 In Russia, the mission has been established to encourage the application of modern economics theory to policy analysis and to facilitate the creation of an economic policy community in Russia and elsewhere in the CIS, EERC operates a Moscow-based Economics Research Network which provides individual economists in the region with research funding, advanced training, and professional networking opportunities at home and abroad.Since 2000, EERC-Russia has been serving as the regional representative of the Global Development Network (GDN) in CIS countries.The EERC also holds semi-annual grant competitions and other tenders for research on specific topics, and hosts workshops and produces working papers on relevant economic policy questions in the CIS.