The Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) program is a competitive awards program, supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS), that invites scientists in developing countries to apply for funds to support research and capacity-building activities on topics of importance to USAID and conducted in partnership with U.S. Government (USG)-supported and selected private sector partners.

The PEER program is meant to leverage investments by other USG agencies and the private sector in scientific research and training in order to enhance the development priorities of USAID.  Learn more about the PEER program...

 

It is unlikely that future calls for proposals will be offered by PEER beyond the current one being announced in August 2021, but information on any future deadlines will be posted on the main PEER website when available.
 

The PEER proposal submission process has two phases:

• Phase 1: A brief pre-proposal is required for all applicants. The deadline for submission of pre-proposals for the current COVID-related cycle is October 29, 2021. Details for pre-proposal submission are provided below.

• Phase 2: If invited to submit a full proposal, applicants will be notified around November 29, 2021. The deadline for submission of full proposals is March 7, 2022.

Potential applicants are encouraged to carefully review the eligibility requirements and focus areas for this cycle of PEER before beginning the application process. Pre-proposals must be submitted through the online application system.  

Paper or emailed submissions will not be accepted.

The number of awards is dependent on the quality of the proposals received and subject to the availability of funds.

For the current PEER COVID cycle, awards offered are for one year in duration. Projects in good standing may request and receive a no-cost extension, generally of no more than six months beyond the initial duration. Requests for no-cost extensions may be submitted to the PEER program at peer@nas.edu near the end of the original grant term. The program managers will consider the justification provided and the awardee’s previous progress on the project in deciding whether to authorize an extension.

Yes. PEER sponsors and staff understand that it may be more difficult for developing country applicants whose native language is not English to write proposals and reports in English. If necessary, PEER applicants are encouraged to work with their USG-supported partners to prepare a pre-proposal application.

Applicants invited to submit a full proposal will be asked to further elaborate on their proposed project including: scientific and development objectives, methodology, capacity building activities, ethical considerations, and implementation and dissemination plans, among other topics. Applicants will also be required to submit a detailed budget justification, as well as letters of support from all institutional partners. Instructions for full proposal submission will be posted on the National Academies website at the time when invitations to submit full proposals are sent out, to help applicants anticipate full proposal requirements.

No. There are no registrations or permits necessary for the pre-proposal submission. However, applicants who are ultimately awarded PEER grant will be required to ensure that activities conducted outside the United States are coordinated as necessary with appropriate U.S. and developing country government authorities and that all necessary licenses, permits, or approvals are obtained prior to undertaking the proposed activities. This includes any special authorizations that may be required in applicants' countries to receive funding support from foreign sponsors. Applicants should keep this in mind while planning their projects. If invited to submit a full proposal, applicants will be encouraged to work with their USG-supported partners, the USAID Mission, and the PEER staff to address these requirements.
 

No. A letter of support from your institution is not needed at the pre-proposal stage. Applicants invited to submit a full proposal will be required to submit letters of support from all involved institutions. More information on what should be contained in institutional letters of support will be shared with applicants invited to submit a full proposal. 

Yes. A brief letter of support from the USG-supported partner is required for all applicants at the pre-proposal stage. The letter should state the partner’s intention to collaborate on the proposed PEER project and include the title, award number, and program contact of his or her active USG award. It should also provide a brief explanation of how the PEER partnership will contribute to the partner's USG-supported research. At the full proposal stage, submission of a more detailed letter from the partner is required that explains his or her expected role and responsibilities in the PEER project, as well as plans for how the PI and partner will collaborate during the project.
 

No. A PEER applicant may be listed as the lead PI on only one pre-proposal in any application cycle. However, applicants who have unsuccessfully applied to PEER in previous cycles are welcome to apply.

No. PIs of currently active PEER awards are not eligible to apply to serve as PIs or co-PIs in future cycles of PEER until their first funded project has been successfully completed. For the current COVID cycle of the program, this successful completion date must be prior to January 1, 2022.
 

Yes. PEER supports both single and multiple institution grants. However, only one institution must be designated to lead the project, with the other institutions serving as collaborating partners. If the pre-proposal is selected to move on to the full proposal stage, separate budgets and institutional letters of support will be needed from each participating institution.

No. While co-PIs on a PEER project are allowed, each project must have a lead PEER PI.  The full proposal will also provide space for applicants to elaborate on additional collaborations other than the primary PI and USG-supported partner.
 

PEER applicants who have current USAID funding must demonstrate that the research objective that they propose under the PEER program is distinct from the research objective of their current USAID-funded work. 

Yes.  

When writing pre-proposals, applicants should consider how their proposed research and/or capacity building activities will contribute to USAID’s strategic priorities in development. Collaborative projects involving multiple developing countries that explore regional development issues are also encouraged. More information on USAID’s strategic priorities can be found on the USAID website.  
 

With a presence in more than one hundred countries around the world, each USAID Mission also 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. Each CDCS lays out high-level strategic priorities for each bilateral USAID Mission over a five-year time frame. We encourage PEER applicants to review CDCS and other documents specific to USAID Mission priorities and reflect how their proposed research may contribute to these high-level objectives.

