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**U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT**

# BUREAU FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH, AGRICULTURE, AND TRADE 

**2.11-152 RRB, 1300 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NW**

**WASHINGTON, DC 20523-2110 USA**

**[Deadline for Pre-proposal submission: December 15,
2004]{.underline}**

**THE MIDDLE EAST REGIONAL COOPERATION PROGRAM (MERC)**

The MERC Program funds collaborative research projects between Israel
and its Arab neighbors. Established as a result of the Camp David Peace
Accords to promote Arab-Israeli cooperation, MERC has expanded beyond
its original participants, Egypt and Israel, to include institutions
throughout the region. To date, the program has also funded activities
with participation from Jordan, Morocco, West Bank/Gaza, Lebanon, and
Tunisia.

The dual goals of the MERC Program are:

1\) To contribute to development and improvement of the quality of life
in the Middle East Region through the application of research and
technology.

2\) To contribute to regional cooperation in the Middle East through the
establishment of strong working relationships that will last beyond the
life of the project.

MERC funds cooperative technical projects in a wide variety of areas
including agriculture, health, environment, economics, and engineering.
Funds may be provided for grants of up to \$3 million over five years,
although proposals of more modest size are strongly encouraged and are
usually more competitive. Awards are based on technical merit and the
contribution to cooperation and development in the region. In this
regard, genuine Arab-Israeli partnerships and regional significance are
key elements of all successful MERC projects.

**[ELIGIBILITY]{.underline}**

Only proposals developed jointly by Arab and Israeli institutions are
accepted. Projects must include [at]{.underline} [least]{.underline} one
Israeli [and]{.underline} one Arab partner. Projects involving three or
more regional partners are also allowed. A proposal may be submitted by
any party in the collaboration. Partners may come from academic, private
sector, non-governmental, or governmental institutions.

The only non-regional partners allowed funding are U.S. institutions,
although U.S. participation is not a requirement. [If]{.underline} an
American partner is included, their role in the project should be
limited to providing technical assistance and must be justified on the
grounds of their specific technical qualifications in the subject area
of the proposal. The major focus of the MERC Program is on fostering
direct cooperation among Middle Eastern individuals and institutions.

MERC strongly encourages women, minorities, and persons with
disabilities to participate fully in its competitive program. No person
will be excluded from participation on the basis of race, color, age,
sex, national origin (as distinct from current nationality) or
disability.

**[TOPICS OF INTEREST]{.underline}**

MERC projects are not restricted to a particular sector. The program
seeks [applied]{.underline} research and technology development
proposals within the broad areas of the natural and physical sciences
and engineering. Projects most commonly involve research in the areas of
agriculture, health, environmental management, or engineering.
Investigators are also encouraged to integrate social science
approaches, economics, and the use of computer technology into the
research, where appropriate. The program aims to promote
researcher-initiated ideas, and thus, USAID does not assist in proposal
development.

Ideally, MERC projects should apply research and technology to regional
problems rather than issues of strictly local or even global concern.
Examples of the types of development impacts MERC aims to achieve
include, but are not limited to: economic growth that increases incomes
of the disadvantaged; improved environmental management; strengthened
and harmonized national policies; increased food production; water
conservation and efficient use; and reduction of the burden of disease
through better treatments or health management strategies.

In addition to emphasizing a collaborative approach to applied research,
the MERC Program seeks to strengthen human and institutional capacities
in the partner-countries in the areas of applied research, and to fund
projects that will have impacts on management and policy-making in the
region. Travel and training are encouraged to be included in proposals,
as needed to achieve the purposes of a well-defined project, but not as
independent and unrelated requests. Other subsidiary aspects of a
research project such as equipment, modest improvement of facilities,
communications, journals, publications, and dissemination of results are
supported, but only as they directly relate to the needs of the project
itself. Although not a requirement, MERC projects may also include
additional \"people to people\" components, such as joint Arab-Israeli
educational activities or extension training, but only if these
components directly complement the technical activities of the project.

Ultimately, the MERC Program strives to build sustained Arab-Israeli
cooperation. Most of all, the program places a premium on projects based
on true intellectual partnerships which can be sustained well beyond the
lifetime of the grant.

