Funding & Exchange Opportunities

The following programs involve work or travel in some manner with scholars and students in Russia.

We are looking for information on additional programs which could be posted here. We are particularly interested in programs which might fund science and education programs within Russia. If you have knowledge of such, please contact us at:

Thank you!

Upcoming Meetings and Conferences

Funding Agencies

United States Information Agency (USIA)

The United States Information Agency (USIA) is an independent foreign affairs agency within the executive branch of the U.S. government. USIA explains and supports American foreign policy and promotes U.S. national interests through a wide range of overseas information programs. The agency promotes mutual understanding between the United States and other nations by conducting educational and cultural activities. USIA maintains more than 211 posts in 147 countries where it is known as USIS, the U.S. Information Service. The USIA Fact Sheet is provided here and describes USIA programs and activities in three parts: USIA NIS-wide base programs; USIA NIS-wide Freedom Support Act programs, and USIA NIS-wide Technical Assistance programs. An appendix provides an overview of country- specific information.

The United States Information Agency will fund fiscal 1995 projects to provide about 1,000 U.S.-based internships to Russian local government officials and business people to learn about market economics and promote supportive business environments for the participants upon their return to Russia. The complete RFP material is located here.

The complete Request for Proposal for the USIA Training Program with the Newly Independent States is located here. Involved countries include: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. The complete RFP for the Federalism in Russia Partnership Program is available here.

Center for Civil Society International (CCSI)

The purpose of Center for Civil Society International is to support and promote international activities by American voluntary organizations and independent associations that strengthen institutions of pluralistic, law-based, and market-oriented societies worldwide.

The Eurasia Foundation

The Eurasia Foundation is a privately managed nonprofit grantmaking organization established in 1993 with financing from the US Agency for International Development. The Eurasia Foundation supports technical assistance, training, educational, and policy programs in the New Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union (excluding the Baltic States) covering a wide range of activities in economic and democratic reform. Additional information includes:

International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX)

Here is some important material posted by Tony Byrne of the International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX) about their programs. From one of the documents, "the principal purpose of the International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX) is to serve the interests of the American scholarly community engaged in individual and collaborative research and intellectual exchanges in the successor states to Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union."

IREX has published Educational Advising Materials to assist students and scholars of the NIS looking for opportunities to study in the US.

SOROS Foundation Internet/E-Mail Program

The objective "is to provide e-mail and full Internet access to individuals and organizations in Central & Eastern Europe as well as the non-Slavic republics of the NIS."

International Science Foundation

The International Science Foundation (ISF) is an American charitable organization specializing in support of the natural sciences on the territory of the former Soviet Union (FSU) and Baltic states. ISF's initial mandate is to allocate $100 million within two years, 1993-1994. The possibility of additional financial commitments may be considered at a later date. For the purposes of ISF, "basic/fundamental research" may be interpreted as that research directed toward increased knowledge or understanding of natural processes and phenomena without reference to any specific application. Also, FSU and Baltic states may be defined as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

Material on the ISF includes:

Thanks to Chris Williams for providing this information.

United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

Since 1961, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has been charged with implementing programs which further American self-interest and demonstrate American humanitarian concern. Spending less than one half of one percent of the federal budget, USAID works in four interrelated areas crucial to achieving U.S. foreign policy objectives: improving health and population conditions; promoting economic growth; protecting the environment; and supporting democracy. In addition, USAID's assistance to victims of famine and other natural and man-made disasters saves thousands of lives every year. (USAID information is also Available on a gopher site)

The Rule of Law Consortium (ARD/Checchi Joint Venture), under the auspices of the USAID, has announced Rule of Law Grants Program to support the creation of a stable environment for the transition, through the rule of law to a democratic, market-based society in Ukriane, Moldova, or Belarus.

The Center for Field Research at EARTHWATCH.

"The Center develops research programs for funding by Earthwatch, an international non-governmental organization that provides over $6 million in grants annually to 150 projects in 55 countries. Earthwatch dramatically expanded its support of field research in the eastern bloc beginning in 1989, and has to date funded about 50 projects with over $1 million and 1,200 volunteer research assistants."

SATW/Branco Weiss Foundation

The Foundation offers scholarships for young engineers from the Commonwealth of Independent States and Switzerland.

The Office for Central Europe and Eurasia (OCEE)

"The Office for Central Europe and Eurasia (OCEE), a component of the Office of International Affairs of the NRC, organizes and manages collaborative activities relating to countries of the former Soviet Union and Central Europe. Its two main types of activities are 1) individual grants programs for American scientists to pursue joint collaborative projects with counterparts from the region, and 2) workshops and Young Investigator Programs to facilitate cooperation on problems at the intersection of science and public policy. Examples of past programs/workshops include the environmental risks of nuclear power, new approaches to limiting undesirable applications of dual-use technologies, and defense conversion at the enterprise level. OCEE has been particularly active in Western efforts to aid the best scientists and to help reform the scientific enterprise in the former Soviet block." Investigate their listing of programs.

Ukraine PVO/NGO Listing

A listing of 311 organizations that are involved in some type of Private Voluntary/Non-Government (PVO/NGO) activity on behalf of Ukraine are provided by the anonymous ftp/gopher/www-mosaic site located at the Ohio Supercomputer Center. Before reading this list it is a good idea to to take a look at the README.ukr file which describes what material is provided.

The Sabre Foundation, Inc.

The Sabre Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit charitable organization active in educational support to countries in the former Communist bloc. Since 1986, Sabre's Scientific Assistance Project has provided over 2 million books and journals to thousands of institutions and countless individuals in the 16 countries it serves in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union (FSU). In a recent initiative, Sabre has expanded the concept of book donation to include a project for delivery of information to sites in the FSU, utilizing the structures, networks, and on-line resources available on the thousands of computer networks interconnected in a global web of networks known as the Internet. The Internet-based Technical Assistance Project (TAP) involves technical assistance; training in Internet on-line resources; and development of repositories/archives of full-text electronic documents in selected topic areas. In addition to book donation and TAP, Sabre's activities include: reduced-costs journal and book purchase programs; translation and publication projects; and directory compilation and production.

The Global Fund for Women

The Global Fund for Women is an international grantmaking organization which provides funds for groups that are committed to women's well-being and full participation in society, encourages increased support worldwide for women's programs, provides leadership in promoting the importance of women's participation internationally and, gives support to women's groups working on issues that are considered, emerging, controversial, or difficult.

Additional Funding and Exchange Information

Scientist to Scientist

 This is an excellent newsletter produced by the American Association for the Advancement of Science which serves as a clearinghouse of information on funding opportunities for scientists in the region of the former Soviet Union; conferences and meetings in that region; and general networking information for all disciplines.

World Learning, Inc.

An excellent listing of funding sources for work in the NIS has been compiled by this organization.

United Nations Position Vacancies

United Nations Position Vacancies are provided here by Thomas F. Burola & Associates, International Management Consultants to the United Nations.

Remarks by President Bill Clinton, May 23, 1995

Read what President Bill Clinton said concerning Congressional efforts to merge USAID, ACDA and USIA with the State Department and to cut the foreign affairs budget.

Funding Programs

natasha@ibpm.serpukhov.su - OR - gcole@solar.rtd.utk.edu

Last Modified September 20, 1995