SGP Grantees (2017)
The ACSS Small Grants Program (SGP) is a funding opportunity that aims to support individual Arab researchers and activists who reside in the Arab region, and whose work focuses on Arab societies.
Small grants averaging $4,000 fund five types of activities: conference presentations, internships, pilot studies, dissemination events, and workshops.
The 2017 Cycle of the program is funded by grants provided to the ACSS by the Ford Foundation, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
The Selection Committee for the 2017 Cycle of the Small Grants Program was made up of the following scholars:
Imen Yacoubi is a Tunisian researcher, translator, and associate professor of English Studies at the University of Jendouba, Tunisia. Yacoubi was a member in a number of projects across the Arab region, like The Trans-Maghreb Creative Writing Project, and the Young Arab Analysts Network International. She became a fellow at Syracuse University in 2011 and 2013. Since then, she has managed and participated in several projects with civil society related to women’s rights and civic education in Tunisia. Her research interests revolve around gender, arts, and culture.
Yasser Elsheshtawy is an independent writer, researcher, and curator. He was a Professor of Architecture at the United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, where, in addition to teaching, he ran the Urban Research Lab. He was appointed as curator for the UAE Pavilion at the 15th Venice Architecture Biennale in 2016. He authored a series of books and publications including “Dubai: Behind an urban spectacle” (ranked no. 1 on Amazon under the 'United Arab Emirates History' category in September '17). His blog dubaization has been hailed by The Guardian as one of the leading city blogs in the world. Elsheshtawy is currently working on a book about the Arab Gulf City titled: “Temporary Cities” and is currently serving as an Adjunct Professor of Architecture, Planning, and Conservation at Columbia University in the City of New York.
Small Grants Program Grantees (2017) | Round 1
Themes: Youth and Urban Spatial Inequalities
Saadeddine Igamane, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Morocco
Type of Grant: Pilot Study | Project Title: Youth and Vulnerable Work in Morocco: The Case of Contractual Employment
Zakaria Ibrahimi, El-Qadi Iyad University, Morocco
Type of Grant: Pilot Study | Project Title: Black Youth and Anti-Discrimination/Exclusion Mechanisms in Morocco
Abdelbaset Mohamed Abel Wase Qaid, Saba University, Yemen
Type of Grant: Pilot Study | Project Title: The Impact of Legislative Guarantees and Incentives on Young Entrepreneurs' Projects in the Republic of Yemen
Deena Khalil, Takween for Integrated Community Development, Egypt
Type of Grant: Workshop | Project Title: Towards Strengthening MENA Regional Coordination on Spatial Inequality and the SDGs/NUA
Nadine Beckdache, Public Works Studio, Lebanon
Type of Grant: Pilot Study | Project Title: Narrating Beirut through its Tenants' Stories
Khaled Saleh, Hassan I University – Settat, Morocco
Type of Grant: Pilot Study | Project Title: Spatial Inequalities and the Enjoyment of Social and Cultural Rights: The Situation of Youth in the City of Zakoora
Nashwa Khedr, Educate Me Foundation, Egypt
Type of Grant: Travel Grant | Project Title: The (Un)Making of Citizens: Challenges to a Transformative Citizenship Education in the aftermath of the January 25th Egyptian Revolution (Paper to be presented at the Comparative and International Education Society Conference, Atlanta)
Ahmed Direya, Action Aid Global Platform Palestine, Palestine
Type of Grant: Workshop | Project Title: Rasd Initiative for Palestinian Citizenship
Taher Al-Labadi, Syria
Type of Grant: Pilot Study | Project Title: Pouvoirs et normes de l’aide internationale : Les politiques consacrées à la jeunesse réfugiée au Liban d’un point de vue local
Small Grants Program Grantees (2017) | Round 2
Themes: Youth and Urban Spatial Inequalities
Malak Labib, American University in Cairo, Egypt
Type of Grant: Workshop | Project Title: Center-Periphery Relationship: Authority, Development, and Spatial Justice
Nadine Saidi, Cedar Rehab, Lebanon
Type of Grant: Pilot Study | Project Title: Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) Program
Hana Shaltout, Women and Memory Forum, Egypt
Type of Grant: Travel Grant | Project Title: Egyptian Feminist Performing Arts as Activism: An Analysis of Embodiment and Gender (Paper to be presented at the conference “Personalised Media and Participatory Culture” in London)
Khouloud Saber Barakat, Psychological Science Research Institute, University of Louvain (UCL), Egypt
Type of Grant: Travel Grant | Project Title: SOAS Summer School Course: Gender, Conflict & Middle East
Insaf Ben Othmane Hamrouni, Ecumen Studio for Integrated Urban Development and Sustainable Architecture, Tunisia
Type of Grant: Workshop | Project Title: Inclusive Urban Public Spaces Workshop
Sarah El-Masry, American University in Cairo, Egypt
Type of Grant: Travel Grant | Project Title: Gender, Repression, and Mobilization: Young Muslim Sisters and the Anti-Coup Movement (Paper to be presented at the 2017 American Political Science Association Conference titled "The Quest for Legitimacy: Actors, Audiences, and Aspirations" in San Francisco)
Karim-Yassin Goessinger, Cairo Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Egypt
