Department of State Offers Title VIII Grant for Eastern Europe and Eurasia Research and Training

Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) Request for Grant Proposals:
Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII)

Announcement Type: New Grant

Funding Opportunity Number: EE-ERT-11-001-012238

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number (CFDA): 19.300

Application Deadline: March 18, 2011

SUMMARY:
The Department of State’s (DOS), Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Office of Outreach, invites organizations with substantial and wide-reaching experience in administering research and training programs to conduct nationwide competitive programs supporting U.S. scholars, students and institutions in advanced research and language training on the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia. U.S.-based public and private nonprofit organizations and educational institutions may submit proposals for Title VIII-funded programs that 1) support and sustain American expertise on the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia, 2) bring American expertise to the service of the U.S. Government, and 3) further U.S. foreign assistance and policy goals. All proposals must make an explicit connection to U.S. foreign or national security policy, and demonstrate how the proposed program will contribute to U.S. knowledge and expertise and national capability.

The program also works to support outreach and build relationships with the academic and nonprofit communities. Intelligence Community analysts and DOS policy makers benefit from engagement with outside elements to explore new ideas and perspectives and create new knowledge and research. Federal grants will be awarded through an open, merit-based competition. Grantee organizations will then conduct competitions for students, scholars, and specialists. The purpose of this request for proposals is to inform potential applicant organizations of programmatic, procedural and funding information for the fiscal year 2011 Title VIII grants competition.

We request that applicants read the entire announcement before addressing inquiries to the Office of Outreach. Proposals from individuals or institutions and organizations to fund their own projects, i.e., projects that are not national in scope and/or do not involve open, merit-based recruitment of participants, will not be considered.

Mission Statements:
• Department of State – To create a more secure, democratic, and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community.
• Bureau of Intelligence and Research – To ensure that intelligence informs wise foreign policy decisions and effectively supports U.S. foreign policy objectives.
• Title VIII Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and Eurasia – To develop and maintain high-quality research and training programs critical to the national security of the United States, the furtherance of its national interests in the conduct of foreign relations, and the prudent management of its domestic affairs.

Definitions:
For the purposes of this Request for Grant Proposal (RfGP), the terms below are defined as follows:

Applicant: an eligible 501(c) (3) organization submitting a proposal to the State Department for funding consideration under this RfGP.

Grantee Organization: an applicant organization that is awarded a State Department grant.

End-User: an eligible individual indentified by a grantee organization to receive a Title VIII-sponsored Fellowship to conduct research and/or receive training.

icPORT: the Title VIII database for collecting and storing program data including statistics, products and artifacts. This database exists solely for the purposes of academic outreach.

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

AUTHORITY:
Grant making authority for the Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII) is contained in the Soviet-Eastern European Research and Training Act of 1983 (22 U.S.C. 4501-4508, as amended.)

PURPOSE:
Congress determined that independently verified factual knowledge about the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia is critical to the national security of the United States, the furtherance of its national interests in the conduct of foreign relations, and the prudent management of its domestic affairs. Congress further concluded that providing a stable and dedicated source of financial support for Title VIII functions supplementing other Federal, State, local, regional, and private sector funding is critical to maintaining this important research and training on a long-term, national scale.

The development and maintenance of U.S. expertise on these regions depends upon a national capability for advanced research by highly trained specialists with in-country experience. These specialists are a national resource available for service in and out of Government.

In order to guarantee the existence of that knowledge and the capability to sustain it, certain essential functions are necessary, including:

a. graduate training;
b. advanced research;
c. public dissemination of research data, methods, and findings;
d. contact and collaboration among Government and private specialists; and
e. American specialists’ firsthand experience of the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia, including on-site advanced training and research to the extent practicable.