**[WHAT IS]{.underline} NOT [FUNDED]{.underline}**

MERC does [not]{.underline} fund purely basic research, but rather,
projects that will contribute to development in an estimated time frame
of ten years or less. Additionally, the program distinguishes research
from development projects and technology transfer. The program does not
support projects that solely represent the development of physical
infrastructures, core support for organizations, or delivery of
services. Examples of these types of [ineligible]{.underline} projects
include building of laboratories or clinics, delivery of health or
educational services, social development programs, or establishment of
private enterprises.

With its emphasis on more innovative research activities, the program
does not place a high priority on planning or case studies, operations
research, surveys, evaluations, baseline data collection, routine
geographical mapping, or literature reviews. Since MERC seeks to support
long-term, in-depth cooperation built upon defined, collaborative
projects, the program does not fund proposals that are primarily
conferences or workshops, fellowships or scholarships, professional
networking activities, or institutional development grants. These
activities may be incorporated as part of a research project, however,
they are not eligible to be considered as stand-alone activities.

**[FUNDING LEVELS]{.underline}**

Total MERC funding for all participants over the length of a project
(usually 2 to 5 years) may not exceed \$3 million, including overhead.
Proposals of more modest size are strongly encouraged, since MERC has a
mandate to use its available funds to maximize the number as well as
quality of Arab-Israeli linkages. There is no set minimum amount, and
current grants range in size from approximately \$200,000 to \$2.5
million. Large projects are not completely discouraged. Such proposals,
however, bear the burden to clearly demonstrate that the significance of
the problem they address, the merit of their approach, and the genuine
Arab-Israeli linkages they foster at multiple levels of the project
would outweigh the advantages of MERC instead supporting a larger number
of smaller projects.

**[GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSIONS]{.underline}**

To apply to MERC, you should submit a 4-6 page
**[pre]{.underline}-**proposal in English using the 11-element format
described below. Submissions that exceed **six (6)** pages or do not
follow the format may be declined without review. [Principals from all
participating institutions should collaborate in writing the
pre-proposal.]{.underline} Although signatures are not required at the
pre-proposal stage, do not include the names of participants unless they
have given their permission. Clearly indicate that the pre-proposal is
directed to the MERC Program, and mail ten copies of the pre-proposal to
our Washington, DC address.

[Pre-proposals **must** follow the format described below and include
each of the elements listed:]{.underline}

**1.** **Project Title:** It should be descriptive, but no longer than
one line.

**2. The Investigators** (including collaborating scientists) and their
institutional affiliations: Authors\' names should be in the following
format: surname all in capital letters, and initial caps only for other
given names. Add the [telephone, fax number, and e-mail
addresses]{.underline} of the principals. Do **[not]{.underline}** send
complete resumes, publications, bibliographies, or institutional
agreements at this time. Clearly identify the [one]{.underline} lead or
principal person who will serve as the key contact for the proposed
project and to whom all correspondences should be addressed. Be sure to
include the [full mailing address]{.underline} for this lead contact
person, as well as that of a primary contact from each participating
institution.

**3. Technical Project Objective(s):** Provide a numbered list of
objectives, with each objective being a very short, 1-3 line
description; usually not more than three or four objectives.

**4. Justification:** Provide a brief justification of the significance
of the project to the Middle East region in terms of its importance to
[development]{.underline} in the Middle East region. Briefly, but
clearly, describe the size/magnitude of the problem being addressed, in
terms of its impact on the Middle East region.

**5. Technical Background:** Provide a brief summary of earlier studies,
the technical basis and starting point for the work proposed,
preliminary data if available, and citations of a few key literature
references, as appropriate. This summary should also briefly clarify why
the proposed research is [scientifically]{.underline} important.

**6. Specific Work Plan Description:** Provide a [detailed
description]{.underline} of the proposed work, outlining the
[specific]{.underline} [activities]{.underline} proposed for this
project. State the scientific hypotheses and how they will be tested. In
scientific terminology, briefly describe the experimental design. Be
very specific about which experiments you intend to do and why. Do not
generalize. Similarly, describe and justify any other related technical
activities you plan to include.

> ***[Note]{.underline}:** [This is a very important
> section]{.underline}. Many pre-proposals fail because they do not
> provide a sufficiently specific technical description of the actual
> work planned.*

**7. Innovation:** Provide a brief description of what is new or
innovative about the proposed activity. How does it represent a
significant departure from other work in this area? Note that the mere
adaptation of existing technology is not considered innovative. Neither
is the inappropriate inclusion of sophisticated methodology when it does
not relate to the overall goal of the project.

