The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is seeking applications for its Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme to enhance security-related civil science and technology to address emerging security challenges and their impact on international security.

The programme connects scientists, experts and officials from NATO and its partner nations to address these challenges through scientific research, technological innovation, and exchange of expertise and know-how.

SPS supports scientific cooperation through established grant mechanisms that provide funding for Multi-Year Projects and Events. Supported Events include Advanced Research Workshops (ARWs), Advanced Study Institutes (ASIs), and Advanced Training Courses (ATCs).

Priority Areas

The priority areas for the SPS Programme focus on contemporary security challenges, and are based on NATO’s Strategic Concept agreed by Allies at the November 2010 Lisbon Summit, and on the Strategic Objectives of NATO’s Partner Relations agreed in Berlin in April 2011.

• Facilitate mutually beneficial cooperation on issues of common interest, including international efforts to meet emerging security challenges
  • Counter-Terrorism
  • Energy Security
  • Cyber Defence
  • Defence against Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Agents
  • Environmental Security
• Enhance support for NATO-led operations and missions
• Enhance awareness of security developments including through early warning, with a view to preventing crises
  • Security-related Advanced Technology
  • Border and Port Security
  • Mine and Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Detection and Clearance
  • Human and Social Aspects of Security related to NATO's Strategic Objectives
• Any project clearly linked to a threat to security not otherwise defined in these priorities may also be considered for funding under the SPS Programme

Grant Information

• Multi-Year Projects (MYP): The MYP are Research and Development (R&D) projects that enable scientists from NATO and its partner nations to collaborate on applied R&D and capacity building projects that result in new civil science advancements with practical application in the security and defence fields.
  • Budget: Typically EUR 150,000-350,000 over the entire duration of the project.
  • Duration: Projects have a typical duration of 24 to 36 months.
• Advanced Research Workshops (ARW): The ARW are advanced-level discussions that provide a platform for experts and scientists from different countries to share their experience and knowledge on security-related topics.
  • Budget: Typically EUR 30,000-40,000.
  • Duration: 2-5 working days.
  • Target Audience: 20-50 participants.
• Advanced Study Institutes (ASI): The ASI are high-level tutorial courses conveying the latest developments in topics of relevance for NATO and the SPS Key Priorities to an advanced-level audience.
  • Budget: On average EUR 60,000.
  • Duration: 7-10 working days.
  • Target Audience: 60-80 pre- and post-doctoral level scientists with relevant backgrounds in the subject matter of the course.
• Advanced Training Courses (ATC): The ATC are tailor-made, modular courses designed to enable specialists in NATO countries to share their security-related expertise in one of the SPS Key Priority areas.
  • Budget: On average EUR 60,000.
  • Target Audience: 20-50 trainees primarily from partner nations.
  • Duration: 5-7 working days.

Eligibility Criteria

Applications for funding must be developed jointly by a NATO country Co-Director (NPD) and a Partner country Co-Director (PPD). To be deemed eligible for funding, proposals submitted to the SPS Programme must:

• contribute towards NATO’s Strategic Objectives and have a clear link to security,
• address at least one of the SPS Key Priorities,
• be led by a co-director who is a national of, resident and employed in a NATO member country, and a co-director who is a national of, resident and employed in a partner nation,
• be developed and implemented by co-directors affiliated with a government, academic, or other non-profit institutions. For-profit private companies are not eligible for SPS funding,
• include realistic plans and budgets,
• be developed and managed in alignment with rules and regulations outlined in the SPS handbooks, which are regularly updated and made available at the time of publication of new calls for proposals.

For more information, visit NATO SPS.