Grants for Private Institutions Of Higher Education

The Alabama Research and Development Enhancement Fund (ARDEF), established under the Alabama Innovation Act (AIA) by Legislative Act #2019-404, aims to stimulate research and development within Alabama to create employment opportunities and enhance products and services for its citizens. The program supports new and ongoing research and development projects in partnership with private sector applicants and emphasizes financial commitments from industry partners. ARDEF prioritizes projects that demonstrate significant potential for economic impact, particularly benefiting small- and medium-sized businesses, and improving the state's employment landscape and available services. Grant renewed every year.

The Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program and the Low-Density Population Pilot Program, established by the Minnesota legislature in 2014 and continued in 2023, are aimed at promoting broadband infrastructure expansion in Minnesota's unserved or underserved areas. Managed by the State of Minnesota, Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), these programs provide grants to assist broadband providers with the costs of infrastructure installation. The 2024 grant application cycle, announced by DEED, will open on March 12, 2024, with an application deadline of May 10, 2024. Applicants must register and submit applications via DEED’s Grants Management System, following the detailed instructions on DEED's website. The announcement of awards is anticipated in Summer 2024, with project completion required by December 31, 2026. DEED also hosts an information webinar to guide applicants through the application process.

This grant provides funding to educational institutions and organizations to develop programs that enhance agricultural literacy and workforce training in the food and agricultural sectors, particularly for diverse student populations.

Executive Summary: The U.S. Department of States Embassy Ashgabat announces an open competition to implement a program focused on building the capacity of higher educational institutions in Turkmenistan to carry out short- and long-term bilateral exchanges, offer dual-degree programs, conduct and commercialize research, obtain international accreditation, and other activities directed at supporting ongoing educational reform in Turkmenistan. The ultimate goal of the projects is to enable Turkmenistan to become an active member of the global education community, and a viable partner in international exchanges, with an eventual opening of a U.S. branch university in Turkmenistan. The initial timeline for these activities is one year, with the possibility of extension. Please follow all instructions below. Background: Turkmenistan is a post-Soviet state of roughly 5 million people (official statistic) that gained its independence in 1991. The Ministry of Education oversees all educational institutions from kindergarten to university. Turkmenistan has implemented several educational reforms within the last 10-15 years, mostly introducing new subjects to schools and universities (such as those from the STEM field), increasing the use of technology in teaching (such as smartboards and laptops) and adapting textbooks and materials to make them fit better within Turkmenistans context. However, the centralized structure of the education system has not changed significantly, with universities continuing to offer highly structured five-year specialist degrees that fall somewhere between bachelors and masters degrees on the western scale. Under the current system, students play a limited role in crafting their own educational process and/or degree. When students matriculate to university, they do so by declaring their chosen specialization. In fact, they dont apply to the university as a whole; they apply to a specific department. Once accepted, they have no option to drop classes or switch majors. Students also do not choose which classes to take a specific major has a set list of classes. These rules severely limit students academic opportunities and affect future professional opportunities. In the last few years, the Ministry of Education has stated its intention modernize Turkmenistans education system, which include several stated priorities: a) Launching a dual degree program together with a U.S. university (bachelors or masters); b) Obtaining international accreditation; c) Establishing a branch of a U.S. university in its capital, Ashgabat; d) Gradually moving all universities to the Western, credit-based system. Turkmenistans government is very eager to begin work on these goals and is interested in assistance from U.S. universities in providing expertise and guidance on conducting these large-scale overhauls. The Public Diplomacy Section has worked closely with the Ministry of Education to develop a road map to bring Turkmenistans education system closer to the U.S. model, as well as signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Government of Turkmenistan on cooperation in the education sector. The MOU and the road map lay out concrete steps, including inviting U.S. experts on internationalization and education reform, and are some of the first actions that Embassy has taken, together with the Ministry of Education, to help Turkmenistan reach its stated goals. Through the projects described in this NOFO, the Embassy would like to develop a realistic road map to overhaul the education system, bringing it closer to Western standards and accreditation, and eventual establishment of a U.S. university branch campus in the capital city of Ashgabat. The initial project duration is one year, but will most likely be extended, as the envisioned task is multi-pronged and will likely require more than 12 months. Project Audience(s): Turkmenistans higher education institutions (HEIs), including universities and institutes, as well as the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan Project Goal: Improve access to quality higher education opportunities in Turkmenistan through adoption of best practices by Turkmen higher education institutions Project Objectives: Objective 1: Increase understanding of internationalization requirements for universities, the U.S. education system, and best practices among Ministry of Education officials and higher education representatives through training, workshops, and/or short-term exchanges to the United States. o Topics may include: how to establish dual degree and joint degree programs, accreditation requirements, opening branch campuses, etc. Objective 2: Conduct a general analysis of Turkmenistans education system and create a road map that provides clear recommendations to the Ministry of Education on the practical steps needed to advance educational reforms. Objective 3: Establish a working group of Turkmen Ministry of Education officials and higher education representatives to facilitate collaboration and implementation of recommendations aimed at modernizing and internationalizing the higher education system in Turkmenistan.

