Exposing Russian Health Disinformation | SFOP0006987

Opportunity Information: Apply for SFOP0006987

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Global Public Affairs, announced a discretionary grant opportunity titled "Exposing Russian Health Disinformation" (Funding Opportunity Number SFOP0006987) to support a focused research and reporting effort on health-related disinformation linked to Russia and the former Soviet Union. The program is managed through the Global Engagement Center (GEC) Russia Directorate and is designed to fund one organization to develop a substantive report that documents, analyzes, and helps publicly illuminate how Russian and Soviet actors have used health themes in disinformation campaigns. The overall intent is not only to study these narratives, but to expose them in a way that increases public understanding and awareness, particularly through effective public and media engagement.

This opportunity uses a cooperative agreement, which typically means the government expects an active partnership during the project rather than a purely hands-off grant. In this case, the selected organization would produce the report with guidance from subject matter experts within the GEC Russia Directorate, implying ongoing collaboration on scope, framing, or methodological considerations. The funding activity category is listed as Science and Technology and other Research and Development (CFDA 19.040), signaling that the deliverable is expected to be analytical and evidence-based, even if it is ultimately intended for broader communication and outreach audiences.

The competition is single-stage, meaning applicants submit full proposals upfront rather than first submitting a short concept note. Proposals are reviewed and scored by a merit review panel, with evaluation focused on two central factors: how well the proposal aligns with the program objectives, and the applicant's demonstrated capacity to achieve results. Capacity in this context points to proven experience in countering Russian disinformation through analysis and programming, and an ability to translate findings into effective public-facing and media engagement strategies. In practice, the strongest applicants would likely be those with a track record in disinformation research, narrative and network analysis, and communications products that can reach policymakers, journalists, and general audiences.

Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning the opportunity is open to a wide range of entity types, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that might appear in the full notice. The announcement anticipated a single award with an award ceiling of $250,000. The opportunity was created on May 21, 2020, with an original application closing date of June 20, 2020, indicating a relatively short application window typical of time-sensitive research and communications needs.

In short, this grant opportunity aimed to fund one capable organization to produce a well-supported report that traces and explains Russian and Soviet health disinformation campaigns, with the explicit goal of exposing these efforts and boosting public awareness. The project emphasizes both rigorous disinformation analysis and the ability to communicate findings effectively, supported by close coordination with GEC Russia Directorate experts under a cooperative agreement structure.

• The Department of State, Bureau of Global Public Affairs in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Exposing Russian Health Disinformation" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 21, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 20, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for SFOP0006987

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