West African Research Association

West African Research Association (WARA) is a non-profit corporate entity based in Boston, Massachusetts, registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) since 2007. The organization appears to focus on research, coordination, and administrative services related to international academic and cultural exchange, particularly in West Africa. WARA has demonstrated capabilities in managing complex international research and cultural projects, with a specific emphasis on supporting academic and institutional collaborations between the United States and West African countries.

Through federal contract awards, WARA has provided specialized administrative and coordination services primarily for the Smithsonian Institution. These services have included workshop administrative and fiscal agent services, paymaster services for stipend administration and distribution for fellows in Dakar, Senegal, and coordination services for a multimedia exhibition at UCAD (Université Cheikh Anta Diop). The contract awards, ranging from $25,597 to $49,507, were all executed as purchase orders without any specific set-aside designations. Each contract focused on precise, time-limited project management tasks that supported academic and cultural exchange initiatives in West Africa, demonstrating WARA's expertise in managing complex international research and cultural programs.

WARA has received federal grant awards from the Office of Postsecondary Education, specifically for the American Overseas Research Center Project under CFDA-84.274A. These grants, totaling two awards with the most recent spanning from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025, and a previous grant from October 1, 2020, to September 30, 2024, support international research and educational exchange programs. The grants appear to be project-based assistance aimed at promoting academic collaboration and research opportunities between U.S. institutions and international research centers, with a particular focus on supporting overseas research initiatives and academic exchanges in the West African region.