U.S. - EGYPT SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOINT FUND ANNUAL REPORT

The program aims to promote scientific and technological cooperation between the two countries through research and development projects. The program is managed by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) under Cooperative Agreement AID-263-A-15-00002. The agreement was signed on November 2, 2020, and the reporting period for the annual report spans from November 2, 2020, to November 1, 2021. During the reporting period, NASEM responded to principal investigator (PI) inquiries regarding mandatory reporting requirements and other program issues. Nine U.S. sub-awards concluded during the year, with five from Cycle 17, three from Cycle 18, and one from Cycle 19. The funding results of the Cycle 20 request for proposals (RFP) were announced, and eleven of the 12 Cycle 20 sub-awards were fully-executed in the U.S. Implementation of the Cycle 20 sub-awards involved the collection of necessary information for the issuance of sub-awards, including revised budgets and administrative data. NASEM began sending sub-awards out for signature in July and disbursed Year 1 funds after each sub-award was fully-executed. Project kick-off calls were scheduled between sub-awardee PIs and administrators and NASEM staff. NASEM also organized calls with USAID, the Department of State, and the U.S. Embassy in Cairo to discuss program updates. Calls were also held with STDF to discuss the Cycle 20 funding announcement, program updates, and the status of individual projects. NASEM completed the second and third videos in a series of alumni vignettes, which highlight the experiences of Joint Fund alumni. The program's annual report was submitted to USAID, and quarterly reports on program progress and accrual reports were submitted to USAID. NASEM submitted the program's Year 8 workplan to USAID and the workplan was approved. The program's Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) plan was updated and submitted to USAID. For the next year, NASEM plans to collect quarterly, annual technical, and financial reports of all active U.S. sub-awards. NASEM will also modify sub-awards to add additional time and funds, after the approval of applicable reports. NASEM will approve sub-award no-cost extension (NCE) requests, assuming sufficient justification is provided. Depending on the Covid-19 situation, NASEM will conduct site visits to Cycles 19 and 20 project institutions in the U.S. NASEM will engage extensively with USAID, STDF, and the U.S. Department of State to plan future Joint Fund symposia.