The USAID-funded Center of Excellence for Energy aims to strengthen the capacity of universities in Egypt to deliver relevant, innovative, and commercialized research to meet the needs of the public and private sectors and position Egypt as a regional leader in energy innovation and development.

Research and Policy Committee

Through the center’s strong relationships with key private and public sector stakeholders, the center has formed the Research and Policy Committee to develop research strategy and ensure the center’s research is relevant to Egypt’s energy challenges and goals. Together with the Instructional Innovation and Curriculum Development Committee, the Research and Policy Committee, has identified needs for research space and equipment at partner universities.

Shared Research Laboratory Facilities

The center and its Egyptian partner universities have selected space for new shared research laboratory facilities for use by faculty and students in energy programs. Laboratories will be designed to best suit the needs of the Egyptian partner universities and align with the defined energy research goals of the center. A list of state-of-the-art equipment has been compiled with input from key stakeholders. These shared laboratories will enable students and faculty to learn, teach, and apply skills most relevant to the current energy research field.

Joint Binational Research Projects

In conjunction with the Research and Policy Committee and other stakeholders, the center launched a joint research grant program and will fund four million dollars in energy research. The program called for proposals for multi-disciplinary, transformative solutions to Egypt’s most pressing challenges in the energy sector. Throughout the past year, the center met with stakeholders to define critical research areas, plan details of the grant proposal and funding process, and develop clear and transparent bylaws to award funds.

After multiple meetings and listening sessions with industry and governmental leaders, university faculty and researchers and other stakeholders, the center has agreed to support three large, three medium, and three small binational research projects in the following areas:

• Solar energy
• Electric vehicles
• Hybrid energy systems
• Wind energy
• Energy policy
• Smart distribution networks
• Other topical areas of energy research

These binational research projects will involve research conducted by more than 50 faculty and over 75 students from Egyptian partner universities and Arizona State University. Grants will also support cutting edge laboratory equipment at partner universities as well as postgraduate and faculty exchanges and travel, and other research activities.

The call for proposals closed on February 10, 2023. Research awards will be made in April, 2023.