15 January 2016. *Notification date for invitation to submit a full proposal: approximately 29 February 2016. Phase 2: Full proposal for submission, by invitation only. Full proposal preparation instructions will be posted on the PEER website for those selected for Phase 2 of the review process. Deadline for full proposal submission: 15 April 2016. *Announcement of PEER-awardees: Late July 2016 Research activities supported by PEER The PEER program is accepting research proposals in the following three focus areas: Global calls Open to researchers from all 63 PEER-eligible countries. Regional and priority focus areas calls Open to researchers from specific USAID regions or priority countries. Country-specific calls Open only to principal investigators in specific countries. This includes a call towards South Africa / Multiple Research Fields.
The portal: http://sites.nationalacademies.org/pga/peer/pga_147214 supplies links to all subdivisions of the three focus areas, which provides further information on specific focus area objectives, eligible countries, as well as additional criteria. Eligibility Eligibility consists of three categories namely, country eligibility, applicant eligibility and USGpartner eligibility. Country eligibility: Researchers from 63 countries are eligible to apply for PEER funding. In order to be eligible the researcher must be a national of a PEER-eligible country, as well as work in the country from which the researcher is applying from. The list for eligible countries, which South Africa forms part of, can be found through the following link: http://sites.nationalacademies.org/pga/dsc/peerscience/pga_070201 Applicant eligibility: Requirements for eligibility to the PEER program include: The researcher needs to be affiliated with and permanently based at an academic institution, non-profit organization, government-managed research laboratory, or relevant government ministry in a PEER-eligible country. The applicant is required to meet country-specific eligibility criteria for the focus area which they are applying to. USG-supported partner eligibility: Requirements for USG-supported partner to be eligible for the PEER program include: Fulfilling the role of principle investigator (PI) or co-principal investigator (co-pi) of an active research award from-, or an eligible research staff member at, one of the nine U.S. government supported agencies participating in the PEER program. The nine U.S. government supported agencies include: - Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
-National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) -National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) -National Institutes of Health (NIH) -National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) -National Science Foundation (NSF) -Smithsonian Institution -United States Forest Service (USFS) -United States Geological Survey (USGS) In the case of partnering with a PI or co-pi, the U.S. government-supported partner awards must be active for a minimum of 12 months after the PEER project start date (the award should expire no earlier than 1 August 2017). Complying with agency specific eligibility criteria (confirm with agency). The USG-supported partner s expertise should align with the PEER proposal. Partnerships are generally matched according to disciplinary similarities, however the USG-supported partner s research experience does not need to directly overlap. Many PEER partnerships serve to provide access to specific methodologies or instrumentation, otherwise unavailable to the PEER applicant. Furthermore, the strength and synergy of the proposed partnership can serve as a large contributing factor to successful application. USG-supported partners are not required to be based in the United States, nor do they need to be U.S. citizens. Many foreign researchers receive USG funding. For information on how to find a USG-supported partner, explore the "Find a USG-Supported Partner" page. Each USG-supported agency has a link to assist researchers to find a potentially eligible (USG)-supported researcher. Furthermore, recommendations on how to approach a USGsupported researcher for potential partnership can be found through the following link: use the tips below to contact USG-supported researchers to propose a partnership. Each USG-supported researcher will need to check with their agency to confirm eligibility for participation in the PEER program.
For comprehensive general eligibility criteria see: http://sites.nationalacademies.org/pga/peer/pga_147199 Pre-proposal online application form When writing the pre-proposals, applicants should consider how their proposed project activities will contribute to USAID s strategic priorities in development. Each USAID Mission has development objectives specific to country needs. Country-specific development objectives are reflected in Country Development and Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) reports, which are posted publicly on each USAID Mission s homepage. A directory of USAID Missions and links to home pages can be found through the following link: http://www.usaid.gov/mission-directory The pre-proposal online application form requires the following information to be submitted: PEER applicant information USG-supported partner information: Partner s USG-funded grant title, -number, -agency, -program officer and contact detail. Estimated budget figure and confirmation whether application is for a single or multiple institution award: The budget of PEER projects vary depending on the proposed research scope, furthermore the duration of projects may range between one to three years. At the full proposal stage applicants are required to submit a detailed budget, however for the pre-proposal phase applicants are encourage to develop a pre-proposal budget estimate, by making use of the budget template. Requested funds can only be used to support costs for developing country researchers and institutions, not for USG-supported partners. Furthermore, only one institution must be designated to lead the project, with the other institutions serving as collaborating partners. Typical projects fall within the following ranges: Single institution: U.S. $40,000 - $80,000 per year
Multiple institutions: U.S. $80,000 - $100,000 per year Applicants whose funding requests do not fit within the parameters are encouraged to contact NAS at peer@nas.edu before preparing an estimated budget figure at the pre-proposal stage. Project description Addressing the following (maximum of two pages): Project aims and objectives. Significance of the research as it relates to a particular focus area. A description of how the expertise of the USG-funded partner will complement the proposed project. Other potential partners with whom the applicant will collaborate on the project (for example, government agencies, USAID Missions, co-pi s, research networks, laboratories and other implementing partners), as well as the nature of the planned collaborations. Appendices CV of the PEER applicant (maximum two pages). Please use this standard format for CVs. The CV should provide citations for no more than 5-10 recent and relevant publications. Brief letter of support written by the USG-supported partner, explaining the party s intention to collaborate on the proposed PEER project. If the potential USG-supported partner holds an active award, the letter should include the partner s USG-funded award title, -number, -funding agency, -program officer and -contact information. For detailed information on the application process please visit: http://sites.nationalacademies.org/pga/peer/pga_147200 This document serves as an overview of the eligibility, as well as the pre-proposal application process for PEER. For more detailed information please visit the website: http://sites.nationalacademies.org/pga/peer/index.htm or download a PDF copy of our PEER 2015/2016 solicitation. A FAQ can also be found on the website. If any questions are not addressed in the FAQs-section or covered in the program solicitation or instructions, please email peer@nas.edu.