Announcing the details of a new funding initiative in Washington, United States, USAID administrator Rajiv Shah said it was intended to pioneer "a new relationship between USAID and universities".
Two levels of award are being offered, under what is known as the Higher Education Solutions Network, which is open to applications until 22 March 2012.
Individual institutions can receive grants of up to US$2 million a year over five years. Academic consortia of between three and four academic centres — potentially including developing country partners — can apply for grants of US$5 million a year over the same period.
In both cases, the aim is to encourage what the agency describes as "multidisciplinary, evidence-based approaches to development" through innovative problem-solving.
The new initiative follows a decision by USAID, formalised in September 2010 by US president Barack Obama, to shift the agency's focus away from supporting food and medical relief efforts towards technological developments that could result in significant long-term change in developing countries
