Closed · DFOP0019227 · CFDA 19.502 · Discretionary

Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC)

Federal grant opportunity posted by Assistance Coordination, cataloged on Grants.gov.

$100K-$2M
Award range
Closed
Status
September 30, 2026
Close date
7
Expected awards

The verdict

Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC) is a closed discretionary listing from Assistance Coordination that offered $100,000 -- $2,000,000 across 7 expected awards. Future funding cycles may be published under the same CFDA number. PlainGrants indexes 114 other opportunities from Assistance Coordination.

$100K-$2M
award range
Closed
application status
7
expected awards
19.502
CFDA program

Recently closed NOFO

This listing closed on September 30, 2026. CFDA 19.502 may re-announce under a new opportunity number. Historical award band was $100,000 -- $2,000,000.

According to Grants.gov (extract vintage 2026-08-10), this record reflects the officially published listing. See methodology.

Deadline tracker

Application window closed

Closed September 30, 2026

Posted Jul 6 Closes Sep 30

Est. Total Funding

$10,000,000

Expected Awards

7

Instrument

Grant

Description

The Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC) Program supports joint scientific research and innovation partnerships between the United States, Israel, and countries across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The program funds applied research projects that address shared regional challenges while advancing U.S. economic, technological, and strategic interests. MERC is designed to bring together researchers, technical experts, and institutions to work on projects that go beyond basic research and demonstrate clear potential for application, commercialization, and broader adoption. MERC prioritizes efforts that strengthen U.S. technological leadership, expand opportunities for U.S. businesses, promote the use of U.S. technologies, and build long-term partnerships in the region. The program places strong emphasis on collaboration. All projects must include organizations from Israel and at least one eligible MENA country or territory. MERC welcomes U.S. participation, particularly when it adds technical expertise, supports market expansion for U.S. companies, or helps connect research to markets. Projects should demonstrate a clear plan for using and scaling results and how the outcomes benefit priorities of the United States and the participating countries. Overall, MERC aims to strengthen regional cooperation by supporting high-quality scientific partnerships that produce tangible results. By connecting U.S., Israeli, and MENA organizations, the program helps build networks, promote innovation, and create opportunities for economic growth, peaceful and mutually beneficial collaboration, and long-term stability in the region.

Catch-all / unrestricted eligibility mark · DFOP0019227

Grants.gov marks Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC) with a catch-all / unrestricted eligibility code (Others (see official listing text)). Read the official announcement text for the real applicant filter — the code alone is not a door list. The extract does not mark applicant cost-sharing as required. Instrument: Grant. Funding-activity code maps to Science and Technology / R&D (ST). This eligibility-code string dominates the Assistance Coordination book (69 peers, 60% of 115).

Code 25
Others (see official listing text)

Codes are Grants.gov eligibility category values from the extract vintage 2026-08-10. Confirm the full eligibility statement on the official listing or the Grants.gov eligibility reference.

Official Listing on Grants.gov

View full details, application forms, and submission instructions.

View on Grants.gov

Agency Contact

NEA-Grants@state.gov

What to do next

Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC) is closed; use the parent program and agency catalog for the next funding cycle.

  • Browse open federal opportunities in the same category when this listing is closed. Open opportunities
  • Look up CFDA 19.502 across all indexed listings before you commit to this opportunity alone. Eligibility finder
  • Compare award ranges across federal categories before you pick a single CFDA. All categories

Opportunity deadlines and eligibility change on Grants.gov; PlainGrants mirrors the extract and is not the submission system.

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from Grants.gov and SAM.gov and is for informational purposes only. Opportunity details, deadlines, and eligibility requirements change frequently. Always verify current information directly on Grants.gov before applying. PlainGrants is not affiliated with any federal agency.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from the SAM.gov Assistance Listings and Grants.gov. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainGrants