University Partnership Program (UPP) | DOS KAZ AST AEECA 23 003

Opportunity Information: Apply for DOS KAZ AST AEECA 23 003

The University Partnership Program (UPP) is a U.S. Department of State grant opportunity run by the U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan that funds practical, structured collaboration between U.S. higher education institutions and Kazakh higher education institutions (HEIs). For the 2023-2024 cycle, the program is designed to help Kazakhstan diversify its economy by strengthening university management, research capacity, and the ability of universities to work with industry and commercialize research. The opportunity is framed as an open competition for U.S. and Kazakh organizations to propose partnership activities that produce measurable improvements in how Kazakh universities operate, how they conduct and publish research, and how effectively they connect academic work to private-sector needs, especially in areas like agriculture, renewable energy, IT, and other STEM-related fields.

A major driver behind this round of UPP is the recognition that Kazakhstan has recently introduced legislative changes that loosened rigid rules around curriculum design. With those reforms underway, the program wants U.S. institutions to share experience and workable models in areas that tend to determine whether universities become innovative and financially resilient: transparent financial management, management accountability, diversified revenue strategies beyond government support, building a research and development ecosystem, and creating pathways for research findings to move into real-world use through commercialization and industry partnerships. The Mission also explicitly ties these improvements to broader governance outcomes, arguing that better institutional transparency, inclusive management, and stronger student-oriented services can reinforce democratic values at the institutional level while making universities more competitive and sustainable.

UPP builds on a multi-year track record in Kazakhstan. Over more than five years, the program has connected 33 Kazakh universities with 30 U.S. universities, supporting improvements in teaching approaches, educational programming, and institutional and research capacity, along with joint projects on issues such as air pollution, environmental protection, and economic diversification. A key point emphasized in the grant description is that prior UPP awards often acted as seed funding that helped partnerships continue even after U.S. government support ended. Some partners reportedly went on to pursue other funding streams, including programs like Bolashaq scholarships or research funding such as National Science Foundation support, to keep faculty collaboration and joint research moving forward.

The opportunity also reflects lessons learned from monitoring, evaluation, and past implementation. One concrete takeaway is that creating entirely new curricula can run into bureaucratic barriers that prevent adoption, even if the content is strong. Because of that, proposals that involve curriculum work are expected to focus more on modernizing and updating existing curricula, which is typically easier for universities to approve, integrate, and actually teach. In general, the program is looking for proposals that anticipate real-world constraints inside Kazakh universities and address them directly through early planning and partner alignment.

In terms of what applicants are expected to do, the program encourages innovative partnership mechanisms rather than only traditional exchanges. It signals interest in models such as incubation hubs, professional development centers, and activities that build basic research capability. The program can be implemented through sub-awards to partner institutions or through activities run directly by the main implementer, but either way the emphasis is on institutional change and capacity building that can last beyond the grant period. Competitive proposals are also encouraged to go beyond a simple one U.S. university paired with one Kazakh university. The notice suggests that stronger applications will create a small network of institutions on both sides, helping best practices spread among Kazakh universities as well as across the bilateral partnerships.

The stated goal is to build stronger financial management and research capacity at a minimum of two Kazakh universities in fields tied to diversified economic growth, using U.S.-Kazakh higher education partnerships as the vehicle. The objectives are specific and practical: first, to increase understanding among roughly five to seven Kazakh university leaders and administrators of different financial management systems and entrepreneurial university models; second, to increase actual adoption of efficient and transparent management approaches, including financial sustainability principles, at at least two Kazakh universities based on U.S. best practices; third, to improve understanding of U.S. approaches to research management and commercialization models that can support diversified growth; and fourth, to increase the production of higher-quality research publications at at least two Kazakh universities that respond to private-sector needs, particularly in agriculture, renewable energy, IT, and STEM disciplines. Taken together, these objectives make clear that the program is not only about training or short-term engagement, but about getting universities to implement new operational practices, produce stronger research outputs, and build durable links to industry.

The primary audience and institutional targets are public universities in Kazakhstan, with private universities allowed as additional partners but not meant to be the main counterpart. On the U.S. side, the program is aimed at universities, with particular interest in research universities, community colleges, and technical institutions that can bring applied expertise and workforce-relevant models. The beneficiaries can include students, faculty and teaching professionals, and university managers, reflecting the program’s emphasis on both academic quality and the behind-the-scenes systems that shape long-term performance.

From a funding and administration standpoint, this is a discretionary opportunity issued by the Department of State (U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan) under CFDA number 19.900, using a cooperative agreement mechanism. The funding opportunity number is DOS KAZ AST AEECA 23 003. The posted award ceiling is $360,000, with an expectation of one award. The opportunity was created June 5, 2023, with an original closing date of July 26, 2023. The application guidance also highlights that strong proposals should include early, candid discussions between U.S. and Kazakh partners to identify likely roadblocks, collaboration challenges, and local institutional realities, then use that understanding to design activities that are feasible in the Kazakh context and still ambitious enough to drive institutional improvement.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "University Partnership Program (UPP)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.900.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 05, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 26, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $360,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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