Three new RCN projects to CMI

CMI has been awarded funding for three new projects through the Research Council of Norway’s call for research on development in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

The purpose of the MENA call is to improve knowledge about the political, social and economic development in the region, and to provide funding for research that can lay the foundations for decision-making in Norwegian foreign and aid policy, and peace and reconciliation in the MENA region.

The three CMI projects that received funding clearly answer the call from the Research Council of Norway:

• Conditions for stability and sustainable returns in Syria (StaR), led by senior researchers Arne Strand and Jessica Schultz
• Refugee Return, Urban Recovery, and Climate Change in Syria and the Middle East (RETURNEC), led by research professor Are John Knudsen
• Environmentalized Peace: Community-Based Approaches to Water and Air Security in Jordan and Palestine, led by research professor Sarah A. Tobin

Only six projects got funding in this round of calls from the Research Council, and with three new projects, CMI secured 50 % of the awarded funds. CMI Director Espen Villanger is very impressed with his teams.

-This has been a fantastic year for CMI in terms of efforts in developing new proposals and winning! These results show that we are highly competitive and able to adapt to changing circumstances and funding landscapes. CMI plays a pivotal role in addressing global challenges, and in today’s world, our work is more critical than ever, he says.