Alumni Training Grants: Countering WMD Threats by Protecting or Leveraging Emerging Technologies

CRDF Global is pleased to offer a training grant competition to alumni of previous emerging technology trainings who are citizens of Kenya, South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore, or India to support the development and implementation of local trainings to amplify awareness and share best practices for at least 25 participants from academic, private sector, or government institutions, specifically those facing demonstrated threats and vulnerabilities. Grants are a one-time, eight-month award of up to $8,000. Grantees will be expected to leverage past training content from emerging technology trainings to develop and implement their own unique training for local stakeholders.

Your training is required to address at least one of the following goals:  

1. Enhance capabilities of stakeholders to counter the misuse of emerging and advanced technologies with potential dual-use capabilities;
2. Increase the ability of stakeholders to safeguard WMD-related data and materials by leveraging emerging technologies.

Preventing the misuse or transfer of technologies with WMD-applications requires building awareness within those communities which could be targeted by nefarious actors for their technologies, expertise, knowledge, methodologies, and even nascent-stage research. Emerging and advanced technologies are becoming increasingly relevant to counter-WMD threat reduction efforts. New technologies can lower the barriers to entry for developing WMD and WMD delivery systems, and the landscape of technologies that can be misused to contribute to and refine WMD and delivery systems is widening. State and non-state actors continue efforts to acquire these technologies from vulnerable institutions and companies to advance their own WMD objectives.

CRDF Global seeks applications for grants to fund innovative trainings that focus on emerging technology risks, vulnerabilities, and risk reduction measures in the aforementioned countries. Possible topics include:

• Securing Supply Chains of Dual-Use Materials using Blockchain Technology
• Enhancing Institutional Security Practices for Gene Synthesis
• Securing Innovation and Technologies with Dual-Use Applications
• Preventing Nefarious Actors from Acquiring Dual-Use Materials through Cross-Sector Collaboration
• Implementing Know-Your-Customer and Due Diligence to Protect Emerging Biotechnologies
• Other relevant topics are welcome.

• Training grant applicants must be nationals of Kenya, South Africa, India, Malaysia, or Singapore and alumni of previous trainings related to emerging technology.
• Applicants from India must either have the FCRA Registration and account or provide documentation proving exemption.
• Applicants may apply individually or as a team.
• Institutional and/or managerial approval is required for applications to be considered for this competition.

• A completed application and supporting documents with all application sections filled out, including all grant-relevant documents in the announcement, linked here.
• Application materials and research products must be submitted in English.
• Application materials and supporting documents should be submitted in PDF Format.

To apply, please download the application materials below and send completed documents to Ms. Megan Weaverling (mweaverling@crdfglobal.org) and Ms. Amber Matalus (amatalus@crdfglobal.org).

For detailed information regarding general CRDF Global grant policies please click here.