A directory of USAID Missions and links to home pages can be found here: http://www.usaid.gov/mission-directory 
 

In general, applicants who submit pre-proposals to PEER must hold a research and/or teaching position at an academic institution (a university or other institution that grants academic degrees). Interested researchers based at non-profit organizations (NGOs) or at government-managed research laboratories, centers, or institutes should work with colleagues based at universities to develop a joint project in which the university-based researcher would serve as principal investigator. All institutions will be vetted to determine compliance with USAID policies for receipt of funds. PEER awards are issued to the institutions or organizations, not to individuals.

PEER applicants must also be citizens or permanent residents of a PEER-eligible country and be living and working in the country from which they are applying.

PIs of currently active PEER awards are not eligible to apply to serve as PIs or co-PIs in future cycles of PEER until their first supported project has been successfully completed. For the current cycle of the program, this successful completion date must be prior to January 1, 2022.

Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Laos, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Vietnam

Africa: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eswatini, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia

Latin America and Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 

Europe & Eurasia: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine

Middle East & North Africa: Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia
 

Applicants are welcome to collaborate with a currently supported PEER award recipient, with the restriction that PIs of currently active PEER awards are not eligible to serve as PIs or co-PIs on additional projects. However, applicants MUST also partner with a USG-supported investigator receiving funding from one of the participating agencies in order to be eligible to apply for a PEER award. 

 

Only USG-supported researchers supported by agencies participating in the PEER program are eligible to participate as a PEER collaborator. These participating agencies are: the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)/Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the USDA/Forest Service (FS), the USDA/National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Partners must be the primary principal investigator or co-principal investigator of an active USG-supported research award. Funding can include grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts. Alternatively, researchers employed at NASA, NOAA, Smithsonian, USDA/ARS, USDA/FS, USDA/NIFA, USGS, and NIH (i.e., intramural researchers) are also eligible to serve as partners.

Applicants are encouraged to consult the "Find a USG-Supported Partner" page for more information.

The COVID Information Commons is a valuable new resource that makes it easy to search for all NSF awards related to COVID. The site is also in the process of adding information about COVID-related awards issued by NIH and other agencies. By using the website's award search function at https://covidinfocommons.datascience.columbia.edu/awards#, PEER applicants can search using key words relevant to their research interests.

Applicants are encouraged to contact USG agency contacts listed on the "Find a USG-Supported Partner" page for additional information on eligible partners.
 

While collaborations with other USG-supported partners are encouraged, only one USG-supported partner can be listed as the lead for each PEER project. Additional collaborations can be elaborated in the pre-proposal and at the full proposal stage.
 

Yes. Co-PIs of USG awards are eligible to serve as lead PEER partners.
 

Yes, provided he or she has sufficient time to devote to the collaboration.

No. Some USG agencies (for example, NIH) provide research funds to scientists outside of the United States. The critical component is that the USG-supported partner is a PI or co-PI of an active research award from a USG agency participating in the PEER program that can be leveraged to support the proposed project and partnership.

Yes. Researchers from non-eligible countries and employees of for-profit firms may participate in the proposed PEER projects using their own resources but may not serve as principal investigators or receive PEER grant funds.

Yes, on two conditions: (1) the U.S. government-supported partner must also be supported by one of the nine partner agencies; and (2) the proposed PEER partnership must be focused on accomplishing a research objective that is distinct from the research objective of the U.S. government-supported partner's current funding from USAID. 

No. The U.S. government-supported partner must have a terminal degree. Graduate students in the process of completing their terminal degree cannot serve as U.S. government-supported partners. However, U.S. government-supported postdoctoral fellows are eligible to serve as U.S. government-supported partners on PEER proposals. 
 

 

To be eligible as a PEER partner, your colleague would either need to be a principal investigator (PI) on an NIH research award (an R or K award) or a recipient of an NIH training or fellowship grant. Your colleague's NIH funding must be active at least through October 22, 2021, the deadline for submission of your pre-proposal to PEER.
 

 

There is no preference. PEER applicants can submit pre-proposals with existing or new partners. At the full proposal stage, proposals will be evaluated on the strength of the proposed partnership and synergy with the USG-supported collaborator’s expertise.

NAS cannot suggest USG-supported partners for applicants. Instead, PEER applicants are encouraged to consult the “Find a USG-Supported Partner” page for information on how to find a USG-supported partner at multiple agencies. The partner page also includes suggestions for how to reach out to potential partners via email. 

What is the role of the USG-supported partner?
 

The role of the partner may vary by project. Some partners collaborate very closely with their developing country colleagues, carrying out joint field work, exchanging samples, jointly analyzing data, or exchanging visits by students or other junior collaborators from their labs to receive training or gain experience. In other cases, the partner might only serve as a mentor via e-mail or phone, providing guidance on research design or data analysis or recommendations on manuscript preparation. In-person visits are not required under PEER. If the PEER project is selected for funding and the developing country PI wishes to visit the partner's lab or send a student or junior researcher to receive training or conduct research, they would have all the funds required for their support, including travel, living expenses, and health insurance. Therefore, the partner is not expected to contribute any funds toward the collaboration.

