Iru Inc

HIGHER EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP PHASE 2, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT

HIGHER EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS PROGRAM (HES)

THE UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM VII (USP VII)

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE (GDA) BETWEEN USAID AND VIRUNGA SARL TO PROVIDE RENEWABLE ENERGY TO AT LEAST 900 HOUSEHOLDS AND SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SMES) IN NYIRAGONGO TERRITORY, WHICH IS IN THE OUTSKIRTS GOMA.

TO STRENGTHEN CAPACITY THROUGH IMPROVED MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION OF LABORATORY, SURVEILLANCE, EPIDEMIOLOGY, VALIDATION AND TRAINING IN UGANDA UNDER PRESIDENT'S EMERGENCY PLAN FOR AIDS RELIEF (PEPFA

IDENTIFICATION, SURVEILLANCE, AND CONTROL OF VECTOR-BORNE AND ZOONOTIC INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN UGANDA

PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS TO LEBANESE STUDENTS

THE TLU PROGRAM PROVIDES SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS IN MENA COUNTRIES WITH SIGNIFICANT MUSLIM POPULATIONS TO ATTEND AMERICAN, HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS BASED IN THE REGION AND ACCREDITED BY A U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDU. SANCTIONED REGIONAL INSTITUTION.

STRENGTHENING CAPACITY THROUGH IMPROVED MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION OF LABORATORY

THE BUREAU OF NEAR EASTERN AFFAIRS' MIDDLE EAST PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE PROGRAM AWARDS THIS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT TO THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT

IDENTIFICATION, SURVEILLANCE AND CONTROL OF VECTOR-BORNE AND ZOONOTIC INFECTIIOUS

CRISIS MEDICAL RESPONSE FOR LEBANON (CMR LEBANON) ACTIVITY - AUB

SUSTAINABLE QUALITY-ASSURED DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORYSERVICES FOR HIV-RELATED TESTING, VALIDATION, DISEASESURVEILLANCE, AND EPIDEMIC CONTROL IN UGANDA UNDERTHE U.S PRESIDENT'S EMERGENCY PLAN FOR AIDS RELIEF(PEPFAR)

THIS PROJECT AIMS TO DEVISE, IMPLEMENT, AND MONITOR WAYS FORWARD TOWARD DEVELOPING LOCALLY RESPONSIBLE MODELS FOR WOMEN'S ECONOMIC INCLUSION IN MENA

IDENTIFICATION, SURVEILLANCE AND CONTROL OF VECTOR - BORNE AND ZOONOTIC INFECTIOU

TOMORROW'S LEADERS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. THIS PROJECT IS INTENDED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE FOLLOWING STRATEGIC GOALS:. EXPAND ACCESS TO BASIC AND POST SE

TO REDUCE THE ABILITY OF TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL NETWORKS AND ILLEGAL ARMED GROUPS TO PROFIT FROM WILDLIFE AND OTHER NATURAL RESOURCE CRIMES IN THE VIRUNGA NATIONAL PARK.

THE UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (USP) AIMS AT ENABLING MERITORIOUS AND FINANCIALLY NEEDY LEBANESE PUBLIC SCHOOL GRADUATES TO ACCESS QUALITY HIGHE

THE UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (USP) AIMS AT ENABLING MERITORIOUS AND FINANCIALLY NEEDY LEBANESE PUBLIC SCHOOL GRADUATES TO ACCESS QUALITY HIGHE

UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM - USP

USAP II AUB

PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNDERSERVED INDIVIDUALS IN THE MENA REGION.

TOMORROW'S LEADERS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM - AUB

THE PURPOSE OF THE AWARD THROUGH AUB IS TO SUPPORT PRIVATE HOSPITALS TO PREPARE FOR AND RESPOND TO THE COVID-19 CRISIS.

TOMORROW'S LEADERS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM III

THIS AWARD IS GOING TO AUB FOR TOMORROW'S LEADERS COLLEGE-TO-WORK (PIPELINE) PILOT.

TO PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS TO STUDENTS IN THE MENA REGION.

TOMORROW'S LEADERS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

ENHANCED HIV PREVENTION IN THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA UNDER THE PRESIDENT'S EMERGENCY

A U.S. ENERGY COMPANY AIMING TO BUILD PRIVATE ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION INFRASTRUCTURE TO EXTEND THE GRID AND ELECTRIFY UP TO 70% OF BURUNDI

PROVISION OF QUALITY ASSURANCE FOR HIV

TO PROVIDE UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING TO UNDERSERVED STUDENTS IN THE MENA REGION.

SCHOLARSHIP AND FINANCIAL AID, LEADEARSHIP TRAINING AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

TO PROVIDE MASTER'S DEGREE SCHOLARSHIPS AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING TO STUDENTS FROM MENA.

CAPACITY BUILDING IN CHRONIC NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AT THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY

AWARD TO UPGRADE VIRUNGA NATIONAL PARK SURVEILLANCE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT CAPABILITY TO COMBAT THE ILLEGAL TRAFFICKING OF WILDLIFE AND NATURAL RESOURCE

TO PROVIDE UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING TO UNDERSERVED STUDENTS FROM THE MENA REGION.

TOMORROW'S LEADERS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

FY 10 NEW GRANT - AUB

UGANDA SCHISTOSOMIASIS MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH CENTRE (U-SMRC) - SUMMARY SCHISTOSOMIASIS IS A MAJOR NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASE, ESTIMATED TO AFFECT 240 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE, LEADING TO LOSS OF A MINIMUM OF 1.9 MILLION DISABILITY-ADJUSTED LIFE YEARS (DALYS) ANNUALLY – 90% OF THIS BURDEN IN SUB- SAHARAN AFRICA. IN EAST AFRICA, UGANDA HAS A STRONG TRACK-RECORD OF SEMINAL STUDIES AND PARTNERSHIPS ON SCHISTOSOMIASIS RESEARCH. THE UGANDA SCHISTOSOMIASIS MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH CENTER (U-SMRC) WILL BUILD ON THIS SOLID FOUNDATION TO DEVELOP A VIBRANT, UGANDA-LED, UGANDA-BASED INTERNATIONAL SCHISTOSOMIASIS RESEARCH NETWORK THAT FOSTERS AFRICAN CAPACITY FOR TRANSFORMATIVE TROPICAL MEDICINE RESEARCH. UGANDA IS HIGHLY ENDEMIC FOR SCHISTOSOMA MANSONI (SM). INTESTINAL SCHISTOSOMIASIS IS UNIVERSAL IN MANY VILLAGES AROUND ITS GREAT LAKES AND THE RIVER NILE. THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH’S VECTOR CONTROL DIVISION (VCD), RESPONSIBLE FOR SCHISTOSOMIASIS CONTROL, HAS LONG BEEN CONCERNED BY THE HIGH RATES OF SEVERE SCHISTOSOMAL MORBIDITY IN THE NORTH-WESTERN LAKE ALBERT REGION (LA), COMPARED TO THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN LAKE VICTORIA REGION (LV), DESPITE COMPARABLE TRANSMISSION AND PROGRAMMES OF PRAZIQUANTEL MASS DRUG ADMINISTRATION. IN RESPONSE TO THIS CONCERN, THE U-SMRC’S CORE RESEARCH GOAL IS TO UNDERSTAND THE BIOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF SEVERE SM- ASSOCIATED MORBIDITY AND TO IDENTIFY BETTER STRATEGIES FOR ITS PREVENTION AND CONTROL. WE HYPOTHESISE THAT KEY BIOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF SEVERE SCHISTOSOMAL MORBIDITY OCCUR AT EACH STAGE OF THE PARASITE’S LIFE CYCLE: IN THE HUMAN HOST, IN THE PARASITE, AND IN THE SNAIL HOST AND ITS ENVIRONMENT. TO INVESTIGATE THIS HYPOTHESIS, WE WILL USE TWO STUDY DESIGNS: (I) COHORTS OF PRE-SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN (PSAC) IN LA AND LV, TO EXPLORE THE EARLY EVOLUTION OF IMMUNE RESPONSES THAT MAY LEAD TO SEVERE MORBIDITY AND (II) AN ADULT CASE CONTROL STUDY TO IDENTIFY CHRONIC EXPOSURES ASSOCIATED WITH SEVERE DISEASE. WE WILL ALSO COLLECT PARASITE AND SNAIL SAMPLES FROM BOTH SETTINGS, AND DEVELOP A SPECIMEN ARCHIVE FOR FUTURE STUDIES. OUR SPECIFIC AIMS WILL BE TO AIM 1. COMPARE EARLY-LIFE IMMUNE RESPONSES TO SM EXPOSURE AND INFECTION BETWEEN LA AND LV AND IDENTIFY CO-EXPOSURES THAT MODULATE SM-SPECIFIC IMMUNE RESPONSES AND MORBIDITY RISK AIM 2. ESTABLISH A PLATFORM FOR LOCAL GENETIC SURVEILLANCE OF SCHISTOSOME PARASITES IN UGANDA AND DETERMINE WHETHER THERE IS A PARASITE GENETIC BASIS TO DIFFERENCES IN CLINICAL OUTCOMES IN LA AND LV AIM 3. DETERMINE WHICH POPULATION BIOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF BIOMPHALARIA SPP. SNAILS ACT AS LOCAL EPIDEMIOLOGICAL DRIVERS OF SM, FILTERING ITS DIVERSITY WITHIN AND BETWEEN LA AND LV ECOSYSTEMS; AND WHETHER DETECTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL (E)DNA SIGNATURES FROM BIOMPHALARIA AND SM CAN BE USED TO BETTER PREDICT SNAIL/PARASITE DIVERSITY AT TRANSMISSION SITES AND (RE)INFECTION RISK WITHIN KEY DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS DATA FROM EACH AIM WILL BE USED TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE, INTEGRATED MODEL OF THE DRIVERS OF SEVERE SM- ASSOCIATED MORBIDITY. THIS MODEL WILL BE FURTHER UTILISED TO EVALUATE LIKELY BENEFITS OF SELECTED INTERVENTIONS, AND TO GUIDE FUTURE POLICY ON PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT.

BUILDING A SELF-SUSTAINING PARK FOR THE 21ST CENTURY THROUGH STRENGTHENED PARK RANGER FORCE.

STRENGTHENING CAPACITY THROUGH IMPROVED MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION OF LABORATORY

TO PROVIDE GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR MENA STUDENTS.

GRANTEE REQUESTED ASSISTANCE WITH EQUIPPING AND RENOVATING SEVERAL FACILTIES ON AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT'S (AUB)CAMPUS.

FY 2011 - NEW GRANT - AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT

THIS OPPORTUNITY WILL PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO FULLTIME TLU STUDENTS AT AUB TO INCREASE THEIR PARTICIPATION IN GENDER STUDIES.

TRUSTEES OF THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT - AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT

TO PROCURE STATE-OF-THE-ART EQUIPMENT AND RENOVATE SPECIFIED FACULTIES AT THE UNIVERSITY I.E. ARTS & SCIENCES AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD SCIENCES ENGI

TO PROCURE STATE-OF-THE-ART COMMODITIES TO UPDATE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT'S RESEARCH TEACHING AND ADMINISTRATIVE FACILITIES AND SYSTEMS.

CONSTRUCTING, UPGRADING AND MODERNIZING SEVERAL LABORATORY FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT AS WELL AS PURCHASE STATE-OF-THE-ART EQUIPMENT FOR SEVERAL FACULT

GRANTEE REQUESTED ASSISTANCE WITH THE RENOVATION OF SELECTED AREAS AND THE PURCHASING COMMODITIES TO UPGRADE THE MEDICAL CENTER FACILITIES MODERNIZE

AID-ASHA-G-13-00031 AUB COMMODITIES

FY 12 NEW GRANT TRUSTEES OF AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT

DEVELOPMENT OF HIV VACCINE CLINICAL TRIALS PHASE I-II-III IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

GRANT WAS AWARDED TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE WITH PURCHASING COMMODITIES AND RENOVATING SEVERAL FACILITIES ON AUB'S CAMPUS AND MEDICAL CENTER.

GRANT PROVIDED ASSISTANCE TO THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT (AUB) TO ESTABLISH A COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER AND TOUPDATE TECHNOLOGY FOR SEVERAL O

FY 2014 ASHA AWARD

INCREMENTAL FUNDING

AN AUTOMATED RNA 3D STRUCTURE DETERMINATION SYSTEM

$1,300,000 THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT AIMS TO ESTABLISH, RENOVATE AND ACQUIRE COMMODITIES FOR AN INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT FOR SEMI-ARID CONDITION.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS GRANT IS TO PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS TO UNIVERSITY STUDENTS OF FINANCIAL NEED.

INCREASE WOMEN'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE ECONOMY IN THE MENA REGION THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE INDEX OF THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN THE MENA ECONOMIES.

