University Partnerships in Turkmenistan | PDS ASHGABAT AW FY24 005

Opportunity Information: Apply for PDS ASHGABAT AW FY24 005

The University Partnerships in Turkmenistan opportunity is a U.S. Department of State (U.S. Mission to Turkmenistan, Embassy Ashgabat) grant competition aimed at helping Turkmenistan modernize and internationalize its higher education sector. The program is designed to strengthen the capacity of Turkmen higher education institutions and the Ministry of Education to run meaningful short- and long-term academic exchanges with the United States, build dual-degree or joint-degree pathways with U.S. universities, improve research practices (including commercialization), and move toward internationally recognized accreditation standards. The larger, long-range vision behind this work is to help Turkmenistan become a functional participant in the global education community and, over time, support the conditions needed for a U.S. branch university to eventually open in Ashgabat. The initial project period is set at one year, but the Embassy signals that extensions are likely because the reforms are complex and multi-step.

The opportunity is grounded in the Embassy's view of Turkmenistan as a centralized, post-Soviet education system where universities typically deliver rigid five-year "specialist" degrees that do not align neatly with the Western bachelor/master structure. Students currently have limited flexibility: they apply directly into a narrow specialization within a department, follow a fixed course plan, and generally cannot switch majors, drop classes, or shape an individualized pathway. While the government has introduced notable reforms in the past decade or so (more STEM content, more technology in classrooms, updated textbooks), the deeper structural features of the system have remained largely unchanged. In recent years, the Ministry of Education has publicly prioritized several major shifts that would move the country closer to common international norms: launching dual degrees with U.S. universities, obtaining international accreditation, creating a U.S. university branch campus in the capital, and gradually transitioning universities toward a Western-style credit-based model. The Embassy's Public Diplomacy Section has already been working with the Ministry on an education cooperation memorandum of understanding and a preliminary reform road map, and this funding opportunity is meant to turn those early steps into practical, implementable plans and partnerships.

The target audiences for the program are Turkmenistan's higher education institutions (universities and institutes) and the Turkmen Ministry of Education. The overarching goal is to improve access to quality higher education opportunities in Turkmenistan by supporting the adoption of best practices across the sector. The grant is structured around three main objectives. First, it seeks to raise understanding among Ministry officials and higher education leaders about what "internationalization" actually requires in practice, including familiarity with the U.S. higher education system and operational know-how on topics like dual/joint degrees, accreditation pathways, and the mechanics of establishing branch campuses. This objective can be met through trainings, workshops, and short-term exchanges to the United States. Second, it calls for a broad analysis of Turkmenistan's education system paired with the creation of a detailed road map that offers concrete, actionable recommendations to the Ministry on the steps needed to move reforms forward. Third, it aims to create a standing working group made up of Ministry officials and higher education representatives to coordinate collaboration and help drive implementation of modernization and internationalization recommendations, rather than leaving the road map as a one-time report.

Eligibility is limited to U.S.-based non-profit entities, including not-for-profit organizations, civil society or non-governmental organizations, and public or private educational institutions. For-profit entities are explicitly ineligible. The program allows sub-contracting, but only one non-profit, non-governmental organization can serve as the prime award recipient, and proposals need to clearly define each partner's responsibilities if subcontractors are involved. The award ceiling is $100,000, and the funding opportunity is listed under Assistance Listing (CFDA) 19.040. The opportunity number is PDS ASHGABAT AW FY24 005, it was created on March 15, 2024, and the original application deadline was May 15, 2024.

• The U.S. Mission to Turkmenistan in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "University Partnerships in Turkmenistan" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-03-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-05-15. (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 $100,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for PDS ASHGABAT AW FY24 005

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