Improve data-driven and accurate media reporting, amplify the social media narrative to combat climate change and pollution, and allow reporters to advocate for better public health resources and actions. The project output will be at least six national-level media training workshops hosted at the American Center and other American Spaces in New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, and at least two other appropriate second-tier cities, potentially including the Sundarbans (where they are especially affected by climate change), Ghaziabad, or Lucknow. The workshops, each for 40-50 journalists over 18 months, will be organized by the grantee and provide participants with technical knowledge by citing U.S. case studies and policies, in order to empower participants to report substantially more on climate change in India, using factual and actionable information. Strengthen the reporting capacities of 40-50 journalists in each of the 6 workshops (total 300) and improve data-driven media reporting through these training workshops over 18 months Increase the number of actual reports, amplify the social media narrative, and increase the number of articles where the journalist ties environmental issues to policy issues. Improve reliability of information on climate and environmental issues through accurate reporting. Participants and U.S. and local experts will also discuss priority areas that can be highlighted by media for practical actions to raise awareness on climate change challenges and promote public engagement in environmental conservation to reach net zero emissions and limit global warming to 1.5C.

This program provides financial assistance to municipalities, nonprofit organizations, and other eligible entities in Pennsylvania for projects that reduce flood risks and enhance community resilience.

The USGS Earthquake Hazards Program (EHP) issues this annual Announcement for assistance to support research in earthquake hazards, the physics of earthquakes, earthquake occurrence, and earthquake safety policy and address the Department of Interiors Secretarial priorities. This activity is authorized by the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-124, 42 U.S.C. 7701 et. seq.), and as amended by the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-307).

The National Park Service, following its Management Policies (2006) seeks to work with partners to collaboratively conduct a variety of activities, including, but not limited to the named studies outlined in NPS-28: Cultural Resource Management Guideline: Archeological Identification/Evaluation Studies Archival Records Management Plans Bibliographic and historiographic essays Collection Management Plan (CMP) Cultural Affiliation Study and Lineal Descent Studies Cultural Landscapes Inventory (CLI) Cultural Resources Geographical Information System (CRGIS) Studies. Cultural Resources Management Bibliography (CRBIB) Development Concept Plan Discover our Shared Heritage Travel Itineraries Ethnohistory and Ethnography Exhibit Plan and Design (EPD) General Management Plan (GMP) HABS/HAER/HALS documentation, Historic Resource Study (HRS) Historic structure report (HSR) List of Classified Structures (LCS) National Catalog of Museum Objects National Heritage Area Plans and Evaluations National Historic Landmark Documentation and Theme Studies National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom studies National Register of Historic Places Documentation and Bulletins National Maritime Initiative Inventory Oral History interviews, transcription and archival processing Park and Program Administrative History Peer Review Teaching with Historic Places Lesson Plans

This grant provides funding for research institutions and companies to develop innovative tactics and technologies for small groups of autonomous systems to effectively maneuver in complex military environments.