OBJECTIVES:
All applicants must explicitly state in writing their understanding of and commitment to achieve the following objectives:

• Support U.S. Citizen participants only;
• Support and sustain American expertise in the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia through language training and/or comprehensive research opportunities for Title VIII fellows;
• Provide critical on-site support and access to local resources for Title VIII fellows at all levels, but especially younger scholars conducting research on policy relevant topics and/or engaging in language training;
• Bring American expertise to the service of the U.S. Government by encouraging Title VIII fellows to pursue careers, internships, or short-term sabbaticals during and/or after their overseas program;
• Assist Department of State efforts to raise awareness of the Title VIII program through comprehensive outreach and reporting by:
o Using the Department’s standard data themes in icPORT;
o Promoting participants’ experiences and research findings through presentations and briefings in the U.S.;
o Disseminating final research results within the academic and government policy communities; and
o Communicating regularly with the State Department.

All applicants must explicitly state in writing their understanding of and commitment to the PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES of the Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII).

SCOPE OF WORK:
All applicants must include a section of narrative devoted to “SCOPE OF WORK” (SOW). The SOW will ideally be housed in the first page(s) of the narrative as a dedicated sub-section. This section is to be a bulleted list of the specific program components proposed, with a brief (1-2 sentence description) of what each component entails and which of the aforementioned OBJECTIVE(s) it addresses. The SCOPE OF WORK must include anticipated outputs and outcomes.

II. AWARD INFORMATION:

Type of Award: New Grant Agreement

Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2011

Approximate Total Funding: Approximately $4,775,000 pending availability of funds
Approximate Average Award: Funding level is dependent upon the scope of work, number of proposed fellowships, and volume of activities
Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, September 2011

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION:

Eligible Applicants:
Applications may be submitted by public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3).

Interested applicants may download a complete, formatted PDF version of the RfGP from Grants.gov. Formatted electronic versions may also be requested by sending a message to CrocittoJA@state.gov, with the following subject line:

“Request for FY 2011 Title VIII RfGP PDF Version”

Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) Request for Grant Proposals:
Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII)

Announcement Type: New Grant

Funding Opportunity Number: EE-ERT-11-001-012238

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number (CFDA): 19.300

Application Deadline: March 18, 2011

SUMMARY:
The Department of State’s (DOS), Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Office of Outreach, invites organizations with substantial and wide-reaching experience in administering research and training programs to conduct nationwide competitive programs supporting U.S. scholars, students and institutions in advanced research and language training on the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia. U.S.-based public and private nonprofit organizations and educational institutions may submit proposals for Title VIII-funded programs that 1) support and sustain American expertise on the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia, 2) bring American expertise to the service of the U.S. Government, and 3) further U.S. foreign assistance and policy goals. All proposals must make an explicit connection to U.S. foreign or national security policy, and demonstrate how the proposed program will contribute to U.S. knowledge and expertise and national capability.

The program also works to support outreach and build relationships with the academic and nonprofit communities. Intelligence Community analysts and DOS policy makers benefit from engagement with outside elements to explore new ideas and perspectives and create new knowledge and research. Federal grants will be awarded through an open, merit-based competition. Grantee organizations will then conduct competitions for students, scholars, and specialists. The purpose of this request for proposals is to inform potential applicant organizations of programmatic, procedural and funding information for the fiscal year 2011 Title VIII grants competition.

We request that applicants read the entire announcement before addressing inquiries to the Office of Outreach. Proposals from individuals or institutions and organizations to fund their own projects, i.e., projects that are not national in scope and/or do not involve open, merit-based recruitment of participants, will not be considered.

Mission Statements:
• Department of State – To create a more secure, democratic, and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community.
• Bureau of Intelligence and Research – To ensure that intelligence informs wise foreign policy decisions and effectively supports U.S. foreign policy objectives.
• Title VIII Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and Eurasia – To develop and maintain high-quality research and training programs critical to the national security of the United States, the furtherance of its national interests in the conduct of foreign relations, and the prudent management of its domestic affairs.

Definitions:
For the purposes of this Request for Grant Proposal (RfGP), the terms below are defined as follows:

Applicant: an eligible 501(c) (3) organization submitting a proposal to the State Department for funding consideration under this RfGP.

