U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation

CRDF Global is an "independent nonprofit organization that promotes international scientific and technical collaboration." CRDF Global was authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1992 under the FREEDOM Support Act and established in 1995 by the National Science Foundation. This unique public-private partnership promotes international scientific and technical collaboration through grants, technical resources, and training. CRDF Global was originally named the U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation for the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (CRDF).

CRDF Global's vision is to promote peace and prosperity through international science collaboration. Its mission is:

CRDF Global is based in Arlington, Virginia, and has offices in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, Russia; Kiev, Ukraine; Almaty, Kazakhstan; and Amman, Jordan.

Between 1995 - 2010, CRDF Global awarded nearly 3,000 grants to more than 13,000 scientists—including 2,500 former weapons researchers—and has committed more than $105 million in total support. In addition to its own funds, CRDF Global has been able to leverage more than $42 million in additional support from foreign governments; as well as cash and in-kind contributions from participating American businesses. In addition to its grantmaking, CRDF Global has a very popular service it provides to organizations seeking to conduct research collaborations abroad, called CRDF Solutions (formerly GAP.) Through this service, CRDF Global has facilitated more than 1,100 individual projects, valued at over $195 million, on behalf of more than 180 business and industry, education and government clients.

The Soviet Union employed an estimated 50,000-60,000 nuclear experts, 65,000 bioweapons experts, and 6,000 chemical weapons experts. When the Soviet Union collapsed, many of these once-privileged scientists, engineers, and technicians became unemployed, underemployed, or unpaid. To prevent weapons experts from selling their knowledge to unfriendly states, the US government established or co-established several programs and organizations to provide scientists with civilian employment in their home countries. These “scientist redirection” and “scientist engagement” initiatives include the International Science and Technology Center, the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine, the State Department’s Global Threat Reduction programs (formerly Nonproliferation of WMD Expertise), the Department of Energy’s Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention and now-defunct Nuclear Cities Initiative, and CRDF.

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