National Research Competition

The National Council for Eurasian and East European Research (NCEEER) invites proposals for its National Research Competition. This competition provides funds for both collaborative and individual research projects in the humanities and social sciences in or on any country of Eurasia or Eastern Europe. All scholars on collaborative or individual projects must be U.S. citizens and PhD holders. In addition, applicants must have completed any previous NCEEER grants received before they may apply for a new grant.

Research Contracts support collaborative projects involving multiple scholars who are U.S. citizens and PhD holders, with a maximum award of $40,000. Research grants support projects by individual researchers who are U.S. citizens and PhD holders, with a maximum award of $20,000. Contracts provide funding to scholars or researchers via institutional awards, while Grants are awarded directly to the scholar or researcher. Accordingly, Contracts and Grants involve different application forms and guidelines, which can be found in the Apply section of this website.

*Contingent on availability of funds

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• Countries Eligible for Research
• Research Activity
• Summer Salary Support
• Administrative Fees
• Submission of Applications
• Application Components
• Deadlines
• Funding

Albania Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Bosnia-Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Czech Republic Estonia Georgia

Hungary Kazakhstan Kosovo Kyrgyzstan Latvia Lithuania Moldova Montenegro Poland Republic of North Macedonia

Romania Russia Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Tajikistan Turkmenistan Ukraine Uzbekistan

Travel to certain countries may be subject to restrictions due to unforeseen world events, statutory restrictions, U.S. embassy requirements, or general security concerns.

Research Contracts support collaborative projects involving multiple scholars who are U.S. citizens and PhD holders, with a maximum award of $40,000. Research Grants support projects involving an individual scholar who is a U.S. citizen and PhD holder, with a maximum award of $20,000. Contracts provide funding to scholars or researchers via institutional awards, while Grants are awarded directly to the scholar or researcher. Accordingly, Contracts and Grants involve different application forms and guidelines, which can be found in the Apply section of this website.

Funding for summer salary support is ordinarily not fundable by NCEEER. Research support funding is primarily to be devoted to necessary travel and research expenses. While regular salary support will be considered, summer salary support will be considered as the lowest priority for funding. Any exception concerning summer salary support will need to have clear and detailed specification of its necessity for completion of the proposed project.

Please note that NCEEER charges a 7% administrative fee for the management of grants negotiated directly between NCEEER and a successful grant applicant. If you wish to have your university administer your grant, please be advised that they are allowed to charge up to 10% of your grant for administrative costs. They could charge less. As such, applicants should check with their universities to see what the indirect charge is likely to be for your application. Applicants engaged in collaborative projects should work only through their universities. Those applicants engaged in individual research have the option of working with NCEEER directly. Please contact the NCEEER staff if you have questions.

 

Before beginning the application process, please thoroughly read either the Contract application guidelines or the Grant application guidelines, depending on for which one you are applying.  All application materials can be found in the "Apply" section of this website.

To apply, e-mail the application form and associated files as a single zipped attachment to with Application [your last name] in the subject line. If you do not receive an automated response, please check your Spam folder and e-mail to confirm receipt.

The application forms can be downloaded by visiting the "Apply" section of this website.  All applications must include the following items:

NRC Contract

1. Application form – if applying by e-mail or mail, download the relevant application forms from the NCEEER website (from the home page, click Apply/Application Forms)
2. A project proposal of no more than ten pages (double-spaced, 12-point font) describing the nature of the research to be conducted, including its relevance to contemporary concerns of U.S. policy-makers responsible for the formation of implementation of U.S. foreign policy toward one or more countries of the region
3. An estimated budget
4. A current Curriculum Vitae (CV), organized in chronological order and no longer than four pages
5. A transmittal letter from the institution that will be submitting the Application
6. A Human Subjects Review form, if relevant to your proposal
7. Two letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with your work and your proposal. These are to be sent directly to NCEEER by the referees and must include the referee's physical or digital signature.

NRC Grant

1. Application form – if applying by e-mail or mail, download the relevant application forms from the NCEEER website (from the home page, click Apply/Application Forms)
2. A project proposal of no more than ten pages (double-spaced, 12-point font) describing the nature of the research to be conducted, including its relevance to contemporary concerns of U.S. policy-makers responsible for the formation of implementation of U.S. foreign policy toward one or more countries of the region
3. An estimated budget
4. A current Curriculum Vitae (CV), organized in chronological order and no longer than four pages
5. A Human Subjects Review form, if relevant to your proposal
6. Two letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with your work and your proposal. These are to be sent directly to NCEEER by the referees and must include the referee's physical or digital signature.

The deadline for applications and all supporting materials is December 31, 2024. Documents sent through the Postal Service must be received by this date.

The Board of Directors will review and evaluate the proposals. NCEEER will notify you regarding the status of funding for your proposal on or before March 1, 2025. NCEEER cannot elaborate on the reasons given for the rejection of proposals.

NCEEER's National Research Competition is made possible by federal funds. Accordingly, Grants and Contracts are subject to Federal laws and regulations, including OMB Circulars A-21, A-110, A-122, A-128, and A-133. Grants are also subject to the availability of funds.