SUSTAINING NATIONAL INFLUENZA SURVEILLANCE AND RESPONSE TO SEASONAL

1/2 - THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH RESEARCH AND TRAINING HUB FOR THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA REGION (GEOHEALTH-MENA) - LEBANON - 7. PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA (MENA) REGION, ESPECIALLY ITS LMIC COUNTRIES, FACES A MYRIAD OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH (EOH) CHALLENGES IN A CONTEXT OF DYNAMIC POLITICAL CHANGES, MULTIPLE CONCURRENT HUMANITARIAN CRISES, WEAK REGULATIONS, AND LIMITED INVESTMENT IN EOH RESEARCH AND RESEARCH CAPACITY BUILDING. THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT (AUB) IN LEBANON (U01 APPLICATION) IS PARTNERING WITH YALE UNIVERSITY (U2R APPLICATION) IN COLLABORATION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA IN THE US TO ESTABLISH A GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH RESEARCH AND TRAINING HUB FOR THE MENA REGION (GEOHEALTH MENA), WHERE AUB SERVES AS THE HUB INSTITUTION AND ONE UNIVERSITY IN EACH OF EGYPT AND SUDAN WILL SERVE AS SPOKE INSTITUTIONS. THE AIM OF GEOHEALTH MENA IS TO BUILD AND STRENGTHEN EOH RESEARCH CAPACITY IN THE CONTEXT OF DISADVANTAGED POPULATIONS, AT AUB, SISTER INSTITUTIONS, AND RELEVANT NGOS IN LEBANON AND THE MENA REGION. THE FOCUS OF THE CURRENT PROJECT WILL BE AGRICULTURAL HEALTH AND SAFETY WITH AN EMPHASIS ON EXPOSURE TO PESTICIDE AMONG REFUGEE POPULATIONS. THE MENA REGION HOSTS MORE THAN 50% OF THE WORLD’S TOTAL POPULATION OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS AND REFUGEES. THE U01 APPLICATION PROPOSES TO EVALUATE THE PATHWAYS OF PESTICIDE EXPOSURE AMONG SYRIAN REFUGEE AGRICULTURAL WORKERS, INVESTIGATE THE ASSOCIATION OF SUCH EXPOSURE WITH NEUROBEHAVIORAL OUTCOMES, AND EXPLORE THE ROLE OF SOCIAL FACTORS IN THIS ASSOCIATION. FINDINGS WILL INFORM POLICY AND PRACTICE GUIDELINES THAT CAN IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF ALL AGRICULTURAL WORKERS. THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH TEAM AT AUB WILL BUILD ON A STRONG TRACK RECORD OF STUDYING REFUGEE AND MIGRANT POPULATIONS AND TRANSLATING EVIDENCE INTO POLICY. YALE AND THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA WILL PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE AUB TEAM IN EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT AND THE ASSESSMENT OF NEUROBEHAVIORAL PERFORMANCE. THE U2R WILL PROVIDE FULL SCHOLARSHIPS TO 3 HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND COMMITTED APPLICANTS (ONE FROM EACH OF EGYPT, LEBANON, AND SUDAN) TO PURSUE A PHD IN EPIDEMIOLOGY AT AUB’S FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES (FHS) FOCUSING ON EOH ISSUES. THE U2R WILL ALSO PROVIDE FULL SCHOLARSHIPS TO 4 HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND COMMITTED MDS (TWO FROM LEBANON AND ONE FROM EACH OF EGYPT AND SUDAN) TO PURSUE AN MPH AT AUB’S FHS AND A FELLOWSHIP IN OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE AT AUB’S FACULTY OF MEDICINE. THE 7 TRAINEES WILL SPEND 3 MONTHS (MD/MPH) OR 6 MONTHS (PHD) DURING THEIR STUDY PERIOD AT YALE AND IOWA FOR ADVANCED AND RELEVANT RESEARCH TRAINING AND TRAINING ON AGRICULTURAL SAFETY AND HEALTH (AGS&H). ADDITIONALLY, THE U01/U2R APPLICATIONS WILL OFFER SHORT-TERM RESEARCH AND AGS&H TRAINING TO THE COMMUNITY.

SURVEILLANCE AND RESPONSE TO AVIAN AND PANDEMIC INFLUENZA IN UGANDA - PROJECT SUMMARYTHE IMPACT OF INFLUENZA INFECTION IN AFRICA IS NOT VERY WELL DOCUMENTED. HOWEVER, THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE SHOWS THAT INFLUENZA HAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY. IN THE REGION, INFLUENZA VIRUSES ARE IMPORTANT RESPIRATORY PATHOGENS, AND ACUTE RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS, SUCH AS PNEUMONIA, ARE A MAJOR CAUSE OF DEATH, PARTICULARLY AMONG CHILDREN. IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, MOST OUTBREAKS OF INFLUENZA GO UNREPORTED AND INFORMATION ABOUT CIRCULATING STRAINS IS RELATIVELY LIMITED. ALTHOUGH INFLUENZA HAS BEEN WIDELY STUDIED IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT ITS EPIDEMIOLOGY, SEASONALITY, AND BURDEN IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. IN 2006 FUNDING WAS OBTAINED FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES INFLUENZA BRANCH IN ATLANTA, TO ESTABLISH AN INFLUENZA SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM AND DIAGNOSTIC CENTER IN UGANDA. INFLUENZA SURVEILLANCE ACTIVITIES WERE STARTED, AND THE UGANDA NATIONAL INFLUENZA CENTER (NIC) WAS REINSTATED AT UGANDA VIRUS RESEARCH INSTITUTE. OVER THE PERIOD OF FIFTEEN YEARS, INFLUENZA SURVEILLANCE IN UGANDA HAS BEEN WELL ESTABLISHED. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, SURVEILLANCE CAPACITIES, AND LABORATORY VIROLOGICAL AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL CAPACITIES HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED, NOT ONLY FOR INFLUENZA BUT FOR OTHER DISEASES TOO. IT IS CRITICAL THAT THESE CAPACITIES CONTINUE TO BE SUSTAINED AND STRENGTHENED TO ENSURE AN EFFECTIVE NATIONAL SURVEILLANCE BUT ALSO TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GLOBAL DETECTION AND RESPONSE TO PANDEMIC INFLUENZA. THIS PROGRAM IS BENEFICIAL AS IT GENERATES INFORMATION FOR USE IN REDUCING THE MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY ASSOCIATED WITH INFLUENZA AND OTHER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS. THE PROGRAM WILL COMMUNICATE DATA ON A WEEKLY BASIS TO THE WHO GLOBAL INFLUENZA SURVEILLANCE AND RESPONSE SYSTEM (GISRS), FLUNET AND FLUID, AND ALSO PROVIDE ISOLATES OF INFLUENZA VIRUS TO THE ATLANTA WHO CC FOR FURTHER DIAGNOSIS AND USE IN VACCINE PRODUCTION.THE PURPOSE OF THIS REQUEST FOR FUNDING IS TO ENABLE UGANDA, THROUGH THE UVRI NATIONAL INFLUENZA CENTER, TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF INFLUENZA EPIDEMICS AND PANDEMICS BY MAINTAINING AND IMPROVING THE EXISTING ROUTINE INFLUENZA SENTINEL SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM AND DEVELOP CAPACITY TO MONITOR AND QUICKLY RESPOND TO HIGHLY PATHOGENIC VIRUSES AND BACTERIA TRANSMISSIBLE AMONG HUMANS (FROM ANIMALS), AS WELL AS IDENTIFY OUTBREAKS OF SEVERE RESPIRATORY ILLNESS SYNDROMES. ASSESSMENTS AND EVALUATIONS WILL BE CONDUCTED TO GET INFORMATION ON GAPS AND WHERE THERE IS NEED FOR IMPROVEMENTS. THE IDENTIFIED OUTBREAKS WILL BE RESPONDED TO USING A ONE HEALTH MODEL. COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE MINISTRIES OF HEALTH, MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, ANIMAL INDUSTRIES, AND FORESTRY, MINISTRY OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENT AND THE UGANDA WILDLIFE AUTHORITY WILL BE IMPROVED AND PLANS, AND MOUS WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR WORKING TOGETHER ON SURVEILLANCE DISEASE INVESTIGATIONS. THE NATIONAL ONE HEALTH PLATFORM WILL PROVIDE A CHANNEL FOR COMMUNICATION. A TOTAL AMOUNT OF US $ 249,955.00 REQUESTED TO FACILITATE THE ACTIVITIES OF THE THREE COMPONENTS (US $ 140.000 FOR COMPONENT 1; US $ 59,955 FOR COMPONENT 2; AND US $ 50,000 FOR COMPONENT 3.

