|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
  |
 |
  |
Center For Economic Growth and Agricultural Development
>> Return to Home Page >> Central Programs >> Global Programs >> Economic Growth and Agricultural Development ACTIVITY DATA SHEET
PROGRAM: Central Programs
TITLE AND NUMBER: Increased science and technology cooperation among Middle Eastern and developing countries, and utilization of U.S. and Israeli technical expertise by developing countries, 933-007
STATUS: Ending*
PROPOSED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $4,547,000 DA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1979; ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2003Summary: This objective fosters continued cooperation between Israel and other Middle Eastern countries in the application of science and technology to address shared development goals. It utilizes unique Israeli scientific and technical expertise to tackle development problems in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Central Asian Republics. The ultimate beneficiaries are the people of the Middle East and developing world whose security and living standards are improved.
There are three component activities under this objective. The U.S.-Israel Cooperative Development Research Program (CDR) funds collaborative research proposals of $200,000 or less and up to five years in length. CDR grants are awarded on a competitive, peer-reviewed basis, and the proposals are developed jointly by scientists from Israel and their counterparts in developing countries to address technical problems relevant to the developing partner. The Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC) Program awards competitive grants for collaborative research involving Israel and one or more other Middle Eastern partners. MERC grants do not exceed $3,000,000 over five years. The U.S.-Israel Cooperative Development Program (CDP) supports the activities of MASHAV, the development assistance unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Israel. The CDP/MASHAV program provides training in a wide variety of topics for people from developing countries, both in Israel and in their home countries. The program funds Israeli demonstration farms in developing countries, and provides Israeli technical assistance consulting in those countries.
Key Results: Research results to date include advances in saline and dry lands agriculture, improved agricultural water management technology, improved biopesticides, and an increased understanding of emerging tropical diseases and threats to the environment. Progress toward the political goal of support for Middle East regional cooperation has been realized through direct communication, travel, and information exchanges between researchers in the Middle East. Diplomatic and commercial acceptance of Israel throughout the developing countries of Africa, Latin America, and Asia, and the New Independent States of the former Soviet Union, has increased.
Performance and Prospects: USAID funding has catalyzed cooperation that otherwise would not have occurred and has enabled Israeli development assistance to be provided in more than 50 developing countries. A particularly fruitful development partnership between Israel and the countries of Central Asia has begun to emerge with U.S. support. The level of direct cooperation on research funded through grants, as measured by the number of jointly authored publications in professional technical journals, indicates collegial relationships between researchers in Israel, Jordan, Egypt and the West Bank/Gaza. An increased number of exchanges of scientists and students among Middle Eastern countries and from developing countries was evidenced through meetings and workshops held in those countries. The number of technical assistance consultancies requested and filled will gradually diminish as U.S. core funding to CDP is reduced. The number of people from other Middle Eastern countries in the MASHAV training programs is, however, expected to increase.
The effectiveness of these programs, particularly MERC, is dependent upon the broader political situation in the region, as well as the willingness of participants to engage in cooperation in the face of these concerns.
Possible Adjustments to Plans: With the growing acceptance of Israel throughout most of the developing world, the original goals of the centrally funded CDP have been achieved, and, therefore, USAID and MASHAV are phasing down the ongoing program and will transition to a new partnership. The new arrangement will be managed at the country level, with potential joint ventures identified by MASHAV and individual field missions considered for U.S. funding as they fit within the strategic objectives for each country. No significant changes are anticipated in the objectives of the CDR and MERC Programs.
Other Donor Programs: The Government of Israel, which manages the CDP, contributes one-third of the funding for that program. CDR and MERC projects receive matching funds, at levels varying widely among individual grants, from Israeli and collaborating Arab and developing country research institutions, as well as from participating U.S. partners, such as the University of Wisconsin, Texas A & M University, Harvard University, San Jose State University, Langston University, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Institutes of Health.
Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: The Government of Israel, Ministry of Foreign Affairs administers CDP as part of its own foreign assistance portfolio. CDR and MERC grants are awarded by USAID to Israeli and U.S. research institutions, which, in turn, make subgrants to their collaborating partner institutions. The U.S. National Academy of Sciences assists USAID in the peer review of proposals for CDR and MERC, as well as in the monitoring of technical performance reports.
Selected Performance Measures: 933-007
Indicator FY 97 (Actual) FY 98 (Actual) FY 99 (Actual) FY 00 (Actual) FY 01 (Plan) FY 02 (Plan) Indicator 1: Number of publications from CDR and MERC funded grants jointly authored by Israeli and other Middle Eastern Scientists or by Israeli and developing country Scientists. 32 34 34 33 50 50 Indicator 2: Number of CDR and MERC project meetings and workshops in the Middle East or developing countries. 17 19 37 32 30 30 Indicator 3: Sustained FY 1996 level of Israeli experts sent as technical consultants to developing countries 78 102 100 100 100 70 Indicator 4: Number of trainees from other Middle Eastern countries attending MASHAV courses (total MASHAV program not just USAID-funded CDP) 601 1032 1236 1195 1300 1400 Indicator Information
Indicator Level (S)or(IR) Unit of Measure Source Indicator Description Indicator 1: IR Number of publications per year CDR and MERC Grantee Progress Reports (submitted as a grant requirement) Number includes all grants in MERC and CDR Indicator 2: IR Number of countries (cumulative) CDR and MERC Grantee Progress Reports (submitted as a grant requirement) Number includes all grants in MERC and CDR Indicator 3 IR Number of USAID consultants sent per year MASHAV Annual Report submitted under the CDP, or its general Annual Report Number of requests for technical consultants filled. Indicator 4 IR Number of trainees from Middle Eastern countries (total MASHAV program) per year MASHAV Annual Report submitted under the CDP, or its general Annual Report Number of trainees from Middle Eastern countries (only) attending MASHAV courses each calendar year
* This strategic objective is coming to an end. These types of activities will take place primarily under the new objective 933-011. Some expenditures will occur beyond this fiscal year under this objective.
U.S. Financing
(In thousands of dollars)
Obligations Expenditures Unliquidated Through September 30, 1999 72,987 DA 66,148 DA 6,839 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 CSD 53,320 ESF 47,471 ESF 5,849 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 SEED 14,911 FSA 14,599 FSA 312 FSA 110 DFA 110 DFA 0 DFA Fiscal Year 2000 5,594 DA 6,839 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 8,319 ESF 5,849 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 FSA 312 FSA 0 DFA 0 DFA Through September 30, 2000 78,581 DA 72,987 DA 5,594 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 CSD 61,639 ESF 53,320 ESF 8,319 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 SEED 14,911 FSA 14,911 FSA 0 FSA 110 DFA 110 DFA 0 DFA Prior Year Unobligated Funds 47 DA 0 CSD 4,330 ESF 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 DFA Planned Fiscal Year 2001 NOA 4,500 DA 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 DFA Total Planned Fiscal Year 2001 4,547 DA 0 CSD 4,330 ESF 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 DFA Future Obligations Est. Total Cost Proposed Fiscal Year 2002 NOA 0 DA 0 DA 83,128 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 ESF 65,969 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 FSA 14,911 FSA 0 DFA 0 DFA 110 DFA
 |
|||
Last Updated on: May 29, 2002 |
