Opportunity ID: 356735

General Information

Document Type: Grants Notice
Funding Opportunity Number: NEAAC24MERC1002
Funding Opportunity Title: Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC)
Opportunity Category: Discretionary
Opportunity Category Explanation:
Funding Instrument Type: Grant
Category of Funding Activity: Other (see text field entitled “Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity” for clarification)
Category Explanation: Following the Camp David accords, a Congressional initiative brought about the Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC) Program to be implemented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The program began in FY 1979, was included in the Foreign Aid Bill for FY 1981 and continues to be the subject of a Congressional directive in the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Program Appropriations Act (SFOAA) to support cooperative projects of a scientific and technological nature between the United States, Israel, and Middle East countries. Since 1999, MERC has been managed and implemented through an Inter-Agency Agreement between USAID and the U.S. Department of State (DOS).
Expected Number of Awards: 5
Assistance Listings: 19.502 — Middle East Regional Cooperation Program
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No
Version: Synopsis 3
Posted Date: Oct 16, 2024
Last Updated Date: Oct 16, 2024
Original Closing Date for Applications: Jan 15, 2025
Current Closing Date for Applications: Jan 15, 2025
Archive Date: Feb 14, 2025
Estimated Total Program Funding:
Award Ceiling: $1,000,000
Award Floor: $0

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants: Others (see text field entitled “Additional Information on Eligibility” for clarification)
Additional Information on Eligibility: Subject to change based on U.S. federal law and country-specific restrictions on funding, in addition toIsrael the following countries/territories are eligible to apply as MENA partners: Algeria, Bahrain, Kuwait,Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates,and the West Bank and Gaza. Partners may come from academic, private sector, non-governmental, orgovernmental institutions eligible to receive U.S. foreign assistance. Please contact merc@usaid.gov with questions about eligibility.

Additional Information

Agency Name: Assistance Coordination
Description:

The MERC Program is funded as assistance to promote scientific cooperation, technology-led development, and capacity building between partners in Israel and eligible countries/territories in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Subject to change based on U.S. federal law and country-specific restrictions on funding, those countries include: Algeria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and the West Bank and Gaza. Emphasis is given to research and technology subjects of regional importance and relevance to the development in the MENA. Moreover, benefits should target developing, USAID-presence countries in the MENA and resource-limited populations. Strong, direct cooperation between Israel and the eligible MENA partners is required for proposals receiving funding under the MERC Program. Participation of partners from outside the MENA, including the United States, is not a key feature of the MERC Program, but they may be considered for modest roles in exceptional cases to meet an essential technical need that is not otherwise available among the partners. Applicants must be prepared to provide a well justified case for the involvement of partners from outside the MENA and accept that MERC may not support their participation.

The MERC program funds peer-reviewed, collaborative, applied scientific research and technical exchanges between Israeli partners and the eligible MENA partners. As part of this Notice of Funding Opportunity, MERC is seeking to fund proposals in the following categories:

  1. Applied research grants: Multi-year, cooperative research projects
  2. Continuation grants: Extension of existing or recently ended applied research grants
  3. Travel and workshop grants: Support for workshops, meetings, and researcher exchange
Link to Additional Information:
Grantor Contact Information: If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact:

If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact merc@usaid.gov.
Email:merc@usaid.gov

Version History

Version Modification Description Updated Date
Oct 16, 2024

DISPLAYING: Synopsis 3

General Information

Document Type: Grants Notice
Funding Opportunity Number: NEAAC24MERC1002
Funding Opportunity Title: Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC)
Opportunity Category: Discretionary
Opportunity Category Explanation:
Funding Instrument Type: Grant
Category of Funding Activity: Other (see text field entitled “Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity” for clarification)
Category Explanation: Following the Camp David accords, a Congressional initiative brought about the Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC) Program to be implemented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The program began in FY 1979, was included in the Foreign Aid Bill for FY 1981 and continues to be the subject of a Congressional directive in the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Program Appropriations Act (SFOAA) to support cooperative projects of a scientific and technological nature between the United States, Israel, and Middle East countries. Since 1999, MERC has been managed and implemented through an Inter-Agency Agreement between USAID and the U.S. Department of State (DOS).
Expected Number of Awards: 5
Assistance Listings: 19.502 — Middle East Regional Cooperation Program
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No
Version: Synopsis 3
Posted Date: Oct 16, 2024
Last Updated Date: Oct 16, 2024
Original Closing Date for Applications: Jan 15, 2025
Current Closing Date for Applications: Jan 15, 2025
Archive Date: Feb 14, 2025
Estimated Total Program Funding:
Award Ceiling: $1,000,000
Award Floor: $0

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants: Others (see text field entitled “Additional Information on Eligibility” for clarification)
Additional Information on Eligibility: Subject to change based on U.S. federal law and country-specific restrictions on funding, in addition toIsrael the following countries/territories are eligible to apply as MENA partners: Algeria, Bahrain, Kuwait,Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates,and the West Bank and Gaza. Partners may come from academic, private sector, non-governmental, orgovernmental institutions eligible to receive U.S. foreign assistance. Please contact merc@usaid.gov with questions about eligibility.

Additional Information

Agency Name: Assistance Coordination
Description:

The MERC Program is funded as assistance to promote scientific cooperation, technology-led development, and capacity building between partners in Israel and eligible countries/territories in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Subject to change based on U.S. federal law and country-specific restrictions on funding, those countries include: Algeria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and the West Bank and Gaza. Emphasis is given to research and technology subjects of regional importance and relevance to the development in the MENA. Moreover, benefits should target developing, USAID-presence countries in the MENA and resource-limited populations. Strong, direct cooperation between Israel and the eligible MENA partners is required for proposals receiving funding under the MERC Program. Participation of partners from outside the MENA, including the United States, is not a key feature of the MERC Program, but they may be considered for modest roles in exceptional cases to meet an essential technical need that is not otherwise available among the partners. Applicants must be prepared to provide a well justified case for the involvement of partners from outside the MENA and accept that MERC may not support their participation.

The MERC program funds peer-reviewed, collaborative, applied scientific research and technical exchanges between Israeli partners and the eligible MENA partners. As part of this Notice of Funding Opportunity, MERC is seeking to fund proposals in the following categories:

  1. Applied research grants: Multi-year, cooperative research projects
  2. Continuation grants: Extension of existing or recently ended applied research grants
  3. Travel and workshop grants: Support for workshops, meetings, and researcher exchange
Link to Additional Information:
Grantor Contact Information: If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact:

If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact merc@usaid.gov.
Email:merc@usaid.gov

Folder 356735 Full Announcement-NOFO -> Appendix B – MERC Budget Template 2025.pdf

Folder 356735 Full Announcement-NOFO -> FINAL MERC NOFO 2025.pdf

Folder 356735 Full Announcement-NOFO -> Appendix A – MERC SF-424 Instructions 2025.pdf

Packages

2025-07-13T10:11:17-05:00

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