The MENA NWC is a network of research and educational institutions across the Middle East and North Africa working collaboratively to address longstanding water issues in the region. It identifies relevant policy interventions, technologies, and partnerships to improve water security. The Network supports applied research projects through various grant programs, focusing on areas like water efficiency, groundwater, non-conventional water sources, and the water-energy-food nexus. It aims to strengthen collaboration and build regional capacity to resolve critical water challenges.

1. MENA NWC
Middle East and North Africa Network of Water Centers of Excellence
Countries across the Middle East and North
Africa face growing challenges related to water
resource management and distribution. The
Middle East and North Africa Network of Water
Centers of Excellence (MENA NWC) is an
association of research and educational
institutions that are working collaboratively with
governments, businesses and civil society
organizations across the region to solve
longstanding water issues. The Network
identifies relevant policy interventions, new
management practices and technologies, and
innovative public-private partnerships that will
improve water and food security in the region.
The Network is incorporated as a non-profit
corporation in Washington, D.C., USA.
Membership and Organization. The Network
reflects U.S. President Obama’s vision of
supporting scientific research and technological
development in the Middle East. It began in 2011
with regional meetings in Qatar and Oman, where
participating Centers agreed on the Network’s
governance structure and launched the technical
program. MENA NWC includes national,
regional, and international research entities.
Technical Program. MENA NWC’s technical
programing focuses on five areas: water
efficiency and productivity, groundwater, non-
conventional water, the water/energy/food
nexus; and water and sanitation.
The Network manages an integrated set of
programs:
A collaborative research program
forges meaningful partnerships,
develops and disseminates policy
tools, and conducts technical and
management interventions
A regional capacity building
program strengthens technical,
financial, managerial, and leadership
skills
A knowledge sharing program
encourages long-distance collaboration
and exchanges regional know-how to
improve water resources planning and
management
MENA NWC is working to resolve longstanding water challenges in the Middle East and North
Africa through cutting-edge collaborative research, capacity building, and knowledge sharing.
For more information please contact:
John Wilson Richard Pollard
Bureau for the Middle East Chief of Party
USAID FABRI
+1 202 712 4633 +1 301 771 7563
jwilson@usaid.gov richard_pollard@dai.com
www.menanwc.org

2. Research Priorities
MENA NWC’s Technical Communities and
illustrative research topics include:
WATER EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY
 On-farm water-use efficiency and
productivity
 Crop improvement and
management
 System-wide water use
management
GROUNDWATER
 Artificial and natural groundwater
recharge/discharge
 Exploration and monitoring
technologies
 Groundwater degradation
 Socioconomics, including
governance, economics and policy
NON-CONVENTIONAL WATER
 Desalination
 Wastewater reuse and reclamation
 Environmental and health impacts
on non-conventional water
resources
WATER/ENERGY/FOOD NEXUS
 Optimization of the reuse of treated
wastewater for peri-urban
agriculture in dry areas
 Modeling water futures or modeling
the water/energy/food nexus
 Renewable energy for water
treatment
WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION
 Water quality standards,
management and enforcement
 Rural water and sanitation
challenges
 Improved service delivery
 Climate change
MENA NWC MEMBERS
 Ain Shams University (ASU)
 An Najah University (ANU), Water and
Environmental Studies Institute
 Arab Countries Water Utilities Association
(ACWUA)
 Arabian Gulf University (AGU)
 Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
(BGU)
 Cadi Ayyad University (UCA)
 Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary
Science Hassan II (IAV)
 International Center for Agricultural
Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA)
 International Center for Biosaline
Research (ICBA)
 International Institute for Water and
Sanitation, National Office of Electricity
and Potable Water (ONEE-IEA)
 International Water Management Institute
(IWMI)
 Jordan University of Science and
Technology (JUST)
 Masdar Institute of Science and
Technology (MIST)
 Middle East Desalination Research
Center (MEDRC)
 National Center for Agricultural Research
and Extension (NCARE)
 National Research Institute for Rural
Engineering, Water, and Forestry
(INRGREF)
 Pan African University Institute of Water
and Energy Sciences (PAUWES)
 Qatar Foundation Research &
Development (QF R&D)
 Royal Scientific Society (RSS)
 Sana’a University, Water and
Environment Center (WEC)
 Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), Water
Research Center
 Technion Israel Institute of Technology
(GWRI), Grand Water Research Institute
 University of Basrah (UOB), Marine
Science Center
 University of Jordan (UJ), Water, Energy
and Environment Center

