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.Apply for SFOP0006987
- 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.
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FAQs: Exposing Russian Health Disinformation (SFOP0006987)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The discretionary grant opportunity is titled "Exposing Russian Health Disinformation".
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is SFOP0006987.
Which U.S. government office announced this opportunity?
The opportunity was announced by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Global Public Affairs.
Which office manages the program?
The program is managed through the Global Engagement Center (GEC) Russia Directorate.
What is the main purpose of the program?
The program is designed to fund a focused research and reporting effort that documents, analyzes, and publicly illuminates health-related disinformation linked to Russia and the former Soviet Union. The intent is to increase public understanding and awareness, including through public and media engagement.
What type of award instrument is being used?
This opportunity uses a cooperative agreement.
What does a cooperative agreement mean in this program?
Based on the description provided, a cooperative agreement indicates the government expects an active partnership during the project rather than a fully hands-off grant. The selected organization would produce the report with guidance from subject matter experts within the GEC Russia Directorate, implying ongoing coordination on elements like scope, framing, or methodological considerations.
How many awards were expected to be made?
The announcement anticipated a single award (one organization selected).
What is the maximum funding amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling listed for this opportunity is $250,000.
Is eligibility restricted to certain types of organizations?
Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning the opportunity is open to a wide range of entity types, subject to any additional clarifications that may appear in the full notice.
What is the expected primary deliverable?
The key deliverable is a substantive report that documents and analyzes how Russian and Soviet actors have used health themes in disinformation campaigns, and presents findings in a way that helps publicly expose these efforts.
Is the goal purely research, or also public communication?
The goal includes both. The opportunity emphasizes rigorous, evidence-based analysis and also the ability to expose the narratives effectively to increase public awareness, particularly through public and media engagement.
What topic area does the funding activity fall under?
The funding activity category is listed as Science and Technology and other Research and Development.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number provided is 19.040.
What kinds of skills or experience would be important for an applicant?
Evaluation emphasizes alignment with program objectives and the applicant's capacity to deliver results. Capacity is described as including proven experience countering Russian disinformation through analysis and programming, plus the ability to translate findings into public-facing and media engagement strategies. The description suggests strong applicants would have experience in areas like disinformation research, narrative and network analysis, and communications products aimed at policymakers, journalists, and general audiences.
How is the competition structured (single-stage or multi-stage)?
The competition is single-stage, meaning applicants submit full proposals upfront rather than starting with a concept note.
How are proposals reviewed and selected?
Proposals are reviewed and scored by a merit review panel. The evaluation focuses on two central factors: (1) alignment with program objectives and (2) demonstrated capacity to achieve results.
What does "alignment with program objectives" mean here?
Based on the opportunity description, alignment would mean proposing a project that directly supports the core aims: producing a substantive report that documents and analyzes Russian/Soviet health disinformation and is designed to expose these narratives publicly to increase awareness.
What does "capacity to achieve results" mean in this context?
Capacity refers to whether the applicant can realistically deliver the report and outreach impact. The description points to demonstrated experience in countering Russian disinformation, conducting credible analysis, and producing outputs that can support public understanding and media engagement.
When was the opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on May 21, 2020.
What was the original application closing date?
The original application closing date was June 20, 2020.
How long was the application window?
Based on the creation date (May 21, 2020) and the closing date (June 20, 2020), the application window was relatively short, consistent with time-sensitive research and communications needs.
What geographic or political scope is emphasized?
The focus is on disinformation linked to Russia and the former Soviet Union, specifically on how actors tied to those contexts have used health-related themes in disinformation campaigns.
What is the overall intended impact of the funded work?
The intended impact is to improve public understanding by exposing and explaining health-related disinformation connected to Russian and Soviet actors, using a combination of research-quality analysis and effective public communication.
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