Kuwait Program research funds now available

The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) recently announced the spring 2009 funding cycle for the Kuwait Program Research Fund. With the support of the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences, a Kennedy School faculty committee will consider applications for one-year grants (up to $30,000) and larger grants for more extensive proposals to support advanced research by Harvard faculty members on issues of critical importance to Kuwait and the Persian Gulf. Grants can be applied toward research assistance, travel, summer salary, and course buyout.

Priority will be given to the following subjects, although applications will be considered in other areas as well:

• technology transfer
• water resources and management
• oil and petrochemicals
• small country security
• governance and transparency issues
• government subsidies policy
• vocational training models
• human resources development
• applied research, education, and training related to the environment and pollution
• public health policy including disease treatment (especially diabetes) and prevention
• financial growth and foreign investment

In addition, HKS is seeking more extensive and ambitious proposals on small country security and climate change and its impact on the Gulf. The Kennedy School is prepared to provide greater funding over a longer period of time for research in these two areas.

Proposals will be evaluated based on the direct involvement of Harvard faculty, the relevance and transferability of the research to Kuwait and the region, and the quality of the work plan — which should include an outreach component. Collaborative research with Kuwaiti academics and educational institutions is strongly encouraged.

To apply, submit research proposals of no more than five pages, a budget, other sources of funding, and a curriculum vitae (for senior researchers) to: Director, Middle East Initiative, John F. Kennedy School of Government, 79 JFK St., Cambridge, MA 02138. For questions and inquiries, call (617) 495-5963. The deadline for grant applications is April 17, and decisions will be announced by May 18.