**8. Project Structure and Management:**

a\) Briefly describe the organizational and operational plan for
managing the collaboration financially and programmatically (including
meetings, technical and management committees, etc., if applicable). Be
sure to identify the [one]{.underline} [institution]{.underline} that
would receive the grant and issue sub-grants to the other partner(s).
Very briefly indicate how you know your management structure is feasible
and the project can be done within the budget and time period you
propose.

b)  Briefly describe the division of labor among partners and the
    capabilities and substantive contributions of each partner
    institution. Indicate how the capacity of Middle Eastern
    institutions to conduct research would be enhanced by the project.

> **[Note]{.underline}:** If a U.S. partner is involved, you must also
> justify the unique contribution not available in the Middle East that
> this partner brings via their technical leadership in the field of
> study. Unnecessary use of a U.S. partner for administration is
> prohibited. The budget for all U.S. participants (including overhead)
> should not exceed 15% of the total budget (Israeli + Arab + American).
> Very rare exceptions may be made in cases where the justification for
> a larger role is warranted.

9.  **Arab-Israeli Cooperation:** Provide a brief description of the
    interaction between the Arab and Israeli participants at all levels
    of the project. Present evidence that this project would be a true
    intellectual partnership. For example, would there be joint decision
    making, direct Arab-Israeli exchanges of personnel (e.g., scientists
    in residence, the training of students from other countries), joint
    Arab-Israeli publications, conferences and workshops in region, etc.
    Be [specific]{.underline} about the cooperative activities that
    would occur in the project itself. If a U.S. partner is involved in
    the project, also clarify how that partner will avoid becoming a
    buffer to direct cooperation between the regional parties.

> ***[Note:]{.underline}*** *This section on Cooperation is an important
> part of any MERC submission. MERC funds projects that are genuine,
> [joint Arab-Israeli activities]{.underline}, **not** ones that are
> separate, parallel programs linked by occasional meetings.*

**10. Expected Benefits of the Project:**

a\) Identify who would be the primary beneficiaries of the information,
technologies, or management practices developed by the project.

b\) Describe how the project results would be disseminated to those
beneficiaries, and in what form, to ensure that the impact of the
program is realized.

c\) Provide evidence to indicate that the project collaboration or
impact will be sustainable beyond the life of the project (e.g. other
sources of financial support or institutional commitments; other agents
who will begin implementing or using research results such as extension
agents, service providers, private sector, etc.).

**11. Budget:** Provide a six-item budget in U.S. dollars (without
further details), indicating projected expenses in each of the six
categories listed below, for each institution. **[Use a separate single
column for each participating institution]{.underline}.** (Note that
projects are not required to spend in every category.)

\--salaries

\--equipment/materials (including reagents)

\--travel (directly related to the project)

\--training (directly related to the project)

\--overhead

\--other costs (explain these very briefly)

Also include total expense (sum) by institution and by country, along
with the overall total project cost. Finally, please briefly indicate
the other sources of support expected for this activity.

The budget should be based upon an estimate of the actual item costs
necessary to accomplish the project. It should reflect the prevailing
labor rates at each project site, and [not]{.underline} include extra
items or inflate costs in order to achieve a pre-determined total or
pre-determined split among partners. The use of non-MERC matching funds
to reduce costs is encouraged. Priority on major equipment purchases
should be given to those institutions that have less access to alternate
sources of significant funds. Remember the 15% limit on the U.S. share
of the total budget. Also note that MERC strongly discourages and
normally disallows the use of program funds for large overhead expenses,
the payment of salaries to principal investigators or other senior
staff, the purchase of non-U.S. equipment, and the purchase of vehicles
of any kind. Exceptions to these policies are very rare and will require
very convincing justification ([later]{.underline}, at the full proposal
stage), [if]{.underline} you are invited to submit a full proposal.
Guidelines on the submission of a formal, detailed budget, including
further guidance on allowable costs and cost justification requirements,
will be issued with invitations to submit a full proposal.

[Pre]{.underline}-proposals should [not]{.underline} include
biographical data sheets, resumes, publications, or general
institutional information such as brochures. These may be requested if
you are invited to submit a full proposal. Letters of support from
persons or institutions outside of the proposal are accepted but not
required. All applications must stand on their own merits.

[Pre]{.underline}-proposals are not binding agreements, and thus, the
formal, written agreement of institutions or cooperating partners is not
required at this stage. If a full proposal is invited, reasonable
modifications of the budget or project work plan are permitted, as long
as the scope or cost of the project is not significantly increased. The
pre-proposal represents the first step in the project development. While
brief in length, sufficient detail should be provided in the
pre-proposal to convince the review committee of the importance and
feasibility of the project.

