Page 2
MENA NWC Update
Round Two Now Open for Policy, Research and
Development (PR&D) Grants Applications
Do you have
an upcoming
event or
recently
published
report or
paper you’d
like the
Network to
promote?
Please send it to
[email protected]
The Policy, Research &
Development (PR&D) grants
program began accepting
applications from MENA
NWC Centers on 3 August
2012 and closed 18 months
later on 3 February 2014.
Over that time, we received
21 full proposals from
Centers from Morocco to
Oman. Of these proposals,
the Selection Committee
approved nine research
projects for award. These
awards are summarized in
the table on page 4.
Although Round One of
applications for PR&D grants
program is now over,
MENA NWC now
welcomes concept notes
and/or Technical and Cost
Proposals from its member
Centers for Round
Two. MENA NWC will
work closely with applicants
to seek funding from outside
sources. As before,
proposals must be
submitted by a research
team of at least two
MENA NWC Centers
from at least two
countries, or one
international Center and
one national Center. You
can find application
materials on MENA
NWC’s website
(www.menanwc.org).
MENA NWC Welcomes Two New Centers
MENA NWC welcomes two
new institutional members
to the Network: the Water
and Environment Center at
Sana’a University in Yemen
and the Zuckerberg Institute
for Water Research at BenGurion University of the
Negev in Israel. In the
coming months, FABRI will
work closely with these
institutions to integrate
them into the Network
research activities and
programs. To this end,
researchers from Sana’a
University joined the
research team implementing
the Application of Near-Real
Time Monitoring Systems for
Irrigated Agriculture project
and attended the start-up
meeting in Jordan. The
Network now links 20
participating technical
institutions across the
Middle East and North
Africa with each other,
counterpart U.S.
institutions, governments
and the private sector to
solve critical water
problems confronting the
region.
NonMENA NWC Incorporated as Non-Profit
Organization in Washington, D.C.
MENA NWC recently
marked an exciting
milestone. In December
2013, MENA NWC was
incorporated in Washington,
D.C., becoming a legally
registered not-for-profit
organization. In the coming
months, FABRI will work
with the Interim Board of
Directors, the U.S. Agency
for International
Development (USAID), and
its legal counsel to finalize
bylaws for the Network.
Once approved, these will
be submitted to the U.S.
Internal Revenue Service
(IRS) along with the
Network’s application for
tax exempt status. The
decision about the
permanent venue for MENA
NWC’s Directorate will be
made by the Board of
Directors after the Network
has outside funding
commitments to sustain it.
Until then, FABRI is
preparing a plan to fully
operationalize the
Network, including
opening a bank account,
establishing accounting
procedures, and recruiting
permanent staff.