3. MENA NWC
Middle East and North Africa Network of Water Centers of Excellence
At the core of MENA NWC’s technical program is
the Policy, Research, and Development (PR&D)
Grants Program. The strategic objective of the
program is to resolve longstanding regional water
challenges by:
 Fostering partnerships among research and
educational institutions, governments, the
private sector, and civil society organizations
 Supporting collaborative research, capacity
building, and knowledge sharing
The PR&D Grants Program challenges
researchers to work in new ways to develop
research outcomes with more immediate impact,
to engage stakeholders, and to form partnerships
with researchers in other institutions and
countries. The U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) is providing initial grant
funding of $3.2 million.
TECHNICAL SCOPE
PR&D grants fund applied research projects that
develop technologies, techniques, and best
practices. It also encourages researchers to
incorporate scientific evidence into policy and
management, to scale up technologies regionally,
and to overcome socioeconomic barriers to
adoption of technology and best practices.
Projects address one or more of MENA NWC’s
priority research areas: water efficiency and
productivity, groundwater, non-conventional
water, the water/energy/food nexus, and water
supply and sanitation.
RESEARCH TEAMS
To build partnerships between institutions
and countries, each PR&D Grant project is
implemented by a research team consisting
of at least two MENA NWC Centers from at
least two countries. To support capacity
building and technology transfer, the program
has included external collaborators from
universities and other relevant technical
entities outside the Middle East and North
Africa. They are hands-on participants in the
research and are actively involved in proposal
preparation and project implementation.
Data is downloaded from data loggers at a research
site in Oman.
Policy, Research, and Development (PR&D) Grants Program
PhotocourtesyofSQU
For more information, or to view
application materials:
www.menanwc.org

4. MENA NWC
Middle East and North Africa Network of Water Centers of Excellence
Policy, Research, and Development (PR&D) Grants
Research Project Title and Synopsis MENA NWC Research Team
Expanding Access to Sanitation for Unsewered Communities:
Test and demonstrate technical, management, financial, regulatory
and participatory aspects of building and operating decentralized
treatment systems in Morocco and Jordan.
 National Office of Electricity and Potable Water, Morocco
 Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Science, Morocco
 Royal Scientific Society, Jordan
 University of Jordan
 University Cadi Ayyad, Morocco
Upgrading Treatment Processes to Improve Effluent Quality
for Irrigation:
Develop technical and operational approaches with membrane
treatment systems to produce water suitable for irrigation.
 Technion Israel Institute of Technology
 National Center for Agricultural Research & Extension, Jordan
 Al Quds University, West Bank
Mitigating Environmental Risks of Wastewater Reuse for
Agriculture:
Identify tools to optimally use treated wastewater in conjunction
with other available water resources for irrigation, considering
agronomic, environmental, human health, and economic
components.
 Sultan Qaboos University, Oman
 The University of Jordan
 National Institute of Research for Rural Engineering, Water,
and Forestry, Tunisia
 University of Florida, USA
Developing and Applying Non-Revenue Water (NRW)
Reduction Decision Support Criteria and Tools:
Forge a unique partnership between two regional water
associations to reduce NRW.
 Arab Countries Water Utilities Association, International
 African Water Association
Participatory Planning for Improving Water Use Efficiency in
River Basins:
Apply the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) decision support
tool to analyze water system performance based on current
climate variability and water use patterns and identify strategies to
improve future system performance under conditions of change.
 National Institute of Research for Rural Engineering, Water,
and Forestry, Tunisia
 National Center for Agricultural Research & Extension, Jordan
 Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Science, Morocco
 Stockholm Environment Institute - US Center, USA
The Use of Green Nanoparticles as a Biofouling- Resistant
Agent in Reverse Osmosis Desalination:
Develop biofouling-resistant nanocomposite membranes
impregnated with silver ions, from synthesis to macro scale
production, and investigate and test membrane performance under
operational conditions.
 Jordan University of Science and Technology
 National Office of Electricity and Potable Water, Morocco
 University of Toledo, USA
 University of Rhode Island, USA
 Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
Application of Near-Real Time Monitoring Systems for
Irrigated Agriculture:
Test and demonstrate weather, soil, and plant sensor systems to
improve irrigation water use efficiency in a variety of environments,
production systems and scales, in cooperation with the private
sector and national research and outreach systems.
 International Center for Biosaline Research, International
 Sultan Qaboos University, Oman
 National Center for Agricultural Research & Extension, Jordan
 National Institute of Research for Rural Engineering, Water,
and Forestry, Tunisia
 Water and Environment Centre, Sana’a University, Yemen
Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) Using Treated Wastewater:
Evaluate MAR schemes and optimize recovery efficiency, safety,
and economic benefit.
 Sultan Qaboos University, Oman
 The University of Jordan
 University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA
Prospects of Utilizing Solar Energy for Water Pumping and
Brackish Water Desalination in Agriculture:
Assess the technical and economic feasibility of water pumping
and brackish water desalination using solar energy for agricultural
production.
 The University of Jordan
 An Najah University, West Bank
 Utah State University, USA
Drought Monitoring for the Middle East and North Africa:
Design, test and implementing an operational drought monitoring
and early warning system for the region.
 International Center for Biosaline Research, International
 National Center for Agricultural Research & Extension, Jordan
 University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA

