The 2nd Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Kimeza

Voices of the Indigenous Peoples in Uganda at the USAID Mission On January 30th, 2022, representatives of the Ik and Tepeth communities, together with a team from Makerere University – ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) and Gulu University Constituent College (GUCC), engaged with 23 United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Uganda Mission staff. This engagement took place...

Data-Driven Decision Support for Improved Water Security in East Africa

Margaret W. Gitau, Victoria M. Garibay, Nicholas S. Kiggundu, James S. Kisekka, Victor Kongo, Bancy M. Mati, Daniel N. Moriasi, and Subira E. Munishi Photo: Nairobi River Pollution Credit: khyk54, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Wait! Yes, you. Stop for one moment and work with us on this one. Imagine a world without fresh water....

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...

“We want to engage the private sector in development, but don’t know how”: Evidence-based Toolkit for Operationalizing Private Sector Engagement (PSE) at USAID

This post originally appeared in MarketLinks on February 27, 2023. Even though USAID MBIOs have identified the value of engaging the private sector in the development sector (even consulted USAID’s PSE policy and the PSE Opportunities Tool), the problem of ‘where to begin’ and ‘how to operationalize private sector engagement’...

A group of Indigenous people in Uganda working on community development with a USAID-supported researcher. / Makerere University-ResilientAfrica Network

The Power of Inclusion in Uganda

Around the world, USAID incorporates practices and policies into our programs to ensure that Indigenous peoples’ rights are upheld and their voices heard. Uganda is home to a rich diversity of Indigenous peoples — including the Benet, the Tepeth, the Batwa, the Ik, and the Basongora — and it is critically important to...

USAID’s Exclusive Access to LASER PULSE Study on Research Translation for International Development

Have you struggled with collaborations with academic researchers? Could you benefit from a framework, guidance, and recommendations on translating research? The LASER PULSE program is pleased to share exclusive access to USAID to a study titled Research Translation for International Development: A literature review, framework, and guide to developing a research translation strategy. The...

Adapting Research During COVID-19

When a pandemic disrupts your research, how do you respond?  In 2020, COVID-19 threatened to upend one of LASER’s research projects and forced the research team to craft new ways forward. LASER had to evaluate risks alongside the research team and work to mitigate them. Research Project Managers at LASER deal with these unique contingencies on...

Market Analysis for Olive Farmers in the Nineveh Plain of Northern Iraq

By Carlos Rosales, Visiting Scholar, Purdue University; Ariana Torres, Associate Professor, Purdue University; Asaad Karam, University of Duhok; and Rezgar Mohammed, University of Duhok Supporting partners: University of Duhok, Purdue University, LASER PULSE

About the Project

This LASER PULSE-funded project's overarching goal is to comprehend the connections between agricultural landscapes and cultural significance, in order to...

USAID PSE

Enduring Results 4.0 Study Learning Events

The private sector is playing an unprecedented role in creating and shaping opportunities that improve the lives of the people and communities USAID supports. To continue to foster effective engagement between USAID and the private sector, the Agency launched a series of Enduring Results Studies (ERS) in 2016 to examine what drives enduring results in...

Workshop participants gathering for a photo in Addis Ababa

LASER PULSE Conducts Research for Development Workshop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

LASER PULSE convened its third Research for Development Workshop on Sept. 20-21 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with a call to action to continue efforts toward researcher-practitioner collaboration in development research. Using its four existing projects in the region as a basis for effectiveness in research for development, LASER PULSE urged attendees to utilize its collaborative...