Countering Terrorist Recruitment of Central Asian Foreign Workers

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism administers this funding opportunity as part of its broader mandate to prevent and disrupt terrorist threats to the United States and its interests abroad. The Bureau focuses on countering evolving terrorist tactics, including the increasing use of digital platforms and transnational recruitment strategies. This specific opportunity targets the growing threat posed by ISIS-K and its efforts to radicalize and recruit Central Asian foreign workers, particularly Tajik and Uzbek speakers, through sophisticated online propaganda campaigns. The purpose of this grant is to support projects that counter terrorist recruitment pipelines by addressing both the digital and social vulnerabilities exploited by extremist groups. ISIS-K has demonstrated the ability to leverage multilingual messaging across social media, gaming platforms, and emerging technologies such as generative artificial intelligence to reach migrant labor populations. These individuals are often isolated and susceptible to recruitment while working abroad. The program seeks to disrupt these pathways before they lead to operational threats against U.S. persons, infrastructure, or interests. Funding is intended to support a range of allowable activities that strengthen early intervention and investigative capabilities. These may include online peer engagement initiatives designed to reduce isolation among foreign workers, digital literacy training to counter misinformation, and pre-departure and arrival consultations for migrants. Additional activities may involve enhancing trust between local law enforcement and communities, improving reporting mechanisms, strengthening information-sharing platforms, and expanding digital forensics capabilities. The program also encourages partnerships with non-governmental organizations and subject matter experts to identify and counter extremist messaging online. Eligible applicants include a broad set of organizational types such as nonprofit organizations, think tanks, civil society organizations, public and private educational institutions, for-profit entities where permissible, public international organizations, and governmental institutions. This inclusive eligibility framework reflects the program’s emphasis on multidisciplinary collaboration across sectors and geographies to address a transnational security challenge. The application process is conducted through Grants.gov, where applicants must submit a complete proposal by the stated deadline. While specific application components are not detailed in the summary, applicants are expected to provide a comprehensive project narrative, implementation plan, and supporting documentation aligned with federal grant submission requirements. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement associated with this opportunity, which lowers the barrier to entry for eligible organizations. The evaluation of applications will likely focus on the proposed project’s effectiveness in countering terrorist recruitment, the feasibility of implementation, the strength of partnerships, and the applicant’s organizational capacity. The funding opportunity was posted on April 9, 2026, with a closing date of June 9, 2026. The award ceiling and floor are both set at 986,679 dollars, indicating a single anticipated award of fixed value, although the expected number of awards is listed as zero, suggesting potential administrative or funding uncertainties. Contact for the opportunity is provided via email through the Bureau of Counterterrorism.