NICOTINE FLUX, A POTENTIALLY POWERFUL TOOL FOR REGULATING NICOTINE DELIVERY FROM ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES: SIGNIFICANCE OF NICOTINE FLUX TO THE RATE OF NICOTINE DELIVERY AND SUBJECTIVE EFFECTS - PROJECT SUMMARY. ELECTRONIC NICOTINE DELIVERY SYSTEMS (ENDS) HEAT AND VAPORIZE A NICOTINE-CONTAINING LIQUID TO PRODUCE AN AEROSOL THAT CAN DELIVER NICOTINE TO THE BLOOD AND THE BRAIN. ENDS ARE CONSIDERED TOBACCO PRODUCTS IN THE US AND ARE UNDER THE REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. ENDS USE HAS INCREASED RAPIDLY IN THE LAST DECADE, ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUTH: OVER 20% OF US HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE CURRENT ENDS USERS, AND THERE IS EVIDENCE OF NICOTINE DEPENDENCE IN THIS POPULATION. FEDERAL LEGISLATION HAS BEEN PROPOSED THAT WOULD RESTRICT ENDS LIQUID NICOTINE CONCENTRATION TO MAKE ENDS “SIGNIFICANTLY LESS ADDICTIVE AND APPEALING TO YOUTH.” HOWEVER, THESE AND OTHER EFFORTS TO CURB ADDICTION BY LIMITING NICOTINE LIQUID CONCENTRATION ARE UNLIKELY TO SUCCEED BECAUSE NICOTINE EMISSIONS FROM ENDS DEPEND ON MULTIPLE VARIABLES. FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE NICOTINE CONCENTRATION IS LIMITED, USERS CAN TURN TO A HIGHER POWER ENDS DEVICE TO ATTAIN MORE NICOTINE. TO ACHIEVE THE INTENDED PUBLIC HEALTH AIMS, REGULATIONS TARGETING ADDICTION MUST FOCUS ON NICOTINE DELIVERY, NOT NICOTINE CONCENTRATION. WHILE NICOTINE DELIVERY CANNOT BE REGULATED DIRECTLY, THE RATE AT WHICH AN ENDS EMITS NICOTINE, THE “NICOTINE FLUX” CAN BE REGULATED AND, IMPORTANTLY, PREDICTED FROM FIRST-PRINCIPLES BASED ON KNOWLEDGE OF A FEW DEVICE DESIGN AND OPERATING VARIABLES. HOWEVER, TO DATE THERE IS NO EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE DEMONSTRATING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FLUX AND DELIVERY, NOR BETWEEN FLUX AND THE PHYSIOLOGICAL AND SUBJECTIVE EFFECTS THAT SUPPORT NICOTINE DEPENDENCE. CLOSING THIS GAP IS ESSENTIAL FOR PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE, FIRST-PRINCIPLES FRAMEWORK FOR REGULATING ENDS. IN AIM1, WE WILL EXAMINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NICOTINE FLUX, NICOTINE FORM, AND THE RATE AND DOSE OF NICOTINE DELIVERY. IN THE CLINICAL LAB AT YALE UNIVERSITY, PARTICIPANTS WILL PUFF ON ENDS DEVICES UNDER CONDITIONS THAT DIFFER BY FLUX AND FORM, WHILE ARTERIAL BLOOD IS SAMPLED IN HIGH TIME RESOLUTION. THE OUTCOME WILL INDICATE THE DEGREE TO WHICH NICOTINE FLUX AND FORM DETERMINE THE SPEED AND DOSE OF ENDS NICOTINE DELIVERY, AND THUS, ABUSE LIABILITY. IN AIM2, WE WILL ASSESS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NICOTINE FLUX, FORM, AND SUBJECTIVE EFFECTS. AT THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT, PARTICIPANTS WILL USE ENDS DEVICES WITH VARYING NICOTINE FLUXES AND FORMS. DEPENDENCY MEASURES, SUCH AS URGE TO SMOKE, CRAVING, AND ABSTINENCE, WILL BE ASSESSED. THE OUTCOME WILL INDICATE THE DEGREE TO WHICH NICOTINE FLUX/FORM INFLUENCE SUBJECTIVE EFFECTS RELATED TO DEPENDENCY, PUFFING INTENSITY, AND EXPOSURE TO TOXICANTS. IN SUMMARY, THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE THE EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE NEEDED FOR PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCIES TO USE NICOTINE FLUX AS AN ENCOMPASSING AND CONVENIENT CONSTRUCT TO REGULATE NICOTINE DELIVERY FROM ENDS.

