NEW YORK, October 24, 2024 —The Institute of International Education (IIE) today announced the launch of the Strategic Partnerships for Advancing Research and Knowledge (SPARK), a USAID-funded program under USAID’s Research Division in the Innovation, Technology, and Research Hub, to support and strengthen research-for-development in low- and middle-income countries. SPARK will fund high-quality, locally led research that promotes the understanding of development challenges and supports the generation and dissemination of solutions that advance progress toward development goals.
USAID’s Strategic Partnerships for Advancing Research and Knowledge is a five-year award that will support research discovery and uptake in identified priority development areas such as food security, education, energy, and climate change, among others. The program will administer grants, support capacity strengthening, and foster equitable, sustainable partnerships between researchers and higher education institutions in the U.S. and low- and middle-income countries.
“Research drives knowledge advancement and fuels innovation, which in turn leads to growth and development. By supporting high-quality, locally grounded research, SPARK will strengthen informed development practices that uplift lives and transform societies meaningfully and sustainably. SPARK is a strategic program that will promote and advance collaborative research between the U.S. and USAID partner countries on international development challenges and solutions,” said Jason Czyz, Co-President of IIE.
IIE is a trusted USAID implementing partner with a long history of managing institutional grants to higher education institutions and individual grants to academics and researchers. As we initiate SPARK, IIE will leverage its global networks of thousands of higher education institutions, academic, research and professional organizations and individuals. Over its lifespan, SPARK will foster and strengthen sustainable relationships between researchers in low- and middle-income countries and the U.S. so that they may contribute to actionable research in key areas to advance global development.
“The goals of SPARK align perfectly with IIE’s mission to advance scholarship, build economies, and promote access to opportunity. We are proud to be a partner of the program and excited to drive its successful implementation,” said Czyz.
Beyond the life of the program, SPARK will establish a model for future initiatives, driving sustainable research and higher education partnerships to advance priority development goals globally.
To learn more about SPARK, write to: SPARK@iie.org.
About the Institute of International Education
The Institute of International Education (IIE) is the leader in designing and implementing international education strategies and program services. We work with governments, policymakers, educators, and employers across the globe to prepare students and professionals for the global workforce and equip them to solve the increasingly complex challenges facing our interconnected world. With support from donors, we also create initiatives that assist students, scholars, and artists whose lives and work are threatened; expand teaching and learning across cultures; and provide opportunities to underserved populations. A not-for-profit organization founded in 1919, IIE has an extensive network of offices and affiliates worldwide and over 1,600 higher education partners. Visit iie.org to learn more.
About the Research Division
The Research Division in USAID’s Innovation, Technology, and Research Hub partners with higher education institutions in the United States and around the world to improve development impact through the generation and effective use of scientific research. We leverage our partnerships to promote evidence-based programming and policy making, strengthen human and institutional capacity within global research systems, and promote thought leadership across the broader research ecosystem. Visit usaid.gov/research to learn more.