5. MENA NWC
Middle East and North Africa Network of Water Centers of Excellence
OVERVIEW
MENA NWC has created the Water Innovation
Fellowships grants program to stimulate
partnerships between researchers and
practitioners and to reward innovative thinking
to solve water problems. Grants have a period
of performance ending no later than January
31, 2016.
TECHNICAL SCOPE
Water Innovation Fellowships are designed to
make a concrete impact in the water sector.
Research projects must address a policy,
operational, technical, or managerial issue
identified by stakeholders in government,
business, NGOs, or civil society. They must
also address one or more of MENA NWC’s
priority research areas: water efficiency and
productivity, groundwater, non-conventional
water, the water/energy/food nexus, and water
supply and sanitation.
ELIGIBILITY
To seek funding for research projects under this
program, applicants must be citizens and
residents of a Middle Eastern and North African
country, and full-time employees of an
institution or entity based in the Middle East
and North Africa. Fellowships seek to build a
strong partnership between one research
scientist or one water practitioner and one
Network Center. MENA NWC will pair
successful applicants with member Centers of
MENA NWC, based on best fit.
FUNDING
A funding pool of US $250,000 is available for
fellowships under this program. Research
projects may range in size from $5,000 to
$25,000, with most projects anticipated at the
lower range.
****ANNOUNCING ****
Water Innovation Fellowships Grants Program
A participant at the Network’s Water and Sanitation
technical meeting.
For more information, or to view
application materials:
www.menanwc.org

6. MENA NWC
Middle East and North Africa Network of Water Centers of Excellence
Water Innovation Fellowships
MENA NWC Fellow Research Project Title and Synopsis MENA NWC Grantee
Rana Munkith Al-Jaibaji
Madian for Smart Green
Buildings
Promoting Eco-Restaurants in Remote
Areas: Test and demonstrate a high-tech
grey water reuse system to reduce and reuse
high volume of water large hotels and
restaurants use for services and landscaping.
Royal Scientific Society,
Jordan
Boshra Bakr Salem
University of Alexandria
Decentralized Desalination Stills: Adapt the
design of a solar-powered desalination still to
promote large scale manufacturing and use of
the technology.
TBD
Dalila Loudyi
Hassan II Institute of Agronomy
and Veterinary Science
Urban Wastewater Systems and Climate
Change: Assess flood vulnerability and
identify appropriate adaptation and pre-flood
measures of sewerage infrastructure in two
Moroccan cities.
Hassan II Institute of
Agronomy and Veterinary
Science, Morocco
Abdel Fattah R. Hasan
An Najah University
Treatment of Secondary Effluents: Develop
and test a simple and affordable self-cleaning
advanced–treatment filter to treat secondary
effluents.
An Najah University,
West Bank
Hicham Hajji
Hassan II Institute of Agronomy
and Veterinary Science
BIG Data for Water Management: Develop
new methods for collecting large volumes of
structured and unstructured data and
prototyping a new methodology to analyze
and process data more efficiently.
Hassan II Institute of
Agronomy and Veterinary
Science, Morocco
Shehdeh Jodeh
An Najah University
Purification of Groundwater from Heavy
Toxic Metals: Implement and test a new
approach to remove toxic materials from
groundwater.
An Najah University,
West Bank
GroundwaterWater Efficiency
and Productivity
Non-Conventional
Water
Water Supply and
Sanitation
Water, Energy,
Food Nexus
MENA NWC’s Technical Communities