EQUIP GRADUATE STUDENTS WITH THE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE NEEDED TO ADVANCE KNOWLEDGE AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE ACHIEVEMENT OF SOCIALLY RELEVANT OUTCOMES.

TESTING AND COUNSELING FOR HIV: A MULTI-SITE STUDY

DCHA/ASHA

AUB FOLLOW-ON AWARD

CONSTRUCTION AND COMMODITIES AWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,200,000

STRENGTHENING NATIONAL CAPACITY FOR SURVEILLANCE AND CONTAINMENT OF AVIAN AND PAN

ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE RESEARCH CORE FACILITY AT THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT FACULTY OF MEDICINE

A RANDOMIZED TRAIL OF HOME OR FACILITY-BASED AIDS CARE

BCX-AFRICA: UTILIZING DATA SCIENCE TO EVALUATE THE APPLICABILITY OF BLOOD CELL TRAITS POLYGENIC RISK SCORES FOR DISEASE PREDICTION IN AFRICA - PROJECT SUMMARY THE GOAL OF THE PROPOSED WORK IS TO LEVERAGE EXISTING GENOMIC DATA OF BLOOD CELL TRAITS FROM THE H3AFRICA AND OTHER INITIATIVE ACROSS AFRICA FOR NOVEL GENE DISCOVERY AND GENETIC RISK PREDICTION IN AFRICA ANCESTRY INDIVIDUALS USING DSI-AFRICA FUNDED OPEN DATA SCIENCE PLATFORM (ODSP) WHICH ALLOWS FOR EFFECTIVE COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH IN A RESOURCE LIMITED SETTING. CIRCULATING BLOOD CELL TRAITS ARE CRITICAL INTERMEDIATE CLINICAL PHENOTYPES FOR A RANGE OF DISEASE OUTCOMES INCLUDING CARDIOVASCULAR, HEMATOLOGIC AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE. GENETIC FACTORS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN DETERMINING THESE TRAITS. HOWEVER, HUNDREDS OF GENETIC LOCI HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED USING CONVENTIONAL GENOME-WIDE ASSOCIATION STUDY (GWAS) APPROACH IN EUROPEAN AND EAST ASIAN-ANCESTRY POPULATIONS. IN VIEW OF THE GENETIC DIVERSITY OF AFRICANS FROM OTHER ANCESTRIES, AND THEIR LOW REPRESENTATION OF 1.1% IN GLOBAL GWAS, MORE STUDIES ARE REQUIRED TO UNRAVEL POPULATION SPECIFIC VARIANTS THAT HAVE BEEN NOTED TO EXIST IN BLOOD CELL TRAITS. GIVEN THE CENTRAL IMPORTANCE OF AFRICA TO HUMAN ORIGINS AND DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY, THERE IS A CLEAR SCIENTIFIC AND PUBLIC HEALTH NEED TO DEVELOP LARGE-SCALE EFFORTS EXAMINING BLOOD CELL TRAITS SUSCEPTIBILITY IN POPULATIONS OF AFRICAN DESCENT, WHICH MIGHT YIELD INSIGHTS THAT WILL BENEFIT OTHER ETHNICITIES REGARDING DISEASE ETIOLOGY AND POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES. SPECIFICALLY, WE WILL AGGREGATE BLOOD CELL TRAITS GWAS DATA ACROSS CONTINENTAL AFRICA AND AFRICAN AMERICANS LEVERAGING EXISTING PARTNERSHIP IN AFRICA INCLUDING H3AFRICA FROM ~35K INDIVIDUALS. WE WILL TEST FOR ASSOCIATION BETWEEN GENETIC VARIANTS AND 15 BLOOD CELL TRAITS IN A META-ANALYSIS GWAS AND REFINE GENETIC ASSOCIATION SIGNALS AT NEW AND EXISTING BLOOD CELL TRAITS ASSOCIATION LOCI. WE WILL DEVELOP AND ASSESS TRANSFERABILITY OF POLYGENIC RISK SCORE (PRS) FOR BLOOD CELL TRAITS RISK IN AFRICA INCLUDING EVALUATING THE PREDICTIVITY OF THE BLOOD CELL TRAITS PRS FOR A RANGE OF NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES INCLUDING LEUKAEMIA (N=5,926), HYPERTENSION (N = 39,784), STROKE (N=5,540), DIABETES MELLITUS (N=20,506) AND SICKLE CELL DISEASE (N= 5,704) IN COLLABORATION WITH PARTICIPATING NON-ACADEMIC PARTNER ON THE PROJECT (54GENE LAGOS NIGERIA). OUR PROPOSAL IS DIRECTLY AIMED AT A KEY MISSION OF RFA-RM-22-023, TO SUPPORT HARNESSING DATA SCIENCE FOR HEALTH DISCOVERY, THAT WILL NOT ONLY GENERATE IMPORTANT FINDINGS RELEVANT TO HUMAN HEALTH, BUT ALSO SERVE AS A VEHICLE TO IMPROVE THE GENOMIC DATA SCIENCE RESEARCH CAPACITY IN AFRICA. OUR PROPOSAL ALSO DIRECTLY ADDRESSES THE NIH STRATEGIC PLAN FOR DATA SCIENCE. THE UNIQUE COLLABORATION WITHIN THE HUMAN HEREDITY AND HEALTH IN AFRICA (H3AFRICA) FOR A CROSS-GROUP ANALYSE IN AFRICA STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITY OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH THROUGH SCIENTIFIC TRAINING IN ALL PARTICIPATING INSTITUTION, WHICH FACILITATE OPPORTUNITY FOR SHARED EXPERTISE AND RESOURCES.

