Program Summary
Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) is an international grants program that funds scientists and engineers in developing countries who partner with U.S. government-funded researchers to address global development challenges.

PEER partnerships leverage major investments made by U.S. government science agencies in research to improve development results in USAID-presence countries. By empowering scientists and engineers in developing countries through this program, USAID is leveling the playing field on which global research occurs.

PEER not only catalyzes collaborative research and elevates the use of science and technology to further USAID’s development objectives, but also establishes long-lasting research relationships that build scientific research capacity, strengthen the research ecosystem in developing countries, and enable collaborators to become better partners in development. Since PEER’s launch in 2011, it has supported more than 250 projects in over 50 countries with an investment of about $50 million.

Partner Agencies

The PEER program is designed to leverage federal science agency funding from NASA, NIH, NOAA, NSF, Smithsonian Institution, USDA, and USGS by directly supporting developing country scientists who work in partnership with current or new col-leagues supported by these U.S. government agencies. Technical areas include water resource management, climate change, biodiversity, agriculture, energy, disaster mitigation, nutrition, maternal and child health, and infectious diseases.

The PEER program is implemented by the National Academies of Science. For more information, visit: http://sites.nationalacademies.org/pga/peer/index.htm 

 
Key Term: ‘Lab leverage’ is a program performance indicator for the U.S. Global Development Lab that captures commitments of funding and in-kind resources from a range of external non-USAID partners investing in shared development goals when working jointly with the Lab on a partnership, program or activity. The Lab’s leverage performance indicator includes: all cost-share contributions (from both public and private sector partners); all other contributions (from the private sector, the public sector, and other U.S. government agencies); and gifts (from foreign governments, private organizations, and individuals).