As a center of learning, innovation, and leadership that shapes and advances effective correctional practice and public policy, NIC is a vital partner in planning, developing, delivering, and supporting training focused on gender-responsive approaches to working with justice-involved women. NIC training helps correctional staff address the significant challenges they face regarding gender-informed facility operations, policies and procedures, and the development and implementation of evidence-based programs and services that meet womens needs. The growth of knowledge about the types of women who may need to be considered in an agencys response to women and the management strategies that may be most effective for working with this population has also led to advancements in training.This solicitation is for a proposal to enter into a 12-month cooperative agreement to coordinate and deliver two trainings each of Gender-Informed Practices in the Management of Womens Prisons and Justice-Involved Women: Developing an Agencywide Approach, two training programs that address the importance of gender-responsive intervention in a correctional facility.

This ISO seeks solution summary and proposal submissions for projects that fall within the scope of the ARPA-H mission Resilient Systems Office (RSO). RSOs interest areas will address systemic challenges across the healthcare and public health landscape by investing in cutting-edge technologies that address long-standing gaps in the quality, efficacy, and consistent availability of care.Aspects of todays health and public health systems remain fragile due to systemic challenges, which include rising healthcare costs, inadequate healthcare coverage for significant populations, outdated infrastructure, and health disparities among different demographic groups. Acute challenges, such as hospital closures, supply chain disruptions, staffing shortages, cyber-attacks, public health crises, and the emergence of new diseases, further exacerbate existing fragilities, making it more difficult to maintain high standards of care. These challenges are compounded by the fact that systems remain fragmented, hindering the ability to gain comprehensive insights, make informed decisions, develop tailored interventions, and share critical health information between stakeholders.RSO seeks solution summaries and proposals that drive innovations to enhance the adaptability, reliability, and interoperability of the health ecosystem. Of interest are innovations that foster flexibility and enable adaptation to system stressors, so that people and systems remain well-positioned to deliver high-quality care and improve health outcomes. The following interest areas categorize the ground-breaking research we seek to support:Sociotechnical System Innovation: Innovate user-centric digital health tools, platforms, technologies, and intervention models that improve outcomes across the health continuum, including prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of physical, mental, and behavioral health. Approaches to build trust in the healthcare system and distribute high-quality health guidance in an understandable manner that improves patient outcomes. Novel real-time measurement tools to track health outcomes, evaluate post-market performance of new interventions, and enable convergence on the most effective strategies to improve the quality of care, especially for underserved communities. Other population centered innovations to create more resilient communities and subpopulations. Innovations might include aggregate improvements to quality of care and better physical, mental, and behavioral health outcomes for the health ecosystem.Health Ecosystem Integration: Novel ways to collect, protect, secure, integrate, analyze, communicate, and present health data, including but not limited to advances in privacy, cyber security, artificial intelligence with enhanced patient safety properties, low-code or no-code technologies, semantic approaches, and rapid integration techniques. Strategies and technologies to leverage homes, community centers, pharmacies, and other accessible locations to enable new modalities of high-quality care, expand the reach of clinical research, or integrate end-user feedback to rapidly iterate prototype designs. Approaches to strengthen the connectivity and interoperability of health data and devices to 5 enable the safe, secure, and seamless exchange of information among healthcare providers, researchers, and stakeholders. Other novel approaches to increase the interoperability of health-related systems in support of improved health outcomes and enhanced transparency across the health ecosystem.Adaptive Antifragile Solutions: Creative approaches to enhance the stability and dependability of the health ecosystem through new adaptive paradigms, methods that anticipate and mitigate disruptions before they occur, and enhancements to emergency response. Approaches that enable health infrastructure to rapidly integrate information from new sensors; create decision support tools; adapt supply chains, manufacturing, and logistics; and better leverage the workforce during public health emergencies. Novel methods to engineer resilient tissues, microbiomes, and biophysical systems to combat disease or maintain health. Other novel approaches to enhance adaptability and reduce fragility within the health ecosystem.Proposals are expected to use innovative approaches to enable revolutionary advances in science, technology, systems, or methodology. Specifically excluded are proposals that represent an evolutionary or incremental advance in the state of the art or technology that has reached the clinical trial stage. Additionally, proposals directed towards policy changes, traditional education and training, or center coordination, formation, or development, and construction of physical infrastructure are outside the scope of the ARPA-H mission