NATIONAL SURVEILLANCE FOR BIRTH DEFECTS IN LEBANON

INTRODUCING THE USE OF SEASONAL INFLUENZA VACCINE IN PUBLIC HEALTH

IMMUNOLOGICAL AND VIRAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH HIV-1 SUPERINFECTION

GRANTEE WILL PROCURE STATE-OF-THE-ART COMPUTER EQUIPMENT THAT WILL BE USED TO UPGRADE CLASSROOMS LEARNING PROGRAMS AND OFFICES FOR ITS HIGH SCHOOL

FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE SURVEILLANCE, DIAGNOSTICS AND ANTIGENIC MATCHING RESEARCH IN UGANDA

NICOP - MICROGLIAL ACTIVATION AND NEURAL STEM CELLS CROSS TALK POST TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (TBI)

DEVELOPMENT OF DIAGNOSTIC TESTS FOR FMDV SUB-SAHARAN STRAINS

CENTRAL AFRICA IS A GLOBALLY IMPORTANT REGION FOR FOREST AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION. THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (USFWS) WORKS CLOSELY WITH NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS, U.S. AGENCIES, AND A RANGE OF OTHER PARTNERS TO ENSURE A STRATEGIC, RESULTS-BASED APPROACH TO WILDLIFE STEWARDSHIP IN THE REGION. IN COLLABORATION WITH THE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT⿿S (USAID) CENTRAL AFRICA REGIONAL PROGRAM FOR THE ENVIRONMENT (CARPE), USFWS IS PROVIDING THIS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY TO REDUCE PRESSURES ON KEY WILDLIFE POPULATIONS, AND TO PROVIDE TRAINING TO DEVELOP THE REQUISITE INDIVIDUAL AND INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY FOR DURABLE, LONG-TERM CONSERVATION SUCCESS. PLEASE SEE A RESULTS-BASED VISION FOR CONSERVATION IN CENTRAL AFRICA FOR GREATER DETAIL ON USFWS⿿ APPROACH TO WILDLIFE CONSERVATION IN CENTRAL AFRICA THAT SEEKS TO SECURE WILDLIFE AND STRENGTHEN CAPACITY FOR BETTER WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT. FUNDING WILL ONLY BE CONSIDERED FOR PROJECTS THAT IMPACT WILDLIFE POPULATIONS IN THE 10 COMMISSION OF CENTRAL AFRICAN FORESTS (COMIFAC) COUNTRIES: BURUNDI, CAMEROON, CHAD, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO, EQUATORIAL GUINEA, GABON, REPUBLIC OF CONGO, RWANDA, AND SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE.

FY 2014 ASHA AWARD

FY 12 NEW GRANT - AMERICAN COMMUNITY SCHOOL AT BEIRUT

2020 ASHA COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

CHARACTERIZATION OF CELLULAR PROTEINS INVOLVED IN HIV INFECTION

FY 11 - NEW GRANT - TRUSTEES OF THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SCHOOL AT BEIRUR

TELEMEDICINE GRANT

BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE TO ADDRESS SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND BIOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF DIABETES IN LEBANON

DEVELOPMENT OF DIAGNOSTIC TESTS FOR FMDV SUB-SAHARAN STRAINS

DEVELOPMENT OF DIAGNOSTIC TESTS FOR FMDV SUB-SAHARAN STRAINS

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER (KIP) PROJECT AIMS TO BRIDGE ACADEMIC RESEARCH WITH CIVIL SOCIETY NEEDS & ACTIVISM BY FUNDING 15 STUDIES ABOUT GENDER & SEXUALITY

FY 10 NEW GRANT - AMERICAN COMMUNITY SCHOOL

DEVELOPING DRUG-LIKE SMALL MOLECULES THAT TARGET TOXIC REPEAT RNAS TO ALLEVIATE MYOTONIC DYSTROPHY TYPE 1-DERIVED MIS-SPLICING

TARGETING EXONUCLEASE RESISTANT RNA TO DEVELOP ZIKA VIRUS THERAPEUTICS

A SMALL MOLECULE DRUG DISCOVERY PLATFORM TO TARGET CANCER-CAUSING MICRORNAS.

ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM OF THE COLORADO ALPHAHERPESVIRUS LATENCY SOCIETY

THE PALESTINIAN ORAL HISTORY ARCHIVE AT THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT LIBRARIES

TARGETED SMALL MOLECULE MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY FOR MYOTONIC DYSTROPHY-1 DRUG DEVELOP

PREVALENCE OF DEMENTIA IN LEBANON: A NATIONWIDE COMMUNITY-BASED COHORT STUDY

SBIR PHASE I: ANTIVIRAL ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSES (COVID-19)

RURAL HEALTH CLINIC VACCINE CONFIDENCE PROGRAM

MAINTENANCE OF INFLUENZA SENTINEL SURVEILLANCE IN UGANDA

GRANT AWARDED TO ASSIST WITH UPGRADING THE MULTIMEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES FOR THE SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND CLASSROOMS.

PROVIDING DIURNAL HEMISPHERICAL CLOUD FRACTION DATA AT ARM SITES

RURAL HEALTH CLINIC VACCINE CONFIDENCE PROGRAM

ACCELERATION OF AQUIFER STORAGE & RECOVERY

NEUROTOXIC EFFECTS OF SOLVENTS ON WORKING CHILDREN

QUANTUM GRAVITY IN NONCOMMUTATIVE GEOMETRY

PROTEIN-FREE REGULATION OF ERYTHROPOIETIN EXPRESSION BY A DRUG-SENSING RIBOSWITCH

SMALL HEALTH CARE PROVIDER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

QUANTA OF GEOMETRY

SPACE-TIME FROM THE SPECTRAL POINT OF VIEW: TOWARDS QUANTUM GRAVITY

RURAL HEALTH CLINIC VACCINE CONFIDENCE PROGRAM

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: ENHANCING THE RELIABILITY OF BIOINFORMATICS SOFTWARE BY CORRELATING USER FEEDBACK AND EXECUTION DATA

PESTICIDE RUNOFF CONTAMINATES WATERWAYS AND REDUCES THE PRODUCTIVITY OF SMALL-SCALE FARMS IN PARAGUAY. WHEN FARMERS CANNOT GROW ENOUGH CROPS TO MAKE A LIVING, THEY MAY FEEL PRESSURED TO MIGRATE, RENT, OR SELL THEIR LAND. THE IAF SUPPORTS COMMUNITY-LED APPROACHES TO SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND INCOME GENERATION. OUR GRANTEE, OÑOIR? IS SUPPORTING FARMERS TO INCREASE PRODUCTION OF ORGANIC YERBA MATE, A TRADITIONAL BEVERAGE IN PARAGUAY AND NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES, AND EXPAND SALES BOTH NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY. OÑOIR? IS ALSO DIVERSIFYING INTO A NEW PRODUCT LINE OF ORGANIC MEDICINAL PLANTS, SUCH AS STEVIA AND LEMON VERBENA, GROWN AND SOLD BY WOMEN SMALLHOLDER PRODUCERS. THIS GRANT IS PART OF THE IAF’S WOMEN INVESTING IN GROWTH AND SECURITY (WINGS) INITIATIVE TO EMPOWER WOMEN AS BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS.

