Psychosocial Support (PSS) interventions have a significant positive impact on students’ well-being and academic performance in areas of conflict and crisis. Results from a LASER PULSE-funded evaluation on Psychosocial Support in South Sudan show enhanced student reading scores and social well-being among students who received interventions. Common PSS interventions include activities focused on play, learning, and...
Colombia The Colombia RFA was announced February 7, 2020 in the sector areas of: YouthVenezuela migration responseIntegrated Rural Development The Colombia award process is continuing to refine selected proposals, review budget requests and obtain necessary documentation with regard to IRB, Assessment of Environmental Consequences and Mission concurrence. One of the awards have been fully executed, with an...
In January 2021, LASER PULSE will issue a Request for Applications (RFA) entitled “Grand Research Challenges for Development” (GRCD) to fund research awards for collaboration between USAID activity (project) implementers and Higher Education Institution researchers in USAID interest countries to work on bottleneck development challenges. Key components for this upcoming RFA are: Linkage to an...
LASER PULSE would like to make you aware of new online training modules available to network members. These trainings address critical issues in research translation and your participation in them could facilitate enhanced translation of research into practice in your work. You’ll find on LASERPULSE.org, available trainings on: A System Level View of Development Challenges This course aims...
Researchers and practitioners at Notre Dame, Purdue, and Catholic Relief Services are collaborating with USAID to implement the Agency’s private sector engagement (PSE) evidence and learning plan to enable USAID Missions and Bureaus to incorporate PSE good practices in the future. The principal outcome so far of the 4-year project is an Evidence Gap Map (EGM)...
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Uganda is partnering with USAID/LAB/Centre for Development Research (CDR) to leverage the expertise of Ugandan universities and researchers to undertake development research that will inform subsequent interventions by USAID/Uganda to strengthen the voices of Uganda’s indigenous peoples. By working with the local universities, the Mission seeks to...
The LASER PULSE consortium conducted key informant interviews with eight Ethiopian practitioners virtually in June and July 2020. Representatives from Catholic Relief Services and The University of Notre Dame were unable to visit Ethiopia due to the pandemic, and instead conducted the interviews via videoconference. The individuals interviewed represented four INGOs, two government institutions,...
Dear LASER Network Members, There are now more than 1,952 of you, from 54 countries. We thank you for joining our network. Our vision for this virtual space is to provide a community where you can meet up professionally and learn. A kind of mix between Research Gate and Match.com, where you can learn about...
Dear LASER PULSE Network Colleagues, We at LASER, like probably all of you, have been working remotely since mid-March. Perhaps for the first time in history, all around the world we have been responding to protect ourselves from a pandemic at the same time and in mostly the same ways. The interconnectedness of the political...
Earlier this year, the COVID-19 crisis caused the postponement of LASER R4D Workshops in Hanoi, Vietnam and in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Indiana University, the lead consortium partner for these events, has been working closely with the LASER team, regional partners, and USAID to re-envision and reschedule these important gatherings. Planning efforts will maintain a...