Despite huge advances in the development of novel medical therapies, Americans still live with poor health outcomes and suffer from the ill-effects of disease. Current medical research and the medical delivery system in the United States focus primarily on the reactive treatment of illnesses, despite the fact that many diseases or their ill-effects are preventable.The Proactive Health Office (PHO) at ARPA-H is seeking solutions to improve the healthspan and health outcomes of Americans prior to the onset of disease and/or the development of diminished quality of life from illness. Specifically, PHO hypothesizes that 1) population-level improvements in access to and uptake of disease prevention and wellness-promoting behaviors and 2) development of novel early-detection methods and prophylactic interventions could drastically improve the health of American throughout their lives, and 3) that system level innovations are required for delivery of proactive health effectively. Specific PHO interest areas include:Novel prevention, detection and prophylactic treatment methods for disease: Novel and scalable methods for early detection of disease and illness including the use of low/no-cost sensing modalities. Prophylactic approaches to prevention of diseases and harmful disease outcomes. Methods for continuous and widespread sensing of health state and early disease indicators that can be deployed at population-scale.Population-level approaches to increase the adoption of prevention and wellness behaviors: Early indicators of disease and pre-disease states and measures associated with proactive health outcomes that are both inexpensive and effective. Low-cost, high-uptake mental health resiliency and mindfulness building methods for individuals. Methods to inform and educate individuals about healthy behaviors including lifestyle and preventative medical measures. Methods that incentivize individuals to adopt and maintain healthy behaviors. Novel approaches to increasing individual healthspan and independence even in the absence of disease.System innovation for the delivery of proactive health outcomes: Novel, robust and predictive surrogates for long-term health outcomes with associated epidemiological models. Valuation models for long-term treatment effects for vaccination, screening and other public health interventions. New funding and delivery models for preventative intervention.Other high-quality submissions that propose revolutionary technologies that meet the goals of PHO will be considered even if they do not address the topics listed above.Proposals are expected to use innovative approaches to enable revolutionary advances in medicine and healthcare, and the science and technology underlying these areas. While approaches that are disease agnostic are encouraged, ARPA-H welcomes proposals that bring radically new insights to address specific diseases including, but not limited to, cancer, diabetes, neurological diseases, pediatric and maternal/fetal health, infectious diseases, and cardiovascular disease.Specifically excluded are proposals that represent an evolutionary or incremental advance in the current state of the art or technology that has reached the clinical trial stage. An example of this type of proposal might include the request to fund clinical trials of an otherwise developed product. Additionally, proposals directed towards policy advocacy, traditional education and training, or center coordination, formation, or development, and construction of physical infrastructure are outside the scope of the ARPA-H mission.