Grantee Organization: an applicant organization that is awarded a State Department grant.

End-User: an eligible individual indentified by a grantee organization to receive a Title VIII-sponsored Fellowship to conduct research and/or receive training.

icPORT: the Title VIII database for collecting and storing program data including statistics, products and artifacts. This database exists solely for the purposes of academic outreach.

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

AUTHORITY:
Grant making authority for the Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII) is contained in the Soviet-Eastern European Research and Training Act of 1983 (22 U.S.C. 4501-4508, as amended.)

PURPOSE:
Congress determined that independently verified factual knowledge about the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia is critical to the national security of the United States, the furtherance of its national interests in the conduct of foreign relations, and the prudent management of its domestic affairs. Congress further concluded that providing a stable and dedicated source of financial support for Title VIII functions supplementing other Federal, State, local, regional, and private sector funding is critical to maintaining this important research and training on a long-term, national scale.

The development and maintenance of U.S. expertise on these regions depends upon a national capability for advanced research by highly trained specialists with in-country experience. These specialists are a national resource available for service in and out of Government.

In order to guarantee the existence of that knowledge and the capability to sustain it, certain essential functions are necessary, including:

a. graduate training;
b. advanced research;
c. public dissemination of research data, methods, and findings;
d. contact and collaboration among Government and private specialists; and
e. American specialists’ firsthand experience of the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia, including on-site advanced training and research to the extent practicable.

OBJECTIVES:
All applicants must explicitly state in writing their understanding of and commitment to achieve the following objectives:

• Support U.S. Citizen participants only;
• Support and sustain American expertise in the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia through language training and/or comprehensive research opportunities for Title VIII fellows;
• Provide critical on-site support and access to local resources for Title VIII fellows at all levels, but especially younger scholars conducting research on policy relevant topics and/or engaging in language training;
• Bring American expertise to the service of the U.S. Government by encouraging Title VIII fellows to pursue careers, internships, or short-term sabbaticals during and/or after their overseas program;
• Assist Department of State efforts to raise awareness of the Title VIII program through comprehensive outreach and reporting by:
o Using the Department’s standard data themes in icPORT;
o Promoting participants’ experiences and research findings through presentations and briefings in the U.S.;
o Disseminating final research results within the academic and government policy communities; and
o Communicating regularly with the State Department.

All applicants must explicitly state in writing their understanding of and commitment to the PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES of the Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII).

SCOPE OF WORK:
All applicants must include a section of narrative devoted to “SCOPE OF WORK” (SOW). The SOW will ideally be housed in the first page(s) of the narrative as a dedicated sub-section. This section is to be a bulleted list of the specific program components proposed, with a brief (1-2 sentence description) of what each component entails and which of the aforementioned OBJECTIVE(s) it addresses. The SCOPE OF WORK must include anticipated outputs and outcomes.

II. AWARD INFORMATION:

Type of Award: New Grant Agreement

Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2011

Approximate Total Funding: Approximately $4,775,000 pending availability of funds
Approximate Average Award: Funding level is dependent upon the scope of work, number of proposed fellowships, and volume of activities
Anticipated Award Date: Pending availability of funds, September 2011

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION:

Eligible Applicants:
Applications may be submitted by public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3).

Interested applicants may download a complete, formatted PDF version of the RfGP from Grants.gov. Formatted electronic versions may also be requested by sending a message to CrocittoJA@state.gov, with the following subject line:

“Request for FY 2011 Title VIII RfGP PDF Version”

Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) Request for Grant Proposals:

Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII)

Funding Opportunity Number: ??EE-ERT-11-001-012238

Announcement Type: New Grant

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number (CFDA): 19.300

Application Deadline: March 18, 2011

SUMMARY:

The Department of State?s (DOS), Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Office of Outreach, invites organizations with substantial and wide-reaching experience in administering research and training programs to conduct nationwide competitive programs supporting U.S. scholars, students and institutions in advanced research and language training on the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia. U.S.-based public and private nonprofit organizations and educational institutions may submit proposals for Title VIII-funded programs that 1) support and sustain American expertise on the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia, 2) bring American expertise to the service of the U.S. Government, and 3) further U.S. foreign assistance and policy goals. All proposals must make an explicit connection to U.S. foreign or national security policy, and demonstrate how the proposed program will contribute to U.S. knowledge and expertise and national capability.

