Colorado State and University of Nairobi Awarded Africa-U.S. Higher Ed Initiative Grant

The African Ecosystems and Societies Program in the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory at Colorado State University has been awarded a $50,000 Africa-U.S. Higher Education Initiative planning grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development and Higher Education for Development in Washington, D.C.

CSU and the University of Nairobi, Kenya is one of 20 pairs selected for capacity-building partnerships between U.S. colleges and universities and higher education institutions in Sub-Saharan African nations.

"The African Ecosystems and Societies Program at CSU will use this grant as a stepping stone to increase our collaborative relationships with African university partners, and foster increased collaboration in dryland research, education and outreach among African universities," said Niall Hanan, senior researcher scientist from CSU’s Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory.

CSU’s grant submission was selected out of nearly 300 applications.

The U.S. Agency for International Development grants will fund the development of long-term proposals addressing regional and national economic development priorities for higher education in Africa, in areas including engineering, health, agriculture, environment and natural resources, science and technology, education and teacher training/preparation, and business management and economics.

Ideally, these plans will ultimately lead to implementation of tangible, measurable and sustainable impact in specific African countries.

CSU researchers will use the grant funding to expand collaborative education and research relationships with the University of Nairobi and more than 10 partner universities, governmental and non-governmental organizations in East and West Africa in areas relating to management and sustainability of Africa’s dryland regions.

Additionally, the grant will be used to develop plans for long-term educational and research networking among faculty, students and professionals from CSU and African partners. The African Ecosystems and Societies program at CSU will use this grant to continue its mission to improve understanding and conservation of biodiversity, ecosystem services and human well-being on the African continent.

Higher Education Development, funded by a cooperative agreement with U.S. Agency for International Development, was founded by the six major U.S. higher education associations to engage U.S. colleges and universities in international development. For more information about HED and to view details about the planning grants competition, visit www.HEDprogram.org.

The U.S. Agency for International Development has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for nearly 50 years. For more information, visit www.USAID.gov.

This project is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development and the Higher Education for Development office. The contents are the responsibility of Colorado State University and do not necessarily reflect the views of HED, USAID or the United States Government.

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