This ISO seeks solution summaries and proposal submissions for projects that fall within the general scope of the ARPA-H Health Science Futures (HSF) mission office. HSF expands what is technically possible by developing approaches that will remove the scientific and technological limitations that stymie progress towards the healthcare of the future. HSF supports cutting-edge, often disease-agnostic research programs that have the potential for translational real-world change.Considering the current healthcare challenges that we face today, the goal of achieving better health outcomes is a moving target that requires daring and adaptable solutions. HSF awardees will develop innovative technologies, tools, and platforms that can be applied to a broad range of diseases. The following interest areas define the ground-breaking research we seek to support:Breakthrough Technologies: Paradigm shifting technologies that will change how we approach the diagnosis, treatment, and impact of diseases and conditions. Novel approaches to improve maternal and fetal medicine, decrease maternal morbidity and mortality during birth, and the post-partum period. Efforts should include new technology to monitor, detect, and/or treat maternal and/or fetal complications with less invasive and traumatic methods. Foundational advances in genetic, epigenetic, cellular, tissue, and organ replacement therapies that enable personalized medical interventions at scale in a manner that is accessible, cost-effective, and designed to impact the communities of greatest need. Interventions that target and reverse disease pathogenesis and/or enhance plasticity to address diseases of the nervous, neuromuscular, skeletal, lymphatic, cardiovascular, and other organ systems. Novel approaches to diagnose and treat diseases of the lymphatic system, particularly rare diseases, with a focus on the effects of genetic expression in the lymphatic system and/or models demonstrating the relationship between lymphatic dysfunction and health and disease.Transformative Tools: Novel, agile solutions that will move from bench to bedside quickly, facilitating revolutionary advances in medical care. Development of tools that counter idiosyncratic, off-target, or chronic effects of medicines that are commonly used or that are being used experimentally to treat or prevent disease. Development of bionics to restore sight, hearing, taste, or smell. Site-selective neuromodulation to regulate specific physiological functions and treat chronic health conditions such as inflammation, pain, and metabolic or endocrine disorders. Synthetic biology approaches to diagnosing, treating, and/or curing a multitude of diseases. Novel physics and/or chemistry-based approaches to improve imaging that reduces cost, increases availability, expands capability, improves resolution, reduces exposure to radiation, and accommodates pediatric patient populations. Integrated sensing and delivery devices for treating and diagnosing chronic health conditions, including mental health conditions or substance use disorders. Miniaturization of complex hardware to enable broader access to pediatric and other patient populations, as well as portability, such as diagnostic, treatment, imaging, or other devices.Platform Systems: Adaptable, multi-application systems and technologies that are reconfigurable for a wide variety of clinical needs Novel molecular platform approaches, including the modulation of host systems, delivery to targets with spatial and temporal precision, and mitigation of off-target effects to accelerate interventions that dramatically improve health outcomes. New approaches to accelerate and routinize mammalian and microbial cellular engineering to enable next generation therapeutic applications, develop multiscale interventions, and automate hypothesis generation and discovery to expand those applications to disease states in which cellular therapies have not traditionally been employed. Innovative approaches at the intersection of artificial intelligence, high performance computing (including quantum computing) and biological systems, including enabling de novo design of biomolecules with entirely new phenotypes.Other high-quality submissions that propose revolutionary technologies that meet the goals of HSF will be considered even if they do not address the topics listed above.Proposals are expected to use innovative approaches to enable revolutionary advances in medicine and healthcare, and the science and technology underlying these areas. While approaches that are disease agnostic are encouraged, ARPA-H welcomes proposals that bring radically new insights to address specific diseases including, but not limited to, cancer, diabetes, neurological diseases, pediatric and maternal/fetal health, infectious diseases, and cardiovascular disease.Specifically excluded are proposals that represent an evolutionary or incremental advance in the current state of the art or technology that has reached the clinical trial stage. An example of this type of proposal might include the request to fund clinical trials of an otherwise developed product. Additionally, proposals directed towards policy changes, traditional education and training, or center coordination, formation, or development, and construction of physical infrastructure are outside the scope of the ARPA-H mission.

The Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services program (OFVPS) Discretionary Grant Program under the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA): Specialized Services for Abused Parents and Their Children (Demonstration Projects) will support fifty (50) demonstration projects. These projects will focus on expanding the capacity (of coalitions, local programs, and community-based programs) to prevent future family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence by appropriately addressing the needs of children exposed to domestic violence, and the potentially co-occurring impacts of child abuse and neglect.