The program also works to support outreach and build relationships with the academic and nonprofit communities. Intelligence Community analysts and DOS policy makers benefit from engagement with outside elements to explore new ideas and perspectives and create new knowledge and research. Federal grants will be awarded through an open, merit-based competition. Grantee organizations will then conduct competitions for students, scholars, and specialists. The purpose of this request for proposals is to inform potential applicant organizations of programmatic, procedural and funding information for the fiscal year 2011 Title VIII grants competition.

We request that applicants read the entire announcement before addressing inquiries to the Office of Outreach. Proposals from individuals or institutions and organizations to fund their own projects, i.e., projects that are not national in scope and/or do not involve open, merit-based recruitment of participants, will not be considered.

Mission Statements:

Department of State ? To create a more secure, democratic, and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community.

Bureau of Intelligence and Research ? To ensure that intelligence informs wise foreign policy decisions and effectively supports U.S. foreign policy objectives.

Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII) – To develop and maintain high-quality research and training programs critical to the national security of the United States, the furtherance of its national interests in the conduct of foreign relations, and the prudent management of its domestic affairs.

Definitions:

For the purposes of this Request for Grant Proposal (RfGP), the terms below are defined as follows:

Applicant: an eligible 501(c) (3) organization submitting a proposal to the State Department for funding consideration under this RfGP.
Grantee Organization: an applicant organization that is awarded a State Department grant.
End-User: an eligible individual indentified by a grantee organization to receive a Title VIII-sponsored Fellowship to conduct research and/or receive training.

ic-PORT: the Title VIII database for collecting and storing program data including statistics, products and artifacts. This database exists solely for the purposes of academic outreach.

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

AUTHORITY: Grant making authority for the Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII) is contained in the Soviet-Eastern European Research and Training Act of 1983 (22 U.S.C. 4501-4508, as amended.)PURPOSE: Congress determined that independently verified factual knowledge about the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia is critical to the national security of the United States, the furtherance of its national interests in the conduct of foreign relations, and the prudent management of its domestic affairs. Congress further concluded that providing a stable and dedicated source of financial support for Title VIII functions supplementing other Federal, State, local, regional, and private sector funding is critical to maintaining this important research and training on a long-term, national scale. The development and maintenance of U.S. expertise on these regions depends upon a national capability for advanced research by highly trained specialists with in-country experience. These specialists are a national resource available for service in and out of Government. In order to guarantee the existence of that knowledge and the capability to sustain it, certain essential functions are necessary, including:
a. graduate training;
b. advanced research;
c. public dissemination of research data, methods, and findings;
d. contact and collaboration among Government and private specialists; and
e. American specialists? firsthand experience of the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia, including on-site advanced training and research to the extent practicable.

OBJECTIVES:

All applicants must explicitly state in writing their understanding of and commitment to achieve the following objectives:

Support U.S. Citizen participants only;

Support and sustain American expertise in the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia through language training and/or comprehensive research opportunities for Title VIII fellows;

Provide critical on-site support and access to local resources for Title VIII fellows at all levels, but especially younger scholars conducting research on policy relevant topics and/or engaging in language training;

Bring American expertise to the service of the U.S. Government by encouraging Title VIII fellows to pursue careers, internships, or short-term sabbaticals during and/or after their overseas program;

Assist Department of State efforts to raise awareness of the Title VIII program through comprehensive outreach and reporting by:
Using the Department?s standard data themes in icPORT;
Promoting participants? experiences and research findings through presentations and briefings in the U.S.;
Disseminating final research results within the academic and government policy communities; and
Communicating regularly with the State Department.

