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Cooperation Program (MERC) |
About
MERC
Eligibility
Topics of Interest
What is not Funded
Funding Levels
Guidelines for Submissions
Pre-Proposal Review
Submission of Pre-Proposals
INTRODUCTION
The MERC Program funds 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, to include institutions throughout the region. To date, the program has also funded activities with participation from Jordan, Morocco, West Bank/Gaza, Lebanon, and Tunisia.
The dual goals of the MERC Program are:
1) To contribute to development and improvement of the quality of life in the Middle East Region through the application of research and technology; and,
2) To contribute to the Peace Process in the Middle East through the establishment of cooperative relationships which will last beyond the life of the project.
MERC funds cooperative technical projects in the areas of agriculture,
health, environment, economics, and engineering. Funds may be provided
for grants of up to $3 million over five years, although proposals of more
modest size are strongly encouraged. Awards are based on technical
merit and the contribution to peace and development in the region.
In this regard, genuine Arab-Israeli cooperation and regional significance
are key elements of all MERC projects.
Only proposals developed jointly by Arab and Israeli institutions are accepted. Projects must include at least one Israeli and one Arab partner. Projects involving three or more regional partners are also allowed. A 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 a requirement. If an American partner is included, their role in the project implementation should be limited to providing technical assistance and must be justified on the grounds of their specific technical qualifications in the subject area of the proposal. The major focus of the MERC Program is on fostering direct cooperation among Middle Eastern 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, sex, national
origin (as distinct from current nationality) or disability.
MERC projects are not restricted to a particular sector. The program seeks applied research and technology development proposals within the broad areas of the natural and physical sciences and engineering. Rigorous social science research in the areas of agriculture, health, environmental management, and economics is also considered. The program aims to promote researcher-initiated ideas, and thus, USAID does not assist in proposal development.
Ideally, MERC projects should apply research and technology to regional problems rather than issues of strictly local or even global concern. Examples of the types of development impacts MERC aims to achieve include, but are not limited to: economic growth that increases incomes of the disadvantaged; improved environmental management; strengthened and harmonized national policies; increased food production; water conservation and efficient use; and reduction of the burden of disease through better treatments or health management strategies.
In addition, strengthening human and institutional capacities in the partner countries in the areas of technical research, management, and policy making are important aspects of MERC's collaborative approach. Travel and training are encouraged to be included in proposals, as needed, to achieve the purposes of a well-defined project, but not as independent and unrelated requests. Other subsidiary aspects of a research project (e.g., equipment, modest improvement of facilities, communications, journals, publications, and dissemination of results) are supported as they directly relate to the needs of the project itself. Although not a requirement, MERC projects may also include additional "people to people" components, such as joint Arab-Israeli educational activities or extension training, if these components directly complement the technical activities of the project.
Ultimately, the MERC Program strives to build sustained Arab-Israeli
cooperation. Most of all, the program places a premium on projects
based on true intellectual partnerships which can be sustained well beyond
the lifetime of the grant.
MERC does not fund purely basic research, but rather, projects that will contribute to development in an estimated time frame of ten years or less. Additionally, the program distinguishes research from development projects and technology transfer. The program does not support projects that solely represent the development of physical infrastructures or delivery of services. Examples of these types of projects that are ineligible are building of laboratories or clinics, delivery of health or educational services, social development programs, or establishment of private enterprises.
With its emphasis on more innovative research activities, the program
does not place a high priority on planning or case studies, core support
for organizations, operations research, surveys, evaluations, baseline
data collection, routine geographical mapping, or literature reviews.
Since MERC seeks to support long-term, in-depth cooperation built upon
defined, collaborative projects, the program generally does not fund proposals
which are primarily conferences or workshops, fellowships or scholarships,
professional networking activities, or institutional development grants.
These activities may be incorporated as part of a research program, however,
they are rarely considered as stand-alone activities.
Total MERC funding for all participants over the length of a project,
usually 2 to 5 years, may not exceed $3 million, including overhead.
Proposals of more modest size are strongly encouraged, since MERC has a
mandate to use its available funds to maximize the number as well as quality
of Arab-Israeli linkages. There is no set minimum amount, and current
grants range in size from approximately $100,000 to $2.5 million.
Large projects are not discouraged. However, such proposals bear the burden
to clearly demonstrate that the significance of the problem they address,
the merit of their approach, and the genuine Arab-Israeli linkages they
foster at multiple levels of the project would outweigh the advantages
of MERC instead supporting a larger number of smaller projects.
Submit a 4-6 page pre-proposal in English in the ten-element format described below. Submissions that exceed six (6) pages or do not follow the format may be returned without review. Principals from all participation institutions should collaborate in writing the pre-proposal. Do not include the names of participants unless they have given their permission (although signatures are not required at the pre-proposal stage). Clearly indicate that the pre-proposal is directed to the MERC Program, and mail ten copies of the pre-proposal to our Washington, DC address.
