Opportunity Information: Apply for EE ERT 11 001 012238
Apply for EE ERT 11 001 012238
- The Bureau of Intelligence and Research in the education other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.300 Program for Study of Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 3, 2011 and posted on Feb 3, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 18, 2011 All applications may be submitted via www.grantsolutions.gov OR www.grants.gov by 1130 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Friday, March 18, 2011. Bureau staff may not discuss this competition with applicants once the RfGP deadline has passed.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $4,775,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
- 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).
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Opportunity Summary:
The Title VIII Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union is a U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) grant opportunity aimed at strengthening long-term American expertise on Eastern Europe and Eurasia through advanced research and language training. The opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number EE ERT 11 001 012238; CFDA 19.300) was posted February 3, 2011, with applications due March 18, 2011, and anticipated awards planned for around September 2011, subject to the availability of funds. It is structured as a national, competitive program: the Department of State funds qualified U.S. organizations, and those grantee organizations then run their own open, merit-based competitions to award fellowships and related support to individual participants.
At its core, this program is framed as a national security and foreign policy capacity-building effort, not just an academic research fund. The statutory authority comes from the Soviet-Eastern European Research and Training Act of 1983 (22 U.S.C. 4501-4508, as amended), reflecting Congresss finding that independently verified, factual knowledge about the region is critical to U.S. national security, effective foreign relations, and prudent domestic decision-making. The program emphasizes maintaining a durable, nationwide capability: it is meant to supplement other federal, state, local, and private support so that U.S. expertise does not rise and fall with short-term funding cycles or shifting institutional priorities.
The Department of State laid out three big expectations for proposals. First, projects must support and sustain American expertise on the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia by enabling deep research and/or serious language training. Second, they must connect that expertise directly to public service by helping bring scholars and specialists into engagement with the U.S. Government, whether through career pathways, internships, short-term sabbaticals, or other forms of policy-relevant interaction. Third, funded programs should further U.S. foreign assistance and policy goals, and every proposal has to make an explicit, written connection to U.S. foreign policy or national security priorities, showing how the work will add to U.S. knowledge, expertise, and overall national capability.
The opportunity is aimed at organizations rather than individual researchers. Eligible applicants are U.S.-based public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and U.S. nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status. A key restriction is that the Department will not consider proposals that simply fund the applicant organizations own internal project or a narrow, non-competitive effort. The program must be national in scope and must recruit and select fellows through an open, merit-based competition. In the terminology used in the announcement, the applicant is the organization applying to State; if selected, it becomes the grantee organization; and the end users are the individual U.S. citizens who receive Title VIII-supported fellowships for research and/or training.
In terms of what the program expects grantees to do operationally, the announcement stresses several essential functions: graduate training, advanced research, public dissemination of findings and methods, sustained contact and collaboration between government and non-government specialists, and firsthand, in-country experience for American specialists whenever practicable. It also places special weight on practical, on-the-ground support for fellows overseas, including access to local resources, guidance, and logistical support, with an emphasis on helping younger scholars working on policy-relevant topics and those pursuing language training. Another recurring theme is outreach: the program is designed to strengthen ties between the academic and nonprofit communities and U.S. government analysts and policymakers, on the premise that intelligence and policy benefit from outside perspectives, new research, and broader engagement.
A notable administrative requirement is that applicants must include a clearly labeled Scope of Work section in the proposal narrative, ideally near the beginning. This Scope of Work is expected to be a bulleted list of the program components, with brief descriptions of what each component entails and which program objectives it supports. The Department also requires anticipated outputs and outcomes, signaling that proposals should not only describe activities (such as fellowships, training, briefings, or dissemination plans) but also what tangible products and measurable results are expected. For reporting and outreach, grantees are expected to use INR reporting structures, including the icPORT database, and to promote fellows experiences and research through U.S.-based presentations and briefings, broader dissemination to academic and policy communities, and regular communication with the Department of State.
Financially, the FY 2011 competition anticipated total funding of about $4.775 million, with an expected number of awards around 10. Individual award sizes were expected to vary based on the scope of work, the number of fellowships proposed, and the overall volume of activities, with an award floor of $100,000 and a ceiling of $1,500,000. There was no cost-sharing or matching requirement stated in the listing. Applications were to be submitted through Grants.gov or GrantSolutions.gov by the stated deadline, and the announcement noted that bureau staff would not discuss the competition with applicants after the deadline passed.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is the Title VIII Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union?
It is a U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) grant opportunity designed to strengthen long-term American expertise on Eastern Europe and Eurasia through advanced research and language training. The program is framed as a national security and foreign policy capacity-building effort, not only an academic research program.
2) Who runs this funding opportunity?
The program is administered by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR).
3) What are the identifying numbers for this grant opportunity?
Funding Opportunity Number: EE ERT 11 001 012238. CFDA: 19.300.
4) When was the opportunity posted and when were applications due?
The opportunity was posted on February 3, 2011. Applications were due March 18, 2011.
5) When were awards anticipated to be made?
Awards were anticipated for around September 2011, subject to the availability of funds.
6) What is the statutory authority for Title VIII?
The statutory authority is the Soviet-Eastern European Research and Training Act of 1983 (22 U.S.C. 4501-4508, as amended).