This ISO seeks solution summaries and proposals for projects that fall within the general scope of the ARPA-H Scalable Solutions mission office. SSO expands what is technically possible by developing approaches that will leverage an interdisciplinary approach and collaborative networks to address challenges of geography, distribution, manufacturing, data and information, thereby improving health care access and affordability. In the United States, many communities and remote areas lack access to timely and quality health care, which leads to disparities in health outcomes for those populations. Bottlenecks during the manufacturing processes of products and health technologies also lead to delays and limited availability, preventing effective distribution of health care solutions to areas of need, especially in emergencies.ARPA-H SSO seeks solutions to improve the scalability and affordability of health care solutions, bridge gaps in underserved areas, and extend remote access to expertise by developing location-specific interventions, telemedicine solutions, and mobile health clinics. Solutions should focus on rapid innovation and the use of partnerships, as well as flexible distribution networks and streamlined manufacturing processes. The following SSO interest areas categorize the ground-breaking solutions we seek to support:Scalable Technologies and Interventions: Approaches to improve affordability and equitable access to health care that are adaptable to various geographic, demographic, economic contexts and can be rapidly deployed at scale (e.g., drug-repurposing*, telemedicine, point-of-care diagnostics, and modular health care infrastructure). Tailored solutions for the pediatric population that provide parity in access to treatments and other health care interventions with the adult population and adapt to the pediatric patients changing physiology and developmental status over the course of years. Transformational approaches to reduce or eliminate health disparities, including tools and models for product design and care delivery that scale novel approaches in human factors and human-centered design to respond to full diversity of patients. Tools to enable the scaling of provider and institutional capabilities (e.g., school nurses and schools, walk-in clinics, homesteading care) to address unmet health care access needs and expand availability of critical services. Foundational capabilities to accelerate diagnoses and reduce the cost of treatments for rare diseases wherever patients are, without the need for specialized facilities or healthcare expertise.* Solution summaries and proposals that focus on testing drugs for effectiveness for other disease states or use cases, are unlikely to be funded unless including additional R, or providing gains in cost reduction, accessibility, and/or equity.Collaborative Distribution Networks: Methods for standardization, automation, and democratization of complex procedures 5 including, but not limited to, histopathology, rare disease diagnosis and treatment, and surgical interventions to ensure access and delivery to populations diverse in demographics, geographies, and resources at scale. Approaches to enhance delivery of effective healthcare solutions in rural or low resource settings, including but not limited to "last mile delivery, at-home monitoring, imaging, drug delivery, telehealth augmentation, and support for remote medical procedures with limited need for specialized training. Technologies to enable the deployment of critical healthcare resources rapidly, equitably, and securely at scale to the point of need in permissive and non-permissive (i.e., damaged infrastructure, cyber-denied) environments during a public health crisis or natural disaster. Solutions to scale education and training of critical healthcare resources for health care providers and patients to ensure information integrity to prevent negative impacts to resource use/uptake. Innovative information technology, data and analytic products and technologies to enable ordering, inventory management, situational awareness, allocation planning and demand forecasting of critical healthcare resources during a public health crisis or natural disaster.Biomanufacturing Innovations*: Innovative manufacturing technologies and approaches that reduce cost, shorten the timeline for production, advance domestic competitiveness and reduce supply chain risk of biologics, cellular and gene therapies, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and personal protective equipment. New approaches to support predictable, programable biological production of conventional and novel materials reliability at scale in a cost-effective sustainable manner. Novel solutions to reduce the reliance on specialized handling and cold chain management of pharmaceuticals and biologics. Scalable innovations to advance and strengthen biomanufacturing supply chain and resolve bottlenecks including:o Advances in production of active pharmaceutical ingredients, process consumables, and other critical materials (i.e., enzymes, cell lines, etc);o Novel biomanufacturing-related data products, technologies or models to integrate into supply chain situational awareness systems;o Alternative materials and new manufacturing capabilities for personal protective equipment; ando Improvement of capabilities sustainably re-shore manufacturing and utilize a broad array of readily accessible and cost-efficient feedstocks as part of strengthening the local and national industry base. Analytics and novel sensor systems to precisely manage bioproduction, real-time release assays, and predictive capabilities to inform tuning of biological chassis for efficient and effective scale-up of manufacturing to industrial scale.*ARPA-H is not interested in approaches that merely increase capacity