Type of Grant: Dissemination Event | Project Title: Disseminating a bi-lingual, edited volume on the emergence of Pigeon Towers
Rabeh Morrar, An-Najah National University, Palestine
Type of Grant: Pilot Study | Project Title: Gender and Regional Inequalities in Life Satisfaction among Unemployed Youth: A Population-Based Questionnaire Study in Palestine
Mohammed Sultan, Takarub Scientific Organization, Egypt
Type of Grant: Pilot Study | Project Title: Social Media and Arab Youth Identity Formation in the Information Age: Exploring the Future of Identity - A Pilot Field Study
Ahmed Hussein, National Center for Forensic and Social Research, Egypt
Type of Grant: Pilot Study | Project Title: Ways of Life and Survival: Syrian Youth Refugees in Egypt and their Strategies for Social and Economic Adaptation
Small Grants Program Grantees (2017) | Round 3
Themes: Youth and Urban Spatial Inequalities
Ben Ahmed Hougua, Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Morocco
Type of Grant:Pilot Study | Project Title: La jeune paysannerie dans le moyen Atlas oriental au Maroc :
Précarité, sentiments d’injustice et résistance mélancolique
Jawida Mansour, Palestine
Type of Grant: Workshop | Project Title: Role of Community Youth in Protecting Cultural Heritage
Omaima Anwar, Cairo University, Egypt
Type of Grant: Pilot Study | Project Title: Atheism among Arab Youth: Intellectual Trend or Structural Phenomenon? – Egypt as a Case Study
Petra Samaha, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
Type of Grant: Travel Grant | Project Title: Decoding an Urban Myth: An Inquiry into the Socio-Economics of Van Number 4 in Beirut (Paper to be presented at the 2017 Royal Geographic Society Annual Conference, London, England)
Abdelghani Al-Hawri, Sanaa University, Yemen
Type of Grant: Travel Grant | Project Title: Inequality in the Distribution of Educational Services in Sanaa and its Effects on High School Students (Paper to be presented at the First International Conference on Educational and Social Sciences, November 3-5, 2017, Bandirma, Turkey
Zine El-Abiddine Fares, University of Djilali Liabès Sidi-Bel-Abbès, Algeria
Type of Grant: Travel Grant | Project Title: Facebook Depression: Field Study of a Sample of Algerian Youth (Paper to be presented at the 2nd Scientific Conference on Arab Societies and Social Networks in a Changing World, October 31, 2017-November 2, 2017, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman)
Mohamed Amer, Œcumene Studio, Egypt
Type of Grant: Workshop | Project Title: Urban Architectural Heritage and Social Interaction
Yaser Emad, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia
Type of Grant: Pilot Study | Project Title: Tourism as a University Major and its Role in Achieving Spatial Justice: A Pilot Study
Faisal Mahbob, Hiyad Foundation for Political Studies, Yemen
Type of Grant: Pilot Study | Project Title: Obstacles to Youth’s Political Empowerment in the Republic of Yemen: A Study of Legislations and Policies
Tarik Harroud, National Institute for Urban and Territorial Planning, Morocco
Type of Grant: Travel Grant | Project Title: From an Interventionist Approach to a Local Inclusionary Approach to Heritage Restoration (Paper to be presented at the Scientific Symposium of the 19th ICOMOS General Assembly, New Delhi, India)
Small Grants Program Grantees (2017) | Round 4
Themes: Youth and Urban Spatial Inequalities
Mohamed Oubenal, Institut Royal de la Culture Amazighe (IRCAM), Morocco
Type of Grant: Dissemination Event | Project Title: Young Artists' Amazigh Music in Hoceima and Agadir
Tamer Rashed, Cairo University, Egypt
Type of Grant: Organizing a Workshop | Project Title: Scientific and Academic Writing
Youssef Zegar, Lycée Sidi Ghyat, Morocco
Type of Grant: Organizing a Workshop | Project Title: How to Study the Political and Cultural Uses of Public Spaces among Youth in Urban Settings
Yasmin Bayoumi, School of Architecture, Egypt
Type of Grant: Organizing a Workshop | Project Title: Craft
Azzeddine El-Faraa, Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University, Morocco
Type of Grant: Pilot Study | Project Title: The Role of Urban Spatial Inequality in the Emergence of Protest Movements
Mohammed Issa, University of Khartoum, Sudan
Type of Grant: Pilot Study | Project Title: Perceived and Real Inequalities between Ethnic Groups and their Role in Intensifying the Conflict in Sudan: Field Study of Selected Sudanese Tribes
Fadila Hannouf, Lebanon
Type of Grant: Pilot Study | Project Title: The Historic Area in Beddawi: Urban Spatial Inequality’s Effect and the Means to Promote Youth’s Role
Mahmoud Mohamed, Ministry of Education, Egypt
Type of Grant: Pilot Study | Project Title: Developing Local Wealth and Fighting Spatial Exclusion: Pilot Study of a Town in Egypt’s Said
Kaouther Douzi, Faculté des sciences humaines et sociales de Tunis (FSHST), Tunisia
Type of Grant: Pilot Study | Project Title: Restrooms as an Introduction to Studying Marginalization in Public Spaces: A Socio-Anthropological Study of Tunis
Rania Nasr Eldin, Cairo University, Egypt
Type of Grant: Travel Grant | Project Title: Urban Livability Dimensions of the New Egyptian Cities
Manar Younis, Palestine
Type of Grant: Pilot Study | Project Title: What are the psycho-social motivations behind Palestinian women’s work in Israeli settlements? A pilot study in Aghwar