Pre-proposals must follow the format described below and include each of the elements listed. Describe in succinct, highly specific and technical terms:
1. Project Title: should be descriptive, but no longer than one line.
2. The investigators (including collaborating scientists) and their institutional affiliations: Authors' names should be in the following format: surname all in capital letters, and initial caps only for other given names. Add the telephone, FAX number and Internet addresses of the principals. Do not send complete resumes, publications, bibliographies, or institutional agreements at this time. Clearly identify the one lead or principal person who will serve as the key contact for the proposed project and to whom all correspondences should be addressed. Be sure to include the full mailing address for this lead contact person, as well as that of a primary contact from each participating institution.
3. Technical Project Objective(s): Provide a very short, 1-3 sentence description of each objective; usually not more than three or four objectives.
4. Justification: Provide a brief justification of the significance of the project to the Middle East region in terms of its importance to development in the region and its relevance to the Peace Process. Briefly, but clearly, describe the size/magnitude of the problem being addressed, in terms of the Middle East region.
5. Technical Discussion: Present a more detailed description of
your research rationale and proposed work in the form of:
a) a Summary of Relevant Background describing earlier studies,
the technical basis and starting point for the proposed work, preliminary
data if available, and citations of a few key literature references, as
appropriate.
b) a Technical Program Description outlining the specific activities
proposed for this project. In scientific terminology, briefly describe
your experimental design. Where possible, state your scientific hypotheses
and how they will be tested. Do not generalize. Be very specific
about which experiments you intend to do and why. Similarly, describe
and justify any other related technical activities you plan to include.
Note: This is a very important section. Many pre-proposals
fail because they do not provide a sufficiently specific technical description
of the actual work planned.
6. Innovation: Provide a brief description of what is new or innovative about the proposed activity. How does it represent a significant departure from other work in this area? Note that the mere adaptation of existing technology is not considered innovative. Neither is the inappropriate inclusion of sophisticated methodology when it does not relate to the overall goal of the project.
7. Project Structure and Management:
a) Briefly describe the organizational and operational plan for
managing the collaboration financially and programmatically (including
meetings, technical and management committees, etc., if applicable).
Be sure to identify the one institution that would receive the grant and
issue sub-grants to the other partner(s). Very briefly indicate how
you know your management structure is feasible and the project can be done
within the budget and time period you propose.
b) Briefly describe the division of labor among partners and the capabilities
and substantive contributions of each partner institution. Indicate how
the capacity of Middle Eastern institutions to conduct research would be
enhanced by the project.
Note: If a U.S. partner is involved, you must also justify the unique
contribution not available in the Middle East that this partner brings
via their technical leadership in the field of study. Unnecessary
use of a U.S. partner for administration is discouraged. The budget
for all U.S. participants (including overhead) should not exceed 15% of
the total budget (Israeli + Arab + American). Very rare exceptions
may be made in cases where the justification for a larger role is warranted.
8. Arab-Israeli Cooperation: Provide a brief description of the
interaction between the Arab and Israeli participants at all levels of
the project. Present evidence that this project would be a true intellectual
partnership. For example, would there be joint decision making, direct
Arab-Israeli exchanges of personnel (e.g., scientists in residence, the
training of students from other countries), joint Arab-Israeli publications,
conferences and workshops in region, etc. Be specific. If a
U.S. partner is involved in the project, also clarify how that partner
will avoid becoming a buffer to direct cooperation between the regional
parties.
Note: This section on Cooperation is an important part of any MERC
submission. Projects that are genuine, joint Arab-Israeli activities
are preferred over those that are separate, parallel programs linked by
occasional meetings.
9. Expected Benefits of Project:
a) Identify who would be the primary beneficiaries of the information,
technologies, or management practices developed by the project.
b) Describe how the project results would be disseminated to
those beneficiaries, and in what form, to ensure that the impact of the
program is realized.
c) Provide evidence which may indicate that the project collaboration
or impact will be sustainable beyond the life of the project (e.g. other
sources of financial support or institutional commitments; other agents
who will begin implementing or using research results such as extension
agents, service providers, private sector, etc.).
10. Budget: Provide a six-item budget in U.S. dollars, indicating
projected expenses in each of the six categories listed below, by institution
(without further details). Use one column for each participating
institution. (Projects are not required to spend in every category.)
--salaries
--equipment/materials (including reagents)
--travel (directly related to the project)
--training (directly related to the project)
--overhead
--other costs (explain these very briefly)
Also include total expense (sum) by institution and by country,
along with the overall total project cost. Finally, please indicate
the other sources of support expected for this activity.
