U.S. Mission to Venezuela: Collaborative Research Opportunities Program (CROP) in Agricultural STEM

Overview

This program will focus on building collaborative research opportunities at Venezuelan
universities and establishing research methods that adhere to international standards; building or
expanding research capacity; connecting Venezuelan researchers with their U.S. counterparts and
catalyzing university partnerships. This program supports the VAU’s higher education
engagement goals to galvanize efforts to expand partnerships between U.S. and Venezuelan
higher education institutions. This approach acknowledges that fortifying existing links and
promoting new partnerships at the university level will strengthen Venezuela’s educational
institutions as instruments of national development.

Key Deliverables: The 18-month CROP grant seeks to accomplish the program’s goals through
the completion of the following deliverables:

1. Online Capacity-Building sessions on research methodologies, grant applications and
compliance for Venezuelan university faculty and staff (approximately 25), living and
working in Venezuela. Additional topics could include (but not limited to)
market-based research, private-sector integrations, critical thinking and problem-solving
skills, important characteristics of a productive research environment and building up
under-graduate student research capacities.

Proposals should include a wide range of topics that focus on how to foster a culture of
research, including:
● Value and importance of a culture of research, including leadership support for a
campus-wide strategic vision;
● Main characteristics of a productive research environment, including
professional development prioritization;
● Critical policy components and successful steps for implementing a culture of
research;
● Case studies of successful university research development programs and
initiatives that lead to achieving international standards in research methods and
administrative support;
● Structured Networking sessions with multiple U.S. HEI counterparts to build
professional connections and catalyze; and
● Other key areas that support this effort.

2. Professional Networking Activities that support new academic collaborations and
university partnership opportunities in the Agricultural STEM.

3. U.S. Study Tour of multiple U.S. HEIs for up to ten Venezuelan university academics
and administrators from the 25 selected for Online Capacity-Building sessions
participants. These interactions should address potential research priority areas and focus
on building academic research partnerships and other potential international programs.

Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one
proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be
considered ineligible for funding.

Length of performance period: up to 18 months

Anticipated program start date: August 1, 2024

NOTE: Proposals that present a broad group of U.S. HEIs and innovative/creative online networking strategies efforts will be prioritized.

NOTE: Spanish language capacity is not required, however, proposals that include key staff with bilingual capacities (Spanish/English) will be prioritized.