THIS AWARD IS TO INSTRUCT AND DEVELOP MUSIC SKILLS WITH AROUND 100 KID FROM DIFFERENT MARGINALIZED AND IMPOVERISHED COMMUNITIES IN LEBANON INCLUDING REFUGEES LEADING TO A MUSIC FESTIVAL WITH A CHOIR AND ORCHESTRA IN 2023.

RURAL HEALTH CLINIC VACCINE CONFIDENCE PROGRAM

TAKING 100 EL-SISTEMA KIDS TO 26 REMOTE VILLAGES AND REFUGEE CAMPS, TO INTERACT WITH MUNICIPALITIES AND COMMUNITIES THROUGH A JOINT MUSIC CONCERT AND EDUCATE YOUTH AND PARENTS ON PEACE, HUMAN RIGHTS, INCLUSIVITY, GENDER EQUALITY...ETC

BEMAS CREATIVE PATHWAYS WILL ENGAGE WITH 16 LEBANESE PUBLIC SCHOOLS,5 COMMUNITY CENTERS OUTSIDE BEIRUT WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF 9 ARTISTS AND ARTIST COLLECTIVES FOR 2YEARS BUILDING THE ARTISTIC TALENTS OF 1000 STUDENTS, 30TEACHERS AND 3 FRESH GRADUATES

BUILDING RESEARCH CAPACITY AT KAIRUKI UNIVERSITY TO STUDY OROPHARYNGEAL COMPLICATIONS AMONG HIV-INFECTED PATIENTS IN TANZANIA WITH THE GOAL OF IMPROVING QUALITY OF SERVICES AND QUANTITY OF LIFE - PROJECT ABSTRACT THIS D71 PLANNING APPLICATION FOR RESEARCH TRAINING WILL ADDRESS GAPS IN KNOWLEDGE OF THE PATHOGENESIS OF HIV INFECTION, HPV INFECTION AND ASSOCIATED CLINICAL CONDITIONS IN THE OROPHARYNX AND DENTAL HEALTH AMONG PERSONS WITH HIV (PWH) IN DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA. TO DATE, RESEARCH IN LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES (LMIC) ON THESE TOPICS IS IN ITS RELATIVE NASCENCY, DESPITE THE COMMON OCCURRENCE OF OROPHARYNGEAL AND DENTAL COMPLICATIONS. IN THE PREPARATION OF THIS D71 APPLICATION, WE PERFORMED A SCOPING LITERATURE REVIEW AND FOUND NO PUBLICATIONS ON THE INTERSECTION OF ORAL HEALTH, HPV AND HIV IN TANZANIA. AMONG THE PARTNERING INSTITUTIONS, KAIRUKI UNIVERSITY (KU) WILL LEAD AND SUPPORT CONSULTANTS FROM THE MUHIMBILI UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH AND ALLIED SCIENCES (MUHAS), THE KILIMANJARO CHRISTIAN MEDICAL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE (KCMU CO) AND DUKE UNIVERSITY (DUKE), THE PLANNING PROCESS WILL ADDRESS CURRENT GAPS AND EXPECTED SCIENTIFIC OPPORTUNITIES, PRIORITIZING THESE OPPORTUNITIES ACCORDING TO IN-COUNTRY NEEDS, IDENTIFYING APPROPRIATE TRAININGS TO PROVIDE THE NEEDED RESEARCH SKILLS, AND LEAD TO THE DESIGN OF A D43 RESEARCH TRAINING PROGRAM WHICH WILL PROVIDE TRAINEES WITH THE RESEARCH KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS TO FILL THE GAPS. WE WILL ENGAGE AND LEVERAGE THE HIV CLINICAL SCIENCE EXPERTISE OF KU, ACCESS TO A LARGE POPULATION OF PWH AND OROPHARYNGEAL AND DENTAL EXPERTISE OF THE MUHAS SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY, AND THE SCIENTIFIC, CLINICAL AND TRAINING EXPERTISE OF DUKE, MUHAS, AND KCMUCO TO CREATE A PORTFOLIO OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, RESULTING IN A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE D43 APPLICATION IN 2025/2026. THE D43 APPLICATION WILL ULTIMATELY ENABLE KU TO ASSEMBLE AN INTERDISCIPLINARY EXPERT RESEARCH TEAM TO PERFORM STATE-OF-THE-ART STUDIES ON HIV AND ITS OROPHARYNGEAL AND DENTAL MANIFESTATIONS.

TELEMEDICINE GRANT

RURAL HEALTH CLINIC VACCINE CONFIDENCE PROGRAM

SUPERSTRING THEORY AND BLACK HOLE PHYSICS

TO TRAIN AND EMPOWER YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS TO INCREASE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE REGIONS OF KYRGYZSTAN.

