Nonproliferation Scientist Engagement Program (Ukraine)

Deadline: 31-Jan-23

The Nonproliferation Scientist Engagement Program (NSEP) welcomes proposals relevant to engaging dual-use scientists from other former Soviet states who have relocated abroad due to Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine and who may be vulnerable to proliferator state exploitation.

The Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction (ISN/CTR), part of the Department’s Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation (ISN), sponsors foreign assistance activities funded by the Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining and Related Programs (NADR) account, and focuses on mitigating weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and WMD-related delivery systems proliferation and security threats from non-state actors and proliferator states.

In total, the NSEP will implement four discrete lines of effort in FY23:

As the program’s primary focus, virtual short-term fellowships and similar opportunities for eligible Ukrainian and other former Soviet émigré scientists to supplement their income on a temporary basis in support of peaceful civilian research, writing, publication, and engagement that can occur on a virtual basis or otherwise without the need for relocation.
Tailored capacity-building support for eligible Ukrainian scientists in research vetting, knowledge security, individual cybersecurity, and intellectual property protection to protect sensitive dual-use knowledge from unwitting disclosure to proliferator states or other malign actors.
Technology matchmaking and related tailored support to help displaced Ukrainian scientists with relevant expertise to find near-term civilian research opportunities that do not require relocation or permanently detach these experts from their home institutions in Ukraine, to which these experts plan to return as soon as circumstances permit.
Other innovative cooperative programming to address the nonproliferation mission described.

Priority Regions

The program prioritizes Ukrainian scientists, technicians, and engineers with dual-use expertise wherever they reside, with a recognition that this community largely remains either within Ukraine or within the Eastern, Central, and Southern European region. The program anticipates primarily engaging experts on a virtual basis in Ukraine, and on a virtual or hybrid basis in the Baltics and Eastern, Central and Southern Europe. As a U.S. foreign assistance program authorized to deliver nonproliferation capacity-building abroad, the program does not engage Ukrainian scientists located in the United States. Nor does the program support the relocation of Ukrainian scientists to the United States or any other location. The program does not fund the activity of experts from countries other than Ukraine or the former Soviet Union or train personnel at U.S.-based institutions.

Funding Information

Length of performance period: Twelve (12) Months
Number of awards anticipated: 4-5 awards (dependent on amounts)
Number of awards applications: 20
Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $50,000 to a maximum of $250,000
Total available funding: $835,000