All applicants must explicitly state in writing their understanding of and commitment to the PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES of the Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII).

SCOPE OF WORK:

All applicants must include a section of narrative devoted to ?SCOPE OF WORK? (SOW). The SOW will ideally be housed in the first page(s) of the narrative as a dedicated sub-section. This section is to be a bulleted list of the specific program components proposed, with a brief (1-2 sentence description) of what each component entails and which of the aforementioned OBJECTIVE(s) it addresses. The SCOPE OF WORK must include anticipated outputs and outcomes.

II. AWARD INFORMATION:

Type of Award: New Grant Agreement

Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2011

Approximate Total Funding: Approximately $4,775,000 pending availability of funds

Approximate Average Award: Funding level is dependent upon the scope of work, number of proposed fellowships, and volume of activities.

Anticipated Award Date:
Pending availability of funds, September 2011

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION:

Eligible Applicants: Applications may be submitted by public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3).

IV. APPLICATION PROCESS:

Submission Instructions:

All applications must be submitted via www.grantsolutions.gov OR www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Friday, March 18, 2011. The Program Office will not accept proposals submitted via email, fax, the postal system, or delivery companies or couriers. Please note that once the RfGP deadline has passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this competition with applicants until the proposal review process has been completed.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to initiate the electronic application process early, and to submit proposals before the due date. This will aid in addressing any problems with submissions prior to the application deadline. No exceptions will be made for organizations that have not completed the necessary steps to submit applications on www.grantsolutions.gov or www.grants.gov.

GrantSolutions.gov Applications:

Applicants are encouraged to submit applications via www.grantsolutions.gov.

Interested organizations using GrantSolutions for the first time must register on the www.GrantSolutions.gov site to create a new Applicant account as soon as possible. The Applicant must complete this registration before the application can be submitted. To register with GrantSolutions follow the ?First Time Applicants? link and complete the ?GrantSolutions New Applicant Sign Up? application form. Organizations that have previously used www.GrantSolutions.gov do not need to register again. If an organization that has previously used www.GrantSolutions.gov is not able to access the system, please contact Customer Support (see contact information below).

A valid DUNS number IS required for submission of an application on GrantSolutions.gov. Organizations should verify that they have a DUNS number or take the steps needed to obtain one as soon as possible. Instructions for obtaining a DUNS number can be found at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.

A CCR (Central Contractor Registration) number IS NOT required prior to submitting an application via GrantSolutions.gov.

Electronic applications submitted via the GrantSolutions system must contain all completed online forms and the Proposal documents specified by the application kit. No additional documents should be uploaded. The preferred document formats for the uploaded Proposal are PDF or .docx. Applicants should wait until the upload shows the status as Successful before moving to the next part of the application kit.

Upon completion of a successful electronic application submission, the GrantSolutions system will provide the applicant with a confirmation page indicating the date and time (Eastern Time) of the electronic application submission as well as an official Application Number. This confirmation page will also provide a listing of all items that constitute the final application submission.

For assistance with GrantSolutions.gov please contact Customer Support at help@grantsolutions.gov or call 1-800-577-0771 (toll charges for international callers) or 1-202-401-5282. Customer Support is available 8 AM ? 6 PM EST, Monday ? Friday.

Grants.gov Applications:

Applicants who choose not to submit applications via GrantSolutions.gov must submit via www.grants.gov.

A valid DUNS number and a CCR (Central Contractor Registration) number ARE BOTH required prior to submitting an application via Grants.gov.

Organizations should verify that they have a DUNS number or take the steps needed to obtain one as soon as possible. Instructions for obtaining a DUNS number can be found at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.

