Middle East Regional Cooperation Program
Program Funding
Annual program obligations reported to SAM.gov.
Who has received this funding
Organizations awarded under CFDA 19.502 (USAspending.gov).
- The Galilee Society - The Arab National Society For Research And Health Services $603,619
Funded Projects
Examples of what this program has supported.
MERC Program grants yielded technical outcomes relevant to profitable agriculture and healthcare services in FY2025. Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian researchers worked together to improve the quality of olive oil allowing local oils to compete with European products and concretely demonstrating the economic value of cooperation with Israel. Their recommendations to improve the quality and stability of stored oil that were adopted by commercial olive oil companies. In five separate grants, Israeli and Palestinian scientists and medical professionals elucidated the prevalence and cause of rare genetic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, animal borne disease, and a stomach infection causing a multitude of health and developmental challenges in children. In each case, solutions, interventions, and drug therapies were evaluated and/or developed to improve the quality of life and cross-border health security.
Program Objective
The Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC) Program is a long-standing U.S. federal grants program promoting scientific and technical cooperation between the U.S., Israel, and the broader Middle East that advances U.S. national priorities, including a comprehensive and lasting Middle East peace. The program's objectives include: (1) Supporting applied, actionable research that advances the priorities of the United States and recipient countries; (2) Promoting U.S. commercial diplomacy by facilitating engagement between scientific researchers, technical experts, and the private sector in Israel, the broader Middle East region, and the United States; and (3) Enabling direct cooperation, strengthen peaceful partnerships, and establish durable working relationships between individuals, organizations, and communities in Israel and the broader Middle East region.
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants
- Unrestricted by Entity Type
Subject to change based on U.S. federal law and country-specific restrictions on funding, in addition to Israel the following countries/territories are eligible to apply as MENA partners: Algeria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and the West Bank and Gaza. Partners may come from academic, private sector, non-governmental, or governmental institutions eligible to receive U.S. foreign assistance.
How to Apply
Award Procedure
Proposals will be reviewed by a review panel composed of U.S. Department of State representatives from technical and regional offices. Proposals for scientific research will also be evaluated by an external peer-review panel. Final award decisions will be influenced by whether the proposal meets MERC’s programmatic goals and objectives.
Decision Timeline
- Approval: > 180 Days
It takes approximately one year from the time of initial application submission (pre-proposal) to awarding funds.
Program details & compliance
Description
The Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC) Program is a long-standing U.S. federal grants program promoting scientific and technical cooperation between the U.S., Israel, and the broader Middle East that advances U.S. national priorities, including a comprehensive and lasting Middle East peace. MERC supports applied research grants that often span multiple years. A consortium must include at least one recipient from Israel and one from the broader Middle East and North Africa region and confer benefit to the United States, generally through cooperation with an American private sector company.
Mission Categories
Primary: Research and Development
Use of Funds
Allowed Uses
This varies based on the NOFO, please see the NOFO posted on Grants.gov for more information.
Required Documentation
Proposals will be screened to determine whether they meet the program eligibility requirements detailed in the notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) posted on Grants.gov. Proposals that do not demonstrate that they meet all eligibility requirements described in the NOFO may not be advanced for review and may be deemed ineligible for funding. Proposals cannot be revised or amended once the competition deadline has passed.
Reporting & Compliance
Applicable 2 CFR 200 Subparts
- Subpart B — General Provisions
- Subpart C — Pre-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart D — Post-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart E — Cost Principles
- Subpart F — Audit Requirements