Defense security cooperation university research grants: assessing the impact of chinese professional military education in the global south: the case of latin america

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency awarded the International Institute for Strategic Studies $384,616 on September 23, 2025, under the Defense Security Cooperation University – Sponsored Research program (CFDA 12.024) to assess the impact of Chinese professional military education in the Global South, focusing on Latin America.

The recipient, a London-based non-profit think tank, will conduct research examining how Chinese military education programs influence security cooperation and strategic alignment in Latin American nations. The award funds evidence- and theory-building activities intended to expand knowledge on security cooperation dynamics and fill identified gaps in understanding China's role in the region.

Performance spans through October 31, 2026, with work performed in Great Britain, United Kingdom. The project grant is assistance funding, subject to DoDGAR record-keeping requirements and 2 CFR 200 compliance. DSCU-sponsored research evaluates proposals on three equally weighted principal criteria: technical merit of the research approach, relevance to high-priority security cooperation knowledge gaps, and feasibility given applicant qualifications and resources. The program is open to researchers and institutions worldwide, though individual DSCU components may impose recipient restrictions.