Deadline for receipt of Pre-proposals is December 15, 2017

NOTE: Please read these guidelines carefully, as application instructions change from year to year. The selection criteria and budget guidance have been updated to provide clarification.

USAID’s MERC Program funds peer-reviewed collaborative research projects between Israel and its Arab neighbors. Established as a result of the Camp David Peace Accords to promote Arab-Israeli cooperation, MERC has expanded beyond its original participants, Egypt and Israel, and also funded Arab-Israeli projects with researchers and institutions in Jordan, Morocco, West Bank/Gaza, Lebanon, and Tunisia. Other Arab countries are also eligible, including those in the Maghreb and Gulf regions. MERC currently supports nearly 40 active Arab-Israeli projects across a wide range of topics.

The dual goals of the MERC Program are:

1. To contribute to development and the quality of life in the Middle East region through the application of research and technology.
2. To contribute to Arab-Israeli cooperation by establishing strong working relationships that last beyond the life of the project.

ELIGIBILITY

Only proposals developed jointly by Arab and Israeli investigators are accepted. Projects must include at least one Israeli and one Arab institutional partner. Projects involving three or more regional partners are also allowed and encouraged. The joint proposal may be submitted by any party in the collaboration. Partners may come from academic, private sector, non-governmental, or governmental institutions.

The only non-regional partners allowed are U.S. institutions, although U.S. participation is not encouraged. If an American partner is included, their role in the project must be limited to providing technical assistance and must be justified as providing an essential technical contribution unavailable in the Middle East North Africa region. The use of any U.S. institution to lead or administer the overall project is strongly discouraged, and is strictly prohibited in the case of U.S. Government agencies. The major focus of the MERC Program is on fostering direct cooperation between Arab and Israeli individuals and institutions.

MERC strongly encourages women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to participate fully in its competitive program. No person will be excluded from participation on the basis of race, color, age, gender, sexual orientation, national origin (as distinct from current nationality), or disability.

Read the full instructions here [PDF, 187kb]