American University of Beirut

Incubator grants provide 3 years of support ($30-$50k/yr) for multi-investigator research teams pursuing issue-driven research. It is envisioned that these grants will enable teams to strengthen their track records and research visibility, and will make teams more competitive for a Semaan Research Center grant (see figure below). Research incubated centers are aimed for teams that are up and coming. Incubator grants may be renewed once.​

The ultimate objective is to enhance the research profile of MSFEA in areas that are aligned with its vision of a viable, livable, and equitable world, and for which conducting this research in Lebanon provides a competitive advantage. That is, being in Lebanon provides the team with an advantage over another team that would be doing the same work in California, Singapore, or Switzerland. The funding for these programs is provided by the Maroun Semaan endowment.  

Scope

1.1. What is meant by issue-driven research?

It means motivation stems from addressing a contemporary problem in a manner that leads to preferred societal outcomes. The research is not driven by a desire to document and measure problems, but rather towards identifying strategies that can work in the here-and-now to ameliorate them. It is also not driven by concern for developing disciplinary methods, but may do so as a side-effect. That is, developing novel methods in machine learning, finite element analysis, laser diagnostics, or non-linear dynamics cannot be the primary driver of the research, but may be integral to solving a larger problem such as: food, housing, and energy security given projected regional climate change; sustainably developing the resources of the Mediterranean Sea and its Lebanese coastline; controlling infectious diseases in poorly governed countries; or enhancing the performance of informal public transportation systems in cities of the Global South.
The research must be problem-centered, with the disciplinary expertise drawn upon as needed. It cannot be discipline-centered with problems serving as “applications” to demonstrate or test methods. The Research Center program seeks to support team research that tackles problems holistically and realistically. 

1.2. What is meant by research that succeeds because and not despite being conducted in Lebanon?

A lot (and maybe most) of the research problems that we tackle have relevance to Lebanon and the region. What resident of Beirut would not benefit from a smart phone that can go weeks without recharging? That is not the kind of problem we are referring to. What we want to emphasize here instead is work that leverages our local or regional context as a competitive advantage (in terms of problems, data, or materials specific to the region, for example). Research that naturally takes root in our context rather than finding itself constantly struggling against the context. Examples include: refugee housing and health in a context of clientelism, effects of cyber systems and the attention economy on political change in Lebanon, rapidly deployable post-disaster recovery logistics built on informal networks, locally sourced materials (e.g. for cancer treatment, for construction, for de-contamination of water), sensitivity of Mediterranean Sea ecosystems to uncontrolled waste disposal, informality of service provision in the Global South, and a host of other issues that are endemic to Lebanon and beyond. These are problems that researchers based in Lebanon finds theirselfs at a competitive advantage relative to one based in the Global North.

Eligibility

We invite applications from teams of at least two full-time professorial rank faculty members, from at least two different disciplines. A team may include faculty members from outside MSFEA; however, he team leader must be an MSFEA faculty member. A faculty member can apply as a member of one team only. The proposed projects should be distinct from prior or ongoing projects of the team members.

Application Process & Reporting

The application process consists of two stages: (1) a concept note and (2) a full proposal. Teams whose concept notes are shortlisted will be invited to submit a full proposal. A maximum of three incubated centers will be awarded funding.  

3.1. Concept notes:

Teams are invited to submit a concept note (maximum of 2 single-spaced pages) consisting of the following:

1. Proposed name of the incubated center

2. What issue(s) will your research be tackling/solving?

3. General approach for conducting research.

4. What is the expected impact of the research and how will that impact be assessed?

5. How do you see the research output as paving the way for a bigger grant opportunity or research center? List for example specific funding opportunities if possible, specific projects that could extend the work of the current proposed project, etc.

6. Role of each faculty member in the project

In addition, each member should provide a 2-page CV, highlighting any related expertise or research projects, as well as listing extramural grant proposal applications (funded or unfunded) between 2020- 2023 as PI.

3.2. Full Proposals:

Teams whose concept notes are shortlisted will be invited to submit full proposals that elaborate on the items included in the concept note, in addition to other elements. The full proposal should include the following sections and may not exceed 12 single-spaced pages.

1. Proposed center incubator name and faculty investigators.

2. Abstract

3. Why is being located in Lebanon a competitive advantage for conducting this research?

4. Background and relevant prior work (up to 3 pages).

5. Specific aims of the research (1 page).

6. Approach for conducting the research (up to 5 pages).

7. What is the expected impact of the research and how will that impact be assessed?

8. How will an award pave the way for a bigger grant opportunity or research center (list for example potential specific funding opportunities, specific projects that can extend the work of the current proposed project, etc.)?

9. The team: how does the composition of the team add up to more than the sum of its parts? How are the members complementary?

10. Timeline and requested budget with justification. Three-year projects (in the budget range of $30,000-$50,000 per year) may be funded. Budget items can include any research-related expenditures. Faculty effort (in fresh USD in lieu of salary) cannot exceed 20% of the budget, with a maximum of $10,000 per investigator per year. Equipment cost cannot exceed 20% of the budget.

11. Requested budget: Provide an itemized annual budget with justification, for a period of up to three years. Specify what you are requesting from the Maroun Semaan Endowment versus what the incubated center investigators can cover from their own research grants. An incubated center will have access to an annual budget of up to $50,000 from the Maroun Semaan Endowment, for a period of three years (renewable to six at the end of Year 3), that can be used towards covering expenses in the following categories:

    • Post-docs and graduate students

    • Grant writers

    • Visiting scholars

    • Research and administrative staff

    • Protected faculty time (buyout) or faculty effort (in fresh USD in lieu of salary): cannot exceed 15% of the budget, with a maximum of $10,000 per faculty investigator per year.

    • Equipment and materials: equipment cost cannot exceed 20% of the budget. If new equipment is requested, justify why it is needed and confirm that it does not exist at AUB/MSFEA.

    • Other miscellaneous items such as workshops organized, etc.
      
      

4. Review Process

The concept notes and proposals will be reviewed by a sub-committee of the MSFEA international advisory board (consisting primarily of the academic members of the board) and the Dean Team.
Incubated centers will be funded for a period of three years, and could be renewed for another three years, following an evaluation of the center activities in the first three years.
The following evaluation criteria will be used:

•  A convincing argument is made for why the center incubator’s research would thrive given the context of Lebanon/the region and not despite where we are.

• Technical merit of the research and its likely real-world impact (addressing a particular problem in a manner that leads to preferred societal outcomes). Applications should demonstrate deep knowledge of the problem and the context in which it is being considered.

• The potential of the project to develop into a larger funding opportunity or a Semaan Research Center, or an endowed center.

• Qualifications of the research team to conduct the proposed research.Feasibility of conducting the proposed research within the
  

• Feasibility of conducting the proposed research within the project timeline and requested budget.

1. The incubated center activities during the current academic year (including progress in achieving the deliverables of every project; grant proposals submitted or awarded; events organized; graduate students, post-docs, and visiting scholars of the center; etc.)

2. The expenditures during the current academic year

3.  Any changes in activities for the coming year relative to what was initially proposed in the incubated center application

4. Projected expenditures for the coming academic year

5. Any changes in the membership of the incubated center​​