Addressing Development and Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons by Russia

The U.S. Department of State's Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) within the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation (ISN) is accepting proposals for its FY25/26 funding opportunity titled “Addressing Development and Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons by Russia.” This initiative, issued under opportunity number DFOP0017240, seeks to address a critical national and international security concern: the continued development and potential use of chemical and biological weapons (CBW) by the Russian Federation. The grant opportunity is informed by multiple confirmed uses of Novichok agents and consistent intelligence that Russian institutions continue to develop CBW capabilities. The program will award up to $15 million in funding for eligible projects designed to mitigate these threats by disrupting illicit procurement networks and improving international CBW detection and response capacities. Eligible entities for this opportunity include a wide array of U.S.- and foreign-based organizations: nonprofit and for-profit organizations, public and private institutions of higher education, Public International Organizations (PIOs), Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), and Foreign Public Entities (FPEs). The Department does not require matching funds for eligibility, and applications may be submitted by organizations based in the United States or internationally. All applicants must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and active registration in SAM.gov. The application submission must be made via Grants.gov by 11:59 PM EDT on July 30, 2025. The goals of this funding opportunity include preventing the acquisition of sensitive biological, biotechnology, chemical, and pharmaceutical (BBCP) materials and equipment by Russia, training first responders and lab staff to identify and handle CBW incidents, building regional detection capacity, and promoting cybersecurity in CBW detection infrastructure. The program will also fund private consultations with BBCP industry executives, Know Your Customer’s Customer (KYC) training sessions, law enforcement education on pre-attack indicators, and technical trainings aligned with OPCW standards. All proposed projects must include robust monitoring and evaluation components to assess effectiveness and long-term sustainability. Eligible proposals must contain a complete application packet including SF-424 and SF-424A forms, a summary page, project narrative(s), key personnel information, budget documentation, and a monitoring and evaluation plan. Each project proposed must have a unique identifier and associated documentation. Detailed budget line-items and budget narratives are required, and if applicable, sub-grantee budgets must be submitted as well. Applications that exceed document page limits or fail to adhere to formatting instructions will be disqualified. All required forms are available on Grants.gov. Proposals will be reviewed based on a 100-point scoring system that evaluates the feasibility and quality of the project (25 points), organizational capacity and experience (20 points), ability to achieve objectives (15 points), financial capacity and cost-effectiveness (15 points), quality of monitoring and evaluation plans (15 points), and sustainability of outcomes beyond the funding period (10 points). The ISN/CTR reserves the right to request clarifications, additional documentation, or to negotiate proposed costs before making final selections. Award notices will be sent no later than October 15, 2025, and projects are expected to start on January 1, 2026. For questions about the application process, applicants should contact ISN-CTR-BUDGET@state.gov and ctrspecialprojectsproposals@state.gov. The department will collect and post responses to applicant questions every Friday until July 25, 2025. ISN/CTR will not provide one-on-one meetings regarding proposal specifics prior to the deadline. All programmatic activities must comply with Department of State requirements, including anti-discrimination laws, counterterrorism vetting, and restrictions on organizations with tax liabilities or recent felony convictions. This funding opportunity is intended to support programs that directly contribute to U.S. national security and global CBW nonproliferation efforts.