Supporting American-Style Higher Education in Iraq 2024

The Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Office of Assistance Coordination (NEA/AC), seeks applications to support and strengthen American-style IHEs in Iraq. With this announcement, NEA/AC seeks to support multiple awards with the objective of building and increasing the institutional capacity of IHEs in Iraq. Proposals shall address ways to develop new and ongoing partnerships between IHEs in Iraq and higher education institutions in the United States. Focus should be given to building the capacity of IHEs and educational systems in Iraq to approach American higher education standards found in U.S. universities, community colleges, and vocational schools. Proposals will be structured to establish sustainable partnerships and curriculum and resource advancements which in the short-term produce meaningful institutional improvements and in the long-term help achieve formal accreditation by U.S. authorities. Additionally, projects will provide financial assistance to recruit and retain students who are representative of Iraq’s diverse ethnic, geographic, and religious communities who would otherwise not have the financial means to attend college. Where possible, proposals should seek to support disciplines and skills relevant for the adaptation to and mitigation of the impacts of climate change. These may include but need not be limited to programs related to civil and energy engineering, earth sciences and natural resource management, public policy and law, and public health. Proposals should facilitate professional skills development, including improving English proficiency among students and faculty; virtual or inperson exchanges with U.S.-based IHEs or other regional American-style IHEs; capacity building for faculty and administrators in areas like research, curriculum and pedagogic development, governance, management and administration; practical training and education for specific skilled careers; and career development services for students, including career advisory, internship opportunities, and soft-skills training. Proposals should also address ways to enhance students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills; promote tolerance of different opinions and beliefs to foster community resilience and development; provide students from diverse religious, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds with professional skills that enable them to be engaged members of their field and citizens of their state; and develop facilities and resources to support student access and performance including expanded library resources, sufficient living accommodations, updated textbooks/curriculum, web-based enrollment applications, virtual classes and exchanges, and online learning tools. To support the U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS), proposals must address the distinct needs of women as students and faculty to increase access to higher education through targeted recruitment and assistance efforts; provide tailored assistance to ensure completion of graduation requirements; develop students’ professional and leadership skills which promote economic empowerment; and may support professional advancement of women in fields of academia. Proposals should contribute to the following objectives in Iraq: strengthening relationships across ethnic and religious divisions, promoting tolerance, opposing and reducing vulnerability to extremist ideology, and fostering economic development.