MERC might have to opt for some measures of positive discrimination, giving priority to some excluded countries and groups that could benefit from more intensive programmatic services. In addition to MERC’s understanding of what the traditionally marginalized countries are, it will also apply criteria related to the state of social science departments in each country and their number, history of different departments, the size of research outputs and volume of expenditures on research. Our priorities will include more equal distribution of individual and collaborative research opportunities. This is a major step towards reviving social science and training a new generation of trained researchers capable of operating in an environment characterized by freedom of ideas and expression and independence of initiative away from the pressures imposed by institutional or university research practice.