Four key takeaways on early impact of LASER PULSE’s Embedded Research Translation (ERT) model on research for international development

As LASER PULSE’s Research Translation Strategy Lead for the past four years, I’ve had the great pleasure of supporting nearly 50 researcher-practitioner teams on topics as diverse as block chain technology for African indigenous vegetable sellers, to private sector engagement, to increasing mental health and psychosocial support for Venezuelan refugees and migrants. Together with LASER...

Uganda Indigenous People’s Project Featured by Uganda’s NBS TV Station

https://youtu.be/m-JN3hp733Q?si=hfuaxhefhqJPLgEG LASER’s Uganda Indigenous People’s Project has worked for several years to aid Ugandan communities in fighting human trafficking and establishing brighter futures for youth, women, and men. Now, one of the project’s efforts has been recognized by Uganda’s NBS TV station, which attended an event celebrating the 2023 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. The event...

Washington Office Event on Shaping Social Cohesion Initiatives in Iraq

Researchers from Notre Dame’s Pulte Institute for Global Development discussed their efforts to identify and restore traditional agricultural methods used by minority groups in Iraq during an event on Tuesday, June 13, at the Keough School Washington Office. The rise of the Islamic State and other sectarian tensions led to violence that killed tens of thousands...

Jaclyn Biedronski Receives a 2022-2023 Keough School Recognition Award

Evidence and Learning Coordinator (Pulte Institute) Jaclyn Biedronski recently received a 2022-2023 Keough School Recognition Award for “significant achievement” beyond her regular job responsibilities. Biedronski served as the project manager and oversaw a team of undergraduate and graduate students who worked on updating the LASER PULSE “Private Sector Engagement Evidence Gap Map,” a visual...

Melissa Paulsen Selected for University of Notre Dame Presidential Achievement Award

Congratulations to Melissa Paulsen, the Pulte Institute’s director of Entrepreneurship and Education Programs, for her well-deserved University of Notre Dame Presidential Achievement Award. Melissa Paulsen is the program director for Entrepreneurship and Education Programs in the Pulte Institute for Global Development. Melissa advances Notre Dame’s mission to place scholarship and professional practice in service to the...

Informing the U.S. Congress and World About How a LASER Project Helps Revive and Strengthen Traditional Cultural Practices in Iraq

With the development world littered with large, expensive projects, would a small, locally-led intervention attract much attention? Would people want to hear about it? On June 13, 2023, Notre Dame held an update meeting at their Keough School Washington DC Office, briefing DC decision-makers on LASER’s project that supports traditional agriculture in northern Iraq. The...

BHA & DDI Evaluation Series Looks at Response to COVID-19

As it is critical to capture key learning from the pandemic response, the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), with Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation (DDI), has commissioned an additional evaluation series to understand the performance of the BHA-funded response to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). It includes a Performance Evaluation for the follow-on fiscal year (FY)...

A Farmer Field Day was held in Ca Mau province, Vietnam

Conservation and Introduction of Naturally Salt-tolerant Crops in Coastal Provinces

Saline water intrusion into coastal aquifers is a pressing issue worldwide. In 2021, soils affected by saltwater have accounted for over 10 percent of the world’s cultivated land (FAO, 2021). Vietnam is a country with vast marine resources where up to 1.7 million hectares of land are inundated with saline water each year (Van Nguyen...

USAID LASER PULSE Research for Development Learning Summit

The LASER PULSE consortium members (Purdue University, Indiana University, University of Notre Dame, Catholic Relief Services and Makerere University-ResilientAfrica Network) convened in Washington DC, for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) LASER PULSE Research for Development Learning Summit, Tuesday May, 2nd, 2023. The consortium members were joined by USAID officials, other partners and...

LASER PULSE Conducts University Research Engagement and Capacity Strengthening Workshop in Kampala, Uganda

On April 12-13, LASER PULSE convened university leaders and researchers from around sub-Saharan Africa in Kampala, Uganda, to continue their efforts towards strengthening capacity in research leadership and project management at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The workshop was attended by 11 sub-Saharan African countries, including DRC, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan,...