SPACE-TIME QUANTIZATION AND DARK MATTER -THIS AWARD FUNDS THE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES OF PROFESSOR ALI CHAMSEDDINE AT THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT. THEORETICAL ELEMENTARY-PARTICLE PHYSICS RESEARCH AIMS TO DEVELOP A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF NATURE AND THEIR FUNDAMENTAL INTERACTIONS. THIS IS DONE BY SEARCHING FOR AND BUILDING THEORETICAL MODELS WHICH GO BEYOND WHAT IS PRESENTLY KNOWN AND WHICH COULD BE TESTED BY EXPERIMENTS OR WHICH SATISFY STRINGENT MATHEMATICAL REQUIREMENTS. THIS FORCES RESEARCHERS IN THIS FIELD TO EXPLORE THE FRONTIERS OF KNOWLEDGE AND INVENT NEW METHODS FOR THEIR ANALYSIS OF SUCH THEORIES. THUS, RESEARCH IN THIS AREA ADVANCES THE NATIONAL INTEREST BY PROMOTING THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE IN ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING DIRECTIONS REQUIRING HUMAN INGENUITY: FINDING THE PHYSICAL LAWS THAT GOVERN THE UNIVERSE AND ITS MATTER CONSTITUENTS RANGING FROM COSMIC TO SUBATOMIC SCALES. AS PART OF THIS PROJECT, PROFESSOR CHAMSEDDINE WILL INVENT NEW MATHEMATICS TO REACH THIS SCIENTIFIC GOAL. IN PARTICULAR, THE RESEARCH OF PROFESSOR CHAMSEDDINE WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP NEW GEOMETRY THAT DESCRIBES THE HIDDEN STRUCTURE OF SPACETIME AND HELPS TO EXPLAIN WHY NATURE BEHAVES IN THE WAY IN WHICH IT IS OBSERVED. PROFESSOR CHAMSEDDINE WILL ALSO STUDY A MODIFIED MODEL OF EINSTEIN'S GENERAL RELATIVITY WHICH EXPLAINS THE ORIGIN OF DARK MATTER AND HELPS TO SOLVE SOME LONG-STANDING PROBLEMS SUCH AS REMOVING SINGULARITIES IN COSMOLOGICAL MODELS AT THE BIRTH OF THE UNIVERSE AND FOR BLACK HOLES. THIS WORK WILL ALSO HAVE AN IMPORTANT BROADER IMPACT. THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT PLAYS A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN PROMOTING THE AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THIS GRANT WILL THEREFORE HELP TO SUSTAIN A WORLD-CLASS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PROGRAM WITHIN THAT PART OF THE WORLD. AT THE TECHNICAL LEVEL, THE RESEARCH OF PROFESSOR CHAMSEDDINE IS AIMED AT DEVELOPING CONSISTENT NONCOMMUTATIVE GEOMETRIC MODELS AT THE QUANTUM LEVEL. ONE IMPORTANT STEP IS TO IDENTIFY QUANTA OF GEOMETRY THAT COULD BE USED AS BUILDING BLOCKS OF MATTER TO CONSTRUCT FOUR-DIMENSIONAL MANIFOLDS AND THEIR NONCOMMUTATIVE EXTENSION. IN ADDITION, THE WORK OF PROFESSOR CHAMSEDDINE ON THE NEWLY DEVELOPED MIMETIC GRAVITY WILL BE APPLIED TO SOLVE SOME OUTSTANDING PROBLEMS IN COSMOLOGY. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

QUANTIZED GEOMETRY, COSMOLOGY AND DARK MATTER

SUPERSTRING THEORY, GRAVITATIONAL INSTANTONS AND BLACK HOLE PHYSICS

THIS GRANT SUPPORTS THE COSTS INCURRED TO IMPLEMENT MEASURES TO RESPOND TO THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS 2019 (COVID-19), WHICH MAY INCLUDE WORKPLACE SAFETY, MARKET PIVOTS, RETROFITTING FACILITIES, TRANSPORTATION, WORKER HOUSING, AND MEDICAL EXPENSES. IT PROVIDES NEEDED RELIEF TO THE FOOD PROCESSORS, DISTRIBUTORS, FARMERS MARKETS, AND PRODUCERS FOR THEIR COSTS INCURRED BETWEEN JANUARY 27, 2020, THE DATE UPON WHICH THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE (HHS) UNDER SECTION 319 OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT, AND DECEMBER 31, 2021. BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE THE EMPLOYEES OF THE FOOD PROCESSORS, DISTRIBUTORS, FARMERS MARKETS, AND PRODUCERS.

TO SUPPORT THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM COMBATTING MISBELIEFS AND DISINFORMATION NARRATIVES PRIMARILY IN ESTONIA'S NORTHEASTER RUSSIAN SPEAKING REGION, TARGETING YOUTH, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND EDUCATORS.

FUNDING THREE CONCERTS AND WORKSHOPS FOR BLACK ALLEY VISITING LEBANON FROM 23 TO 29 MAY 2023. THE THREE CONCERTS, ONE IN SAIDA, AND 2 IN BEIRUT, ARE PART OF ECA'S AMERICAN MUSIC ABROAD PROGRAMMING FOR 2023

PURCHASE OF LICENSES FOR FILMS AND SALARIES FOR SCREENINGS AT UNIVERSITIES AND CULTURAL CENTERS

TO SHOWCASE AMERICAN FILMMAKERS AND DOCUMENTARY FILMS IN A NATIONWIDE FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS.

PROVIDE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN FILMMAKERS TO SHOWCASE THEIR WORK IN LEBANON DURING A 5 DAYS FESTIVAL WITH MORE THAN 80 FILMS.

THIS AWARD WILL COVER THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH FEATURING THE US TENOR JACK SWANSON IN THE OPERA GALA CONCERT ON DECEMBER 4, 2021

SUPERSTRING THEORY, GRAVITATIONAL INSTANTONS AND BLACK HOLE PHYSICS

THE FESTIVAL WILL SCREEN 6 MOVIES FROM USA OR ABOUT AMERICAN CULTURE

THIS AWARD WILL COVER COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ANNUAL WOMEN'S FILM FESTIVAL, SPECIFICALLY THE INCLUSION OF AMERICAN DIRECTORS AND FILMMAKERS WORKS TO BE SCREENED FOR LEBANESE AUDIENCES.

TO SPONSOR THE RABIES IN THE AMERICAS (RITA) CONFERENCE

VSP - VISIT TO LONDON, UK, ONR GLOBAL OFFICES.

TO DOCUMENT THE HISTORIC FACILITIES IN BEIRUT, WHICH WERE DAMAGED IN THE AUGUST 4TH EXPLOSION,

THE PROGRAM WILL BE AN INITIATIVE THAT OFFERS FACULTY AT AMHERST COLLEGE AND THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT IN MEANINGFUL WAYS THAT CAN LEAD TO FUTURE COLLABORATIONS

TO PAY THE PROGRAM SUPPORT COSTS TO DR. NEELAN TIRUCHELVAM TRUST TO PAY THE SUB GRANTEE SRI LANKA UNITES TO CONDUCT THE "PARTNERSHIP FOR 'ROAD TO REC

THIS AWARD IS FOR MEMBERS FROM THE LEBANESE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA TO JOIN JOSIAH WOODSON'S LARGE CONCERT IN USJ LEBANON

TO PAY THE SUPPORT COSTS TO THE NEELAN TIRUCHELVAM TRUST (NTT) FOR THE DR. NEELAN TIRUCHELVAM COMMEMORATIVE FESTIVAL SCHEDULED FROM JANUARY 30TH TO F

THE PROGRAM WILL BE AN INITIATIVE THAT OFFERS FACULTY AT AMHERST COLLEGE AND THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT IN MEANINGFUL WAYS THAT CAN LEAD TO FUTURE COLLABORATIONS

TIME EXTENSION OF EXISTING GRANT

DD11-1104: NATIONAL SURVEILLANCE FOR BIRTH DEFECTS IN LEBANON

INTRODUCING THE USE OF SEASONAL INFLUENZA VACCINE IN PUBLIC HEALTH