Deadline: 26-Jul-23
The U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan announces an open competition for U.S. and Kazakh organizations to submit applications for the 2023-2024 University Partnership Program (UPP) to increase collaboration between U.S. institutions and Kazakh Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
This program seeks to support economic diversification and growth in Kazakhstan. Project themes include the commercialization of research, partnerships with the private sector, joint research and publications between U.S. and Kazakhstani universities, curricula modernization, and building Kazakh institutional capacities to partner with U.S. institutions.
Project Goal
- Build greater financial management and research capacity of at least two Kazakh universities in fields that support diversified economic growth in Kazakhstan, including agriculture, renewable energy, IT and STEM-related sectors through partnership between US- Kazakh higher education institutions.
Project Objectives
- Objective 1: Increase understanding of five to seven Kazakh university leaders and administrators on diverse university financial management systems or entrepreneurial models.
- Objective 2: Increase adoption of efficient and transparent university management models, including financial sustainability principles, of at least two Kazakh universities based on best practices in U.S. higher education.
- Objective 3: Improve understanding of U.S. best practices on research and commercialization models, that support diversified economic growth in Kazakhstan.
- Objective 4: Increase the production of quality research publications in at least two Kazakh universities that address private sector needs, including in agriculture, renewable energy, IT and STEM-related fields.
- Note: Competitive project proposals will include plans for preliminary discussions between American and Kazakh universities on potential roadblocks, challenges, and opportunities for collaboration, and local contextual nuances of Kazakh universities in order to design effective and competitive projects.
Funding Information
- Length of performance period: September 2023 – March 2025
- Number of awards anticipated: 1 award
- Total available funding: $360,000
- Anticipated program start date: September 2023
- Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in 18 months or less.
Project Audience(s): Public universities in Kazakhstan (private universities can be additional partners, but not the main partner), and U.S. universities – especially research universities, community colleges, and technical institutions. Beneficiaries can be students, teaching professionals, or university managers. Competitive proposals would consider working with several institutions to foster a network of bilateral institutions, not just one-on-one partnerships.
Eligibility Criteria
- The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- U.S. or Kazakhstan-based organizations
- Civil society/non-governmental organizations
- Think tanks
- Public and private educational institutions
- Optional: Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.