Incomplete pre-proposals are subject to decline without consideration.

MERC has a small staff. The staff is not able to advise on the status of
pre-proposals until the review is completed. You may have to wait about
four months after submission deadline.

**[PRE-PROPOSAL REVIEW]{.underline}**

Pre-proposals will be reviewed by a committee composed of USAID and
State Department representatives from technical offices and Middle East
regional bureaus, using the following criteria:

1)  **Strength and Durability of Arab-Israeli Cooperation-** The project
    should be a joint effort instead of parallel programs, have full
    intellectual involvement of both sides, and [if]{.underline} a U.S.
    partner is included they must be a necessary technical expert and
    not a buffer;

2)  **Relevance to Regional Development-** The project should provide
    practical applications to development in the Middle East, address a
    key problem there, and potentially benefit a large number of people
    (for example, via jobs, health, environmental protection, etc);

3)  **Technical Merit and Innovation-** The project should have a sound
    technical workplan, and provide either a new technical contribution
    or a creative application to a significant regional issue; and

4)  **Merit and Feasibility of Program Approach-** The project should be
    cost effective, enhance Middle East research capacity (training,
    equipment, etc.), and provide an effective management structure and
    an approach likely to achieve its stated goals.

All four of the above selection criteria are very important and must be
met for any application to succeed. But with MERC\'s major goal of
contributing to regional cooperation, considerable weight is given to
the program's requirement for strong, direct Arab-Israeli cooperation.

Pre-proposals judged to be competitive by the review committee will be
invited to submit a full proposal. Letters of decline will not contain
detailed comments due to the large volume of submissions. Further
inquiries regarding pre-proposals [must]{.underline} reference the
pre-proposal number assigned by USAID at the time of the review. Those
invited to submit full proposals will be notified of the format and
deadline for full proposals at the time of invitation. The guidelines
for full proposals contain similar elements to those above and will
require a more detailed description of the project activities, answers
to questions on ethical and safety issues, the resumes of the
participants, and more detailed budget information.

Smaller projects of \$500,000 or less, which are judged by the review
committee to be of sufficiently high quality at the pre-proposal stage,
may be handled on a faster track without the formal submission of a full
proposal in the long format. However, this "fast track" procedure is not
automatically granted to every pre-proposal under \$500,000 in which the
review committee finds substantial potential merit; most would receive
regular invitations to submit full proposals.

**[SUBMISSION OF PRE-PROPOSALS]{.underline}**

In order to be considered for the next cycle of funding, your
pre-proposal must be [received in our Washington Office]{.underline} [by
December 15, 2004]{.underline}. Applicants who meet this deadline should
be informed of the status of their pre-proposals by April 2005.
Applicants whose pre-proposals are judged competitive will be invited to
submit full proposals. These proposals will be peer-reviewed by outside
experts in the field of the proposal in the fall of 2005, and the
applicants should be informed of the results in early 2006. When
investigators have substantially met the concerns of the reviewers and
the MERC Committee, the remaining required U.S. Government concurrences
are sought before an award is made. Grants should begin to be awarded in
mid/late 2006; in some cases the wait might be even longer. Funding
should not be assumed until a formal, written grant is received from an
authorized U.S. Government contracting officer. Pre-proposals received
after December 15, 2004 deadline will not be considered until the next
funding cycle.

Submit **ten (10)** copies of the pre-proposal **[by mail]{.underline}**
using the above format. Pre-proposals submitted by Fax will
**[not]{.underline}** be considered. Send the pre-proposal to:

**Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC) Program**

**U.S. Agency for International Development**

**EGAT/IP Room 2.11-152 RRB**

**1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW**

**Washington, D.C. 20523-2110 USA**

**Note:** MERC cannot acknowledge receipt of your pre-proposal unless
you attach a self-addressed postcard to the front of the first copy of
the pre-proposal.

Further questions about the MERC Program should be directed to the
Research Support Program staff. They can be reached by telephone at
1-202-334-2633, by fax at 1-202-334-2660, or by e-mail at
<review@nas.edu>.

**THE NEXT DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT IN WASHINGTON, D.C. OF 4-6 PAGE
[PRE-]{.underline}PROPOSALS IS:**

**December 15, 2004.**