Countering Terrorist Recruitment of Central Asian Foreign Workers
Can you apply?
This grant is for organizations countering ISIS-K's online radicalization and recruitment of Central Asian foreign workers, particularly in Tajik and Uzbek-speaking communities.
Eligible applicants include nonprofits, think tanks, civil society organizations, public and private educational institutions, for-profit organizations (if allowed), public international organizations, and governmental institutions.
Projects should focus on disrupting terrorist recruitment pipelines targeting labor migrants from Central Asia working abroad. Activities include peer engagement, digital literacy training, law enforcement partnerships, and technical assistance to Central Asian counterparts.
The work must address online radicalization channels—including social media, gaming platforms, and generative AI—while reducing terrorism threats to the United States and U.S. persons abroad.
This grant is for organizations countering ISIS-K's online radicalization and recruitment of Central Asian foreign workers, particularly in Tajik and Uzbek-speaking communities.
Eligible applicants include nonprofits, think tanks, civil society organizations, public and private educational institutions, for-profit organizations (if allowed), public international organizations, and governmental institutions.
Projects should focus on disrupting terrorist recruitment pipelines targeting labor migrants from Central Asia working abroad. Activities include peer engagement, digital literacy training, law enforcement partnerships, and technical assistance to Central Asian counterparts.
The work must address online radicalization channels—including social media, gaming platforms, and generative AI—while reducing terrorism threats to the United States and U.S. persons abroad.
Program description
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism (CT) announces a Notice of Funding Opportunity for projects that counter ISIS-K’s online radicalization and recruitment of Central Asian foreign workers, particularly Tajik and Uzbek speakers. ISIS-K uses sophisticated, multilingual online propaganda—including on social media, gaming platforms, and via generative AI—to target vulnerable labor migrants from Central Asia working abroad. This recruitment pipeline creates a persistent risk that seemingly localized radicalization abroad can translate into attacks on U.S. soil or against U.S. persons and assets in key transit hubs. This project is intended to advance early investigative interventions in this recruitment pipeline to close pathways that terrorists can use to move people, money, and operational guidance toward targets in the United States. Activities may include online peer engagement to address isolation among foreign workers; pre-departure and on-arrival consultations; digital literacy training; measures to strengthen trust between local law enforcement and communities to encourage reporting; enhancement of information-sharing platforms; enhanced digital forensics capabilities; and partnerships with experts and non-governmental organizations to identify and disrupt terrorist recruitment online, thereby reducing threats to the U.S. This project should also provide technical assistance to Central Asian law enforcement partners to improve their ability to identify and investigate digital evidence of terrorist recruitment efforts leading to counterterrorism prosecutions.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
Demographic focus
Details
This grant is for organizations countering ISIS-K's online radicalization and recruitment of Central Asian foreign workers, particularly in Tajik and Uzbek-speaking communities.
Eligible applicants include nonprofits, think tanks, civil society organizations, public and private educational institutions, for-profit organizations (if allowed), public international organizations, and governmental institutions.
Projects should focus on disrupting terrorist recruitment pipelines targeting labor migrants from Central Asia working abroad. Activities include peer engagement, digital literacy training, law enforcement partnerships, and technical assistance to Central Asian counterparts.
The work must address online radicalization channels—including social media, gaming platforms, and generative AI—while reducing terrorism threats to the United States and U.S. persons abroad.
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- Standard federal forms (SF-424 or equivalent State Department forms)
- Project narrative describing activities and implementation timeline
- Budget and budget narrative
- Organizational capacity and qualifications documentation
- Plan for evaluation and impact measurement
- Letters of support or memoranda of understanding from law enforcement or Central Asian partners
Program contact
- 👤 Bureau of Counterterrorism
- 📞 703-516-1684
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 19.701 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
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$22,988,485
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$12,475,819
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$11,840,645
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$11,692,024
-
$11,167,474
-
$11,074,555
-
$10,221,242
-
$7,749,000
-
$7,198,208
-
$7,095,687
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply for this grant?
Nonprofits, think tanks, civil society organizations, educational institutions, for-profit organizations, public international organizations, and governmental institutions can apply. The for-profit eligibility depends on appropriation language.
What activities does this grant support?
Online peer engagement with foreign workers, digital literacy training, law enforcement partnerships, digital forensics, technical assistance to Central Asian partners, and online disruption of terrorist recruitment efforts.
What is the funding amount?
The fixed award is $986,679 per project. This is a cooperative agreement with the Bureau of Counterterrorism.
When is the application deadline?
The deadline is June 9, 2026. This is a fixed deadline; rolling applications are not accepted.
Can my organization partner with international entities?
Yes. Partnerships with Central Asian law enforcement and non-governmental organizations are explicitly encouraged to improve investigative and prosecutorial capacity.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Focus your proposal on disrupting ISIS-K's specific recruitment channels targeting Central Asian migrant workers abroad. Demonstrate understanding of this recruitment pipeline.
- Emphasize your organization's capacity for online monitoring, digital analysis, and partnership with law enforcement in Central Asia or the United States. Concrete partnerships strengthen competitiveness.
- Address the nexus to U.S. security. Explain how your project reduces terrorist threats to the U.S. homeland or American persons and assets in key transit hubs.
- Include a credible plan for technical assistance to Central Asian counterparts. Reviewers prioritize applicants with existing regional relationships and relevant expertise.
- Clearly describe your digital literacy and peer engagement approach. Show how you will reach isolated migrant workers and build trust with vulnerable populations targeted by ISIS-K.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications fail when they lack a clear nexus to U.S. counterterrorism interests or focus too broadly on general deradicalization rather than ISIS-K's specific recruitment methods. Proposals without demonstrated law enforcement or Central Asian partner relationships often lack credibility with reviewers. Weak plans for monitoring online propaganda or disrupting digital recruitment channels miss the grant's core focus.
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