Instructions for registering with CCR can be found at https://www.bpn.gov/ccr/default.aspx. An organization must wait approximately 3-5 business days after registering with the CCR before the organization may obtain a username and password for Grants.gov. This may delay the organization?s ability to submit a Statement of Interest through www.grants.gov. In addition, CCR registration must be updated annually to maintain a valid registration.

Upon completion of a successful electronic application submission on Grants.gov, the applicant will receive an email confirmation that the application has been successfully submitted and is in the process of verification. The applicant will then receive another email confirming that the application has been verified. Both emails are provided by grants.gov to verify that an application was received.

For assistance with Grants.gov, please call the Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or email support@grants.gov. The Contact Center is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except federal holidays.

Application Deadline: All applications must be submitted on or before Friday, March 18, 2011, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Applications submitted after 11:59 p.m. will be ineligible for consideration. Begin the application process early, as this will allow time to address any technical difficulties that may arise in advance of the deadline. Faxed proposals will not be accepted at any time. Late applications will not be considered. It is the applicant?s responsibility to ensure that proposals are delivered on time.

V. PROGRAM INFORMATION:

The Department of State?s Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Office of Outreach seeks proposals that clearly and succinctly outline plans to implement graduate, postdoctoral, and teaching fellowships for advanced training and research programs on the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia and related cross-border studies. The proposed program must:

a. align with the program PUROPOSE and OBJECTIVES above;

b. respond to the RATING CRITERIA listed below;

c. be conducted on a shared-cost basis by U.S.-based public and private nonprofit organizations and educational institutions;

d. outline clearly the plan to disseminate program information and solicit applications;

e. discuss and demonstrate the applicant?s process of identifying, vetting and awarding fellowships to qualified end-users who are best suited to achieve the Title VIII PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES; and

f. outline the plan to disseminate research, data, and findings on the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia and related cross-border areas to best achieve the Title VIII PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES.

Funding Must:

a. support U.S. citizen participants only;

b. provide fellowship and research support for U.S. specialists on the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia and related cross-border fields to conduct advanced research. Particular emphasis on the use of quantitative data on those countries is a priority;

c. support seminars, conferences, and other similar workshops to facilitate collaboration between Government and private specialists on the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia and cross-border issues;

d. facilitate access for U.S. specialists to research institutes, personnel, archives, documentation, and other research and training resources located in Eastern Europe and Eurasia;

e. support training in the languages of Eastern Europe and Eurasia and relevant cross-border languages. Such support should include grants to individuals to pursue training and to summer language institutes operated by institutions of higher education. Preference shall be given for critical language studies and, as appropriate, studies of other languages of strategic importance across the regions; and

f. support other research and training on the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia not otherwise described in this section if tied to the program purpose, including outreach efforts to undergraduate populations in order to promote and sustain the field. Per the Title VIII legislation, only graduate level and advanced study/research may be funded by this program. Applicants may cost-share undergraduate students and include them in outreach events.

Funding Must Not:

a. support journals, newsletters and other periodical publications;

b. support technical research in fields such as mathematics;

c. support undergraduate students; or

d. support foreign participants, scholars, students and specialists.

Scope: Research and Training programs related to the following countries are eligible for funding under this RfGP: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Travel to certain countries may be subject to restrictions due to unforeseen world events, Congressional restrictions, U.S. embassy requirements, or general security concerns.

Areas of Focus:

a. Cross-Regional Issues: The Caucasus and the greater Central Asia Region are critical in counterterrorism efforts; therefore, also eligible are proposals that incorporate a focus on ?Cross-Regional Issues? and include specifically the countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and/or Uzbekistan, relative to their shared historical, ethnic, linguistic, political, economic, and cultural ties with such countries as Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Korea, China, and Turkey. Proposals regarding Central Asian Islamic practices are also a priority. Energy, environment, trafficking in persons and/or illicit goods, cyber and economic themes are also encouraged.

b. Critical Language Support: In support of the National Security Language Initiative (NSLI), Title VIII funds the study and mastery of critical foreign languages. For Russian language, f