The budget should be based upon an estimate of the actual item costs necessary to accomplish the project. It should reflect the prevailing labor rates at each project site, and not include extra items or inflated costs in order to achieve a pre-determined total or split among partners. The use of non-MERC matching funds to reduce costs is encouraged. Priority on major equipment purchases should be given to those institutions that have less access to alternate sources of significant funds. Note the 15% limit on the U.S. share of the total budget. Also note that MERC strongly discourages the use of program funds for large overhead expenses, the payment of salaries to principal investigators or other senior staff, the purchase of non-U.S. equipment, and the purchase of vehicles of any kind. Rare exceptions to these policies will require very convincing justification (later, at the full proposal stage), should you be invited to submit a full proposal. Guidelines on the submission of a formal, detailed budget, including further guidance on allowable costs and cost justification requirements, will be issued with invitations to submit a full proposal.
Pre-proposals should not include biographical data sheets, resumes, publications, or general institutional information such as brochures. These may be requested if you are invited to submit a full proposal. Letters of support from persons or institutions outside of the proposal are accepted but not required.
Pre-proposals are not binding agreements, and thus, the formal, written agreement of institutions or cooperating partners is not required at this stage. If a full proposal is invited, reasonable modifications of the budget or project work plan are permitted, as long as the scope or cost of the project is not significantly increased. The pre-proposal represents the first step in the project development. While brief in length, sufficient detail should be provided in the pre-proposal to convince the review committee of the importance and feasibility of the project.
Incomplete pre-proposals are subject to return without consideration.
MERC has a small staff. The staff is not able to advise on the
status of pre-proposals until the review is completed. You may have
to wait about four months after submission deadline.
Complete pre-proposals will be reviewed by a committee composed of USAID and State Department representatives from technical offices and Middle East regional bureaus, using the following criteria:
1. Strength and Durability of Arab-Israeli Cooperation
2. Relevance to Regional Development
3. Technical Merit and Innovation
4. Merit and Feasibility of Program Approach (includes management approach, cost effectiveness, enhancement of Middle East research capacity, etc.)
With MERC's major goal of contributing to the Peace Process, the greatest weight is placed on the first two criteria. The strength of Arab-Israeli cooperation is judged based on the following considerations:
a. direct cooperation versus implementation of parallel programs;
b. the relative roles of Israeli and Arab partners in achieving
overall project goals; and
c. the role of the U.S. partner (if one is included) as a technical
expert rather than as a buffer to direct Middle Eastern cooperation.
Pre-proposals judged to be competitive by the review committee will be invited to submit a full proposal. Letters of decline will not contain detailed comments due to the large volume of submissions. Further inquiries regarding pre-proposals must reference the pre-proposal number assigned by USAID at the time of the review.
Those invited to submit full proposals will be notified of the format and deadline for full proposals at the time of invitation. The guidelines for full proposals contain similar elements as above and will require a more detailed description of the project activities, answers to questions on ethical and safety issues, the resumes of the participants, and more detailed budget information.
Smaller proposals of $500,000 or less, which are judged by the review
committee to be of sufficiently high quality at the pre-proposal stage,
may be handled on a faster track without the formal submission of a full
proposal in the long format. However, this “fast track” procedure
is not automatically granted to every pre-proposal under $500,000 in which
the review committee finds substantial potential merit; most would receive
regular invitations to submit full proposals.
In order to be considered for the next cycle of funding, your pre-proposal must be received in our Washington Office by December 16, 2002. Applicants who meet this deadline should be informed of the status of their pre-proposals by April 2003. Applicants whose pre-proposals are judged competitive will be invited to submit full proposals. These proposals will be peer-reviewed by outside experts in the field of the proposal in the fall of 2003, and the applicants should be informed of the results in early 2004. When investigators have substantially met the concerns of the reviewers and the MERC Committee, the remaining required U.S. Government concurrences are sought before an award is made. Grants should begin to be awarded in mid/late 2004; in some cases the wait might be even longer. Funding should not be assumed until a formal, written grant is received from an authorized U.S. Government contracting officer. Pre-proposals received after December 16, 2002 deadline will not be considered until the next funding cycle.
Submit ten (10) copies of the pre-proposal by mail using the above format. Pre-proposals submitted by Fax will not be considered. Send the pre-proposal to:
Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC) Program
U.S. Agency for International Development
EGAT/EGAD/IP
Room 2.11-152 RRB
1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20523-2110 USA
Note: MERC cannot acknowledge receipt of your pre-proposal unless you attach a self-addressed postcard to the front of the first copy of the pre-proposal.
Further questions about the MERC Program should be directed to the Research Support Program staff. They can be reached by telephone at (202) 334-2633, by fax at (202) 334-2660, or by e-mail at review@nas.edu
THE NEXT DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT IN WASHINGTON, D.C. OF 4-6 PAGE PRE-PROPOSALS IS: December 16, 2002.
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