It has been shown that in-person collaboration, usually at the beginning of a project, can strengthen the research methodology and technical activities of projects while improving communication and expectations between partners. Therefore, applicants to the PEER COVID Cycle are encouraged to assign up to 10% of the total proposed PEER budget to support the costs of travel by the USG partner or other U.S.-based project participants. These funds generally will be managed by the PEER PI’s institution and not awarded directly to the U.S. institution.
 

It depends on the policy of each USG agency funding your collaborator’s award. For example, in the case of NSF, any NSF-supported researcher can apply for a supplement to his or her NSF award. However, supplemental funding from NSF must clearly enhance the NSF project. USG-supported partners interested in seeking supplemental funds are encouraged to reach out to agency contacts listed on the “Find a USG-Supported Partner” page. 

In cases of need for travel by USG-supported partners that arise after PEER awards are made, PEER program managers may approve requests to use small amounts of PEER funds to cover travel expenses for U.S. researchers. In addition, PEER may contact recipients of active PEER grants to offer them opportunities to apply for supplemental funds for this purpose. The schedule for such supplement calls is not definite, so PEER PIs with questions should contact their grant managers for guidance.

 

As long as the USG-supported partner's USG award is active at the time of the PEER Cycle 8 pre-proposal submission deadline of October 22, 2021, it is fine.

No. You must have a USG-supported partner with an active award from an eligible USG partner agency as of October 22, 2021, in order to be eligible to apply for PEER funding.

Yes, applicants in this situation may submit a pre-proposal. The pre-proposal review process includes verification of the status of the USG-supported award. If the USG-supported partner’s grant is not awarded by the time of this verification process, the PEER pre-proposal will be withdrawn from consideration. If you have questions about your USG-supported partner’s award eligibility, please contact PEER staff at peer@nas.edu.

Yes. The USG-supported collaborator’s research should complement the proposed PEER project, but it is not expected that the PEER project will exactly align with the USG-supported partner’s award. Proposed PEER project topics must complement research goals specified in the proposed U.S. collaborator’s USG award, as well as technical and development goals specified by USAID. For the pre-proposal, applicants will be asked to explain what is being gained by the USG-supported partners’ expertise and award, and this will be judged during the pre-proposal review.

 

 

Budget requests should be developed according to the support needed to implement the project goals. The primary objective of the PEER COVID cycle is to support collaborative research projects one year in duration. Awards will be for a maximum of U.S. $70,000 regardless of the number of institutions involved.
 

At the pre-proposal phase you are asked to submit a total budget figure. At the full proposal stage applicants will be asked to submit a detailed budget that includes the categories Travel, Equipment, Other Direct Costs, Salaries, Scholarships and Fellowships, and Indirect Costs. We encourage applicants to develop a pre-proposal budget estimate with these categories in mind, although applicants will not be asked to provide figures for each category. A budget template will also be posted on the NAS website for reference.

Yes, budget estimates are permitted to change between the pre-proposal and full proposal stage. If you need help estimating your budget at the pre-proposal stage please use the  PEER budget template (18KB, .xls). This template is not required for pre-proposal submission but may be helpful for more accurately anticipating budget costs.

 

All pre-proposal budgets must be in U.S. dollars. No compensation will be allowed to adjust for fluctuations in the exchange rate of the dollar to other currencies.

Training is an allowable cost, along with travel, equipment, supplies, organizational expenses for workshops and conferences, salaries and stipends, and limited institutional indirect costs if essential to the project and fully justified. Additional information on allowable budget costs will be provided at the full proposal stage. 

 

The deadline for submission of pre-proposals is October 22, 2021. Pre-proposals should be completed through the PEER online application site no later than 11:59 PM (U.S. Eastern Standard Time) on that date. Applicants invited to submit a full proposal will be notified around November 22, 2021.

The pre-proposal review process will be managed by the National Academies. Pre-proposals will be evaluated by USAID and the National Academies based on the following criteria:
 

• PEER applicant compliance with eligibility requirements;
• Participation of USG-supported partner, including verification of active research award or eligibility status, and degree of alignment with his or her expertise;
• Alignment with research priorities outlined in the respective “Focus Area” section;
• Development impact of proposed research;
• Degree to which the project brings a new or underrepresented voice to the field, pushes the boundaries of our current understanding of a development challenge, or provides a novel approach to such a challenge;
• (If a prior PEER awardee) Demonstration by the applicant of how the proposed work is distinct from their prior PEER award, and/or how the proposed work significantly builds off the previous PEER award to achieve broader development impact. 

Application Website

I applied for a PEER grant previously, but was not selected. Now when I log on to the application webpage using the same email and password, I only see my old proposal. How do I submit my new pre-proposal application with my old credentials?
 

When you log in with your email and password, you will still see your old proposal near the bottom of the page. However, to start a new application, click on “Apply” under the heading “Requests” in the gray column at the left side of the page. That will open another page where you can click on the blue link for PEER COVID, which will open up the new pre-proposal application form. Then you can start filling in that form, and after you save your work, when you sign in next time, you will see both your old proposal and your new PEER COVID proposal that you can access and continue working on.