Higher Education for Development Awards 13 More USAID-Funded Grants in
Africa-U.S. Higher Education Initiative Grant Competition
WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Higher Education for
Development (HED) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
announced today that an additional 13 partnerships will be funded through the
Africa-U.S. Higher Education Initiative Planning Grant Competition.
Funding was originally proposed and awarded for 20 partnerships in April 2009
(a complete list of winning partnerships is available at www.hedprogram.org).
However, the competition drew such a high level of interest, with nearly 300
applications submitted, that USAID decided to award funding to 13 additional
applications. Partnerships, comprised of one U.S. and one African higher
education institution, will each receive $50,000 grants from USAID to develop
plans to address regional and national economic development priorities
including such as engineering, health, agriculture, environment and natural
resources, science and technology, education and teacher training/preparation,
and business, management, and economics.
"We are extremely pleased to fund these additional 13 partnerships," said
Alonzo Fulgham, Acting Administrator of USAID. "With the addition of these 13,
we now have a total of six historically black colleges and universities in the
initiative and a number of well-respected, top-ranked academic institutions in
the United States and throughout Africa. The expertise and experience
delivered by these institutions will have a critical impact as this effort
moves forward."
The following are the new 13 winning partnerships:
African Higher Education Institution U.S. Higher Education Institution
------------------------------------ ---------------------------------
Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia University of California, Los
Angeles
Bayero University, Nigeria Ohio University
Cuttington University, Liberia Southern University System
International Institute for Water Tuskegee University
& Environmental Engineering,
Burkina Faso
Kenyatta University, Kenya Syracuse University
Kigali Health Institute, Rwanda Emory University
Makerere University, Uganda University of Wisconsin, Madison
Obafemi Awolowo University, Massachusetts Institute of
Nigeria Technology
Rhodes University, South Africa University of Florida
University for Development Florida A&M University
Studies, Ghana
University of Cape Town, South University of Cincinnati
Africa
University of Ghana Brown University
University of Liberia Indiana University
HED manages the competition which grew out of the Africa-U.S. Higher Education
Initiative (www.aplu.org), a collaborative effort between a number of higher
education associations and other organizations, led by the Association of
Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), formerly the National Association
of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC).
"We are highly enthusiastic about the expansion of this effort," said Dr.
Tully Cornick, executive director of HED. "We were so impressed with the
quality and caliber of the applicant pool; it was a difficult peer review
process to whittle down a final list of winners. By funding these additional
13 partnerships, we recognize that even greater expertise, knowledge and
connections will be brought to bear to address a variety of critical
development needs."
"Africa has an urgent need to strengthen institutions that cultivate human and
research capacity." said Peter McPherson, president of APLU. "Working together
in partnership, African and U.S. higher education institutions have the
ability to increase the quality and access to education, and help solve local
problems. The partnerships that will be created through this initiative have
the potential to make a difference in the future of the African continent."
HED, funded by a cooperative agreement with USAID, was founded by the six
major U.S. higher education associations to engage U.S. colleges and
universities in international development. For more information about HED and
to view details about the planning grants competition (including a complete
list of the winning institutions), visit www.HEDprogram.org.
The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development,
have provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for nearly 50
years. For more information on USAID, visit www.USAID.gov.
Public Information: 202-712-4810
SOURCE U.S. Agency for International Development
USAID Press Office: +1-202-712-4320
