Award Amount: Varies

Eligibility: The CRDF offers GAP services for civilian scientific research, educational and charitable projects and activities of a pre-commercial nature in the countries of CRDF operations. Refer to the program announcement for complete eligibility criteria.

I. Background: The CRDF

The U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) is a non-profit organization authorized by the U.S. Congress and established in 1995 by the National Science Foundation to promote international science and technology collaborations.  The CRDF seeks to address this issue by fostering opportunities for collaborative projects between U.S. and foreign researchers that:

• Provide productive research and development opportunities that offer foreign scientists and engineers alternatives to emigration and strengthen the scientific and technological infrastructure of their home countries.

• Advance the transition of foreign weapons scientists to civilian work through collaborative non-weapons research and development projects.

• Help move applied research to the market place and bring economic benefits both to the United States and the countries with which CRDF works.

• Strengthen research and education in universities abroad.

II. Program Summary

The CRDF administers the Grant Assistance Program (GAP) to facilitate assistance efforts by public and private sector organizations in support of civilian scientific research, educational and charitable projects and activities in foreign counties that are consistent with CRDF's mission.

 GAP offers project administration, equipment procurement, import assistance, travel, financial management and logistical support services.  The CRDF has implemented innovative administrative and financial systems including an extensive and reliable network of banking relationships abroad, in-country offices, enabling agreements with foreign government authorities, detailed financial reporting mechanisms, and proven management procedures to manage the secure, efficient and accountable provision of project resources (funds and materials) to foreign recipients.  The CRDF has successfully delivered tens of millions dollars in funds and equipment to recipients in Eurasia since its founding, both for the CRDF's own programs and for third-party projects administered through GAP.  Payments are made to recipients in U.S. dollars and are generally exempt from taxation.  The CRDF maintains offices in Moscow and Kyiv with additional representatives located in St. Petersburg and Vladivostok and support contractors in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Kazakhstan.  All contractual and financial activities are conducted under the control of the CRDF headquarters office in Arlington, Virginia.  CRDF staff regularly reviews all banks involved in its payment network and closely coordinates with foreign-based staff to monitor payment activities through foreign banks.

 In addition to the CRDF's proven payment and financial management systems, GAP provides project consulting, as well as financial and administrative services to manage and monitor project resources on behalf of project sponsors. 
Under this program the CRDF:

• Assists Sponsors in the development and execution of research projects in countries of CRDF's operations including assistance in developing project budgets, establishing project milestones, establishing administrative and financial controls, and coordinating activities with foreign governments through existing agreements between CRDF and its foreign counterparts.

• Delivers project funds from Sponsor Organizations directly to foreign project participants.  Funds transferred by CRDF to projects in Eurasia are generally exempt from taxes (the level of tax exemptions varies by country) and are in U.S. dollars.

• Provides support for the procurement and delivery of project equipment and supplies free of taxes and customs duties.

• Facilitates the arrangement of international and domestic travel.

• Provides detailed financial reports to Sponsor Organizations for all project funds administered by the CRDF.

• Provides other services as negotiated with the sponsor (see Section VI: Additional GAP Services).

Over 150 government agencies, non-profit organizations, academic institutions and for-profit companies have utilized CRDF's unique capabilities through GAP.

Download: 

Grant Assistance Program Program Announcement and Application (181K) [download]
Grant Assistance Program Program Announcement and Application (229K) [download]