The ​U.S. ​Agency ​for ​International ​Development’s ​(USAID) ​U.S. ​Global Development ​Lab ​is ​announcing ​$5 ​million ​for ​25 ​new ​research partnerships ​to ​address ​critical ​areas ​of ​development. Through ​the Partnerships ​for ​Enhanced ​Engagement ​in ​Research ​(PEER) ​program, the ​Global ​Development ​Lab ​will ​award ​$5 ​million ​to ​high ​quality research ​projects ​across ​the ​world. ​Funded ​research ​projects ​address ​global ​development ​challenges ​in ​partnership ​with ​a ​USG ​supported scientist ​.

The ​goal ​of ​PEER ​is ​to ​build ​capacity ​among ​local ​scientists ​and research ​institutions, ​strengthen ​research ​partnerships ​worldwide, ​and better ​translate ​data ​and ​evidence ​into ​policy ​for ​improved development ​outcomes. The ​program ​is ​implemented ​by ​the National ​Academies ​of ​Sciences, ​Engineering ​and ​Medicine.

The ​newly ​announced ​awards ​represent ​the ​sixth ​year ​of ​the ​PEER program. ​The ​25 ​final ​projects ​were ​selected ​from ​over ​450 proposals. ​

Among ​the ​new ​awards, ​the ​PEER ​program ​will ​support:

• Testing ​a ​new ​field ​test ​kit ​to ​determine ​the ​level ​of ​soil ​Lead at ​mining ​and ​battery ​recycling ​sites ​in ​Peru.
• Using ​unmanned ​aerial ​vehicle ​technology ​to ​improve ​Park land ​management ​in ​Mali.
• Training ​teachers ​with ​innovative ​methods ​on ​ways ​to improve ​STEM ​education ​in ​Indonesia.
• Using ​genetic ​data ​to ​determine ​tuna ​populations ​for ​fisheries management ​and ​conservation ​strategies ​in ​Indonesia.

Since ​its ​launch ​in ​2011, ​PEER ​has ​supported ​more ​than ​300 researchers ​in ​over ​50 ​countries, ​with ​a ​total ​investment ​of ​over ​$55 million. ​The ​program ​is ​a ​collaboration ​between ​USAID ​and ​nine federal ​science ​agencies: ​the ​National ​Aeronautics ​and ​Space Administration ​(NASA), ​the ​National ​Institute ​of ​Food ​and ​Agriculture (NIFA), ​the ​National ​Institutes ​of ​Health ​(NIH), ​the ​National ​Science Foundation ​(NSF), ​the ​National ​Oceanic ​and ​Atmospheric administration ​(NOAA), ​the ​Smithsonian ​Institution ​(SI), ​the ​United States ​Department ​of ​Agriculture’s ​Agricultural ​Research ​Service (USDA/ARS), ​the ​United ​States ​Forest ​Service ​(USFS), ​and ​the United ​States ​Geological ​Survey ​(USGS).

To ​learn ​more ​about ​the ​PEER ​program ​and ​to ​view ​a ​complete ​list ​of the ​latest ​award ​recipients ​please ​visit ​the PEER ​website. Main ​Websites: ​www.nas.edu/peer and the PEER ​program ​page: https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/GlobalDevLab/international-rese arch-science-programs/peer