7) What is the main purpose of the program (beyond academic research)?
The program is intended to maintain a durable, nationwide U.S. capability related to Eastern Europe and Eurasia. It reflects Congress's finding that independently verified, factual knowledge about the region is critical to U.S. national security, effective foreign relations, and prudent domestic decision-making.
8) Is this funding intended to replace other sources of support?
No. The program is intended to supplement other federal, state, local, and private support so that U.S. expertise does not rise and fall with short-term funding cycles or shifting institutional priorities.
9) Who is eligible to apply directly to the Department of State for this grant?
Eligible applicants are U.S.-based public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and U.S. nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status.
10) Can individual researchers apply directly to the Department of State under this opportunity?
No. The opportunity is aimed at organizations rather than individual researchers. Individuals may participate indirectly by applying for fellowships or related support through a funded grantee organization.
11) How does the funding flow from the Department of State to individual participants?
The Department of State funds qualified U.S. organizations. Those grantee organizations then run their own open, merit-based competitions to award fellowships and related support to individual participants.
12) What does the announcement mean by "applicant," "grantee organization," and "end users"?
The applicant is the organization applying to the Department of State. If selected, it becomes the grantee organization. The end users are individual U.S. citizens who receive Title VIII-supported fellowships for research and/or training through the grantee's open competition.
13) What are the three major expectations the Department of State set for proposals?
Proposals were expected to: (1) support and sustain American expertise on Eastern Europe and Eurasia through deep research and/or serious language training; (2) connect that expertise to public service by bringing scholars and specialists into engagement with the U.S. Government through career pathways, internships, short-term sabbaticals, or other policy-relevant interaction; and (3) further U.S. foreign assistance and policy goals by making an explicit, written connection to U.S. foreign policy or national security priorities.
14) Do proposals need to explicitly connect the project to U.S. foreign policy or national security priorities?
Yes. Every proposal was required to include an explicit, written connection to U.S. foreign policy or national security priorities, explaining how the work would add to U.S. knowledge, expertise, and national capability.
15) Does the program have requirements related to public service or engagement with the U.S. Government?
Yes. The program expects funded efforts to connect expertise directly to public service and increase engagement between scholars/specialists and the U.S. Government through mechanisms such as internships, career pathways, sabbaticals, or other forms of interaction.
16) What types of activities or functions does the program emphasize for grantee organizations?
The announcement emphasizes graduate training, advanced research, public dissemination of findings and methods, sustained contact and collaboration between government and non-government specialists, and firsthand, in-country experience for American specialists whenever practicable.
17) Does the program emphasize language training as well as research?
Yes. Strengthening American expertise can be accomplished through deep research and/or serious language training, and language training is repeatedly highlighted as an important pathway to stronger regional expertise.
18) Is in-country (overseas) experience expected or supported?
Yes, whenever practicable. The program emphasizes firsthand, in-country experience for American specialists and places special weight on practical on-the-ground support for fellows overseas.
19) What kind of on-the-ground support for fellows is the program looking for?
The announcement highlights access to local resources, guidance, and logistical support for fellows overseas, with particular emphasis on helping younger scholars working on policy-relevant topics and those pursuing language training.
20) Are there restrictions on funding an applicant organization's internal project?
Yes. The Department stated it would not consider proposals that simply fund the applicant organization's own internal project or a narrow, non-competitive effort. The program must be national in scope and must select fellows through an open, merit-based competition.
21) What does "national in scope" mean in the context of this announcement?
Based on the announcement, "national in scope" means the program is structured as a national, competitive effort and is not limited to a narrow internal initiative; it must recruit and select fellows through an open, merit-based competition.
22) What is the required "Scope of Work" section and where should it appear?
Applicants were required to include a clearly labeled Scope of Work section in the proposal narrative, ideally near the beginning. It was expected to be a bulleted list of program components, with brief descriptions of each component and an explanation of which program objectives each component supports.
23) Does the Department require outputs and outcomes to be described?
Yes. The announcement requires anticipated outputs and outcomes, meaning proposals should describe not only planned activities (like fellowships, training, briefings, and dissemination), but also tangible products and measurable results.
24) What reporting or dissemination expectations are described in the announcement?
Grantees were expected to use INR reporting structures (including the icPORT database) and to promote fellows' experiences and research through U.S.-based presentations and briefings, broader dissemination to academic and policy communities, and regular communication with the Department of State.
25) How much funding was anticipated for the FY 2011 competition?
Total funding anticipated was about $4.775 million.
26) About how many awards were expected?
The expected number of awards was around 10.
27) What were the minimum and maximum award amounts?
The award floor was $100,000 and the ceiling was $1,500,000. Award sizes were expected to vary based on scope of work, number of fellowships proposed, and overall activity volume.
28) Was cost sharing or matching required?
No cost-sharing or matching requirement was stated in the listing.
29) How were applications submitted?
Applications were to be submitted through Grants.gov or GrantSolutions.gov by the stated deadline.
30) Would bureau staff discuss the competition with applicants after the deadline?
No. The announcement noted that bureau staff would not discuss the competition with applicants after the deadline passed.
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