Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC)

The MERC Program is funded as assistance to promote Arab-Israeli scientific cooperation, technology-led development, and capacity building. Emphasis is given to research and technology subjects of regional importance and relevance to the development of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Benefits should target developing countries in the region and populations of limited income.

Strong, direct Arab-Israeli cooperation is required for proposals receiving funding under the MERC Program. Involvement of U.S. partners and support for the participation of individuals or institutions from outside the Middle East and North Africa (e.g., Europe) is not a key feature of the MERC Program, but may be considered for modest roles in exceptional cases to meet an essential technical need that is not available in the region. Applicants must be prepared to provide a well justified case for non-regional partner participation, and accept that MERC may not support the participation of any non-regional partners.

The MERC Program funds peer-reviewed, collaborative, scientific research projects on development topics between Israel and its Arab neighbors across the MENA region. As part of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), MERC is seeking to fund proposals in the following categories:

1. Applied research grants: Multi-year, joint Arab-Israeli projects
2. Continuation grants: Funding to extend existing or recently ended MERC awards
3. Travel and workshop grants: Support for workshops, meetings, and researcher exchange

Please see full NOFO description in the Related Documents section of this listing for additional details.