AUIS and Miami University of Ohio are the recent recipients of a grant from the Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) Science program. The two universities announced the creation of a new partnership between their institutes to provide their students with exciting new curriculum options and exchange opportunities.
The grant is designed to support the creation of a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) pilot program in freshwater science and policy in the Tigris River basin.
Through this grant, AUIS students currently have access to a new curriculum that combines hands-on research and exchange opportunities that will train them in the first stages of becoming scientific and policy experts on Iraqi water issues. Students, completing courses such as Freshwater Science, Water Policy, and Water in Iraq: Past, Present and Future, have the opportunity to do original research in Iraq or alternatively to travel to Miami University of Ohio to develop projects focused on freshwater science and development in Iraq. Dr. CJ Geraci, formor Assistant Professor of Natural Science at AUIS and the project’s principal investigator, said “This grant supports our mission and our strength in using research as part of the learning experience."