The Key Verification Assets Fund (V Fund) was established by Congress in 1999[1] to help the Department of State preserve critical verification assets and to promote the development of new technologies that support the verification of, and compliance with, existing or future potential arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament requirements. The intent of the V Fund is to influence rather than replace or duplicate activities elsewhere, and therefore its resources are, by design, modest relative to the scope of its mission. These funds are generally leveraged as “seed money” to conduct projects that enable the Department—through the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance (AVC)—to encourage organizations to either develop new technologies or to adapt existing projects to the needs of arms control verification and proliferation detection or monitoring.

Annually, the fund requests white paper proposals ranging from basic science to assistance creating a fully developed capability. Proposals must meet the requirements identified in the Broad Agency Announcement published annually on the Federal Business Opportunity webpage. Studies, analyses, and workshops to support research and development (R&D) may be funded as well. The V Fund may also be used as an emergency “gap-filler” funding source to keep critical verification assets in operation until the agency with the primary mission responsibility can resume the task.  The AVC Bureau—through the Office of Verification, Planning, and Outreach (VPO)—accomplishes these goals by means of interagency agreements with other U.S. Government agencies, and by contracts with private vendors and academia.

If you are interested in submitting a white paper proposal, please contact the VPO Office at VFund@state.gov.

[1] Public Law 106-113, Appendix G (113 STAT. 1501A-486), Division B, Title XI, Subtitle A, Chapter 1, Sec. 1111 (as amended)