Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC) Program Assessment

The program's three main goals are to promote Arab-Israeli regional cooperation, achieve development impact through scientific research, and build capacity. MERC addresses these goals through various measures, including promoting peaceful cooperation and cultural exchange between Arab and Israeli scientists, encouraging innovation, fostering student and young scientist training, and conducting targeted outreach to extend research results into the communities that will benefit the most. MERC currently supports many active Arab-Israeli projects across a wide range of topics. The program's activities are designed to promote collaboration between Arab and Israeli researchers, reduce reliance on American intermediary scientists, and provide needed laboratory equipment in Arab countries through project grants. MERC's research projects are peer-reviewed by U.S. scientists to ensure unbiased and thorough evaluation. The assessment team from Management Systems International (MSI) conducted a comprehensive assessment of MERC's current and past activities to help the MERC team identify and address operational and programmatic challenges and pinpoint opportunities for course corrections or programmatic growth. The assessment focused on two key questions: 1) Has MERC built results-oriented research capacity in partner Arab research institutions? and 2) What degree of cooperation has been achieved between Arab and Israeli researchers? The assessment team used a mixed-methods approach, combining desk review, literature review, web-based principal investigator survey, midpoint strategy meeting, key informant interviews, and findings workshop. The desk review analyzed grant progress/annual reports from 30 past and current MERC grants, while the literature review compared four similar research cooperation programs involving partners in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The online survey of 94 MERC principal investigators provided information on their experience with MERC, including the grant application process, capacity-building and cooperation-fostering activities, and research impact. The assessment team found that MERC supports high-quality research relevant to the region and provides critical financial support to researchers and their institutions through training, equipment purchases, and research team salaries. Stakeholders unanimously agreed that MERC's capacity-building efforts, including equipment purchases, training opportunities, and scholarships, have been impactful. However, both Arab and Israeli scientists indicated a need for more equipment funding and flexibility, particularly due to inflation and changes in exchange rates. In addition to equipment, MERC participants need funding for training and equipment maintenance to maximize value. Early career researchers described opportunities to work with high-level equipment as invaluable and significant for building their skills and confidence. Trainings have significant positive spillover effects in cooperation and knowledge sharing beyond direct skills development, and respondents also indicated that these trainings have spillover effects beyond the immediate participants, particularly at Arab institutions. The assessment team recommended that MERC consider providing more equipment funding and flexibility, as well as funding for training and equipment maintenance. They also suggested that MERC participants be provided with training in proposal writing and grant management, and that the program consider using virtual training due to COVID-19-related restrictions and political obstacles to travel.