Opportunity Information: Apply for NEAAC24MERC1001
The Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC) program is a U.S. government-funded grant opportunity designed to strengthen practical, working scientific and technological collaboration between researchers and institutions in Israel and partners in eligible countries and territories across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The program is framed as an assistance mechanism that supports joint research and development, technology-led development, and capacity building, with a clear preference for topics that address regional needs and produce tangible benefits for communities in the MENA, especially in developing settings, places where USAID has a presence, and resource-limited populations. A central idea behind the program is that shared scientific and technical work can build durable professional ties and contribute to broader regional stability and peace.
Eligibility on the MENA side is defined by a list of countries and territories that may be adjusted depending on U.S. federal law and any country-specific funding restrictions. The eligible MENA partners named in the notice include Algeria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and the West Bank and Gaza. Regardless of the specific research area, proposals must be built around genuine, direct collaboration between at least one Israeli partner institution and at least one eligible MENA partner institution. The program does not accept proposals that are designed by one side alone and then handed to the other; applications must be jointly developed by investigators across the partner institutions, reflecting shared planning, shared scientific roles, and a credible partnership structure. While two-partner projects are allowed, collaborations that include three or more partners are permitted and explicitly encouraged, which can be helpful for regional projects that benefit from multiple sites, multiple skill sets, or broader dissemination pathways.
The MERC program is not primarily structured around participation from outside the MENA region. Partners from outside the region, including U.S.-based collaborators, are generally not considered a core feature of this program and are only considered in limited circumstances. If an applicant believes an external partner is necessary, the proposal needs to make a strong, specific case that the outside participant fills an essential technical role that cannot reasonably be met by the Israeli and eligible MENA partners. Even then, the notice signals that support for outside participation may be limited or not provided, so applicants are expected to design projects that stand on the strength of the Israel-MENA collaboration rather than relying on external expertise as a major component.
Under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), MERC is seeking proposals in two main funding categories. First, continuation grants are meant to extend existing or recently ended MERC awards, which suggests an emphasis on sustaining partnerships and helping mature collaborations move from earlier results into deeper development, additional validation, or broader implementation. Second, travel and workshop grants support regional workshops, meetings, and researcher exchange, which can be especially useful for building new collaborations, strengthening coordination among existing teams, planning joint work, sharing methods, and creating the professional trust needed for longer-term joint R and D. In both categories, the basic partnership requirement remains the same: at least one Israeli partner and at least one eligible MENA partner, with a jointly developed proposal.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed as a discretionary grant with Funding Opportunity Number NEAAC24MERC1001 and CFDA number 19.502, and the issuing office is identified as Assistance Coordination. The posted opportunity information includes an award ceiling of $500,000. The original closing date listed is July 31, 2024, and the opportunity record shows a creation date of May 1, 2024. The notice also indicates that additional details and requirements are contained in the full NOFO document, which applicants would need to consult for specifics such as allowable costs, application components, review criteria, reporting expectations, and any compliance requirements tied to U.S. funding rules and country-specific restrictions.
Overall, MERC is best understood as a collaboration-first program: it is less about funding standalone research excellence in a single country and more about funding jointly designed, regionally relevant scientific and technology efforts that build capacity and deliver development-oriented benefits, while reinforcing sustained cooperation between Israeli institutions and their neighbors in the eligible MENA region.Apply for NEAAC24MERC1001
- The Assistance Coordination in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.502.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2024-05-01.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-07-31. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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