7. MENA NWC
Middle East and North Africa Network of Water Centers of Excellence
OVERVIEW
MENA NWC created the Young Water
Scientist Partnerships (YWSP) Small Grants
Program to stimulate partnerships among the
Centers’ young water research scientists and
reward innovative thinking to solve water
problems. Grants have a period of
performance ending no later than January 31,
2016.
TECHNICAL SCOPE
YWSP research projects are designed to have
a concrete impact in the water sector. They
must address a policy, operational, technical,
or managerial issue identified by stakeholders
in government, business, NGOs, or civil
society. Projects address one or more of
MENA NWC’s priority research areas: water
efficiency and productivity, groundwater, non-
conventional water, the water/energy/food
nexus, and water supply and sanitation.
ELIGIBILITY
The YWSP Small Grants Program is open to
full- or part-time employees of the MENA NWC
Centers who are between the ages of 21 and
40.
FUNDING
A funding pool of US $250,000 is available for
YWSP small grants.
Option 1: Scientists from two different Centers
can seek a maximum of $50,000 in funding to
collaborate on a joint research project.
Option 2: One research scientist can seek a
maximum of $25,000 to join an established
research team that is currently receiving
funding through the Network’s Policy,
Research, and Development (PR&D) Grants
Program.
****ANNOUNCING ****
Young Water Scientist Partnerships Small Grants Program
Researchers from Sultan Qaboos University (SQU)
collaborate on field research in Oman.
PhotocourtesyofSQU
For more information, or to view
application materials:
www.menanwc.org

8. MENA NWC
Middle East and North Africa Network of Water Centers of Excellence
Young Water Scientist Partnerships Small Grants
Young Water Scientists Research Project Title and Synopsis
Lina Abu-Ghunmi
University of Jordan
Faissal Aziz
International Institute for Water and Sanitation,
National Office of Electricity and Potable Water
(ONEE-IEA), Morocco
Minimizing Risk Hazard By Using
Nanotechnology for Water Disinfection:
Generate nano-composites from naturally occurring
materials, such as clay and zeolite, and test their
effectiveness in water disinfection. The larger
objective is to test and eventually commercialize an
affordable and simple technology that can be used by
rural households to expand their access to potable
water.
Dionyssia Lyra
International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA),
United Arab Emirates
Javier Mateo-Sagasta
International Water Management Institute (IWMI),
Sri Lanka
Improving Economics of Using Saline Water in
Arid and Semi-Arid Areas Through Integrated
Aqua-Agriculture Systems (IAAS):
Set-up and test a pilot-scale Integrated Aqua-
Agriculture System (IAAS). After treating brackish
groundwater using reverse osmosis (RO) unit the
resulting freshwater will be used to irrigate crops and
the brine water will be used to irrigate salt-tolerant
crops and for aquiculture. The performance, cost,
and potential revenue from the IAAS will be
evaluated for replication and scalability.
Alsharifa Hind Mohammad
University of Jordan
Rana Aarda
Royal Scientific Society, Jordan
Promoting Water Use Efficiency in Green
Schools: Through partnerships with two schools in
Amman, Jordan, implement water conservation
technologies and collaborate with school
administrators and students to increase awareness of
water reuse efficiency.
Henda Mahmoudi
International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA),
United Arab Emirates
Ali El Battay
Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain
Improving Agricultural Soil Properties Using Soil
Amendments to Enhance Water and Nutrient Use
Efficiency for Crop Production:
Use field experiments and remote sensing
techniques to assess the effectiveness of soil
amendments on soil quality and crop production in
the Gulf. Results will be used to publish soil
improvement guidelines.
GroundwaterWater Efficiency and
Productivity
Non-Conventional
Water
Water Supply and
Sanitation
Water, Energy, Food
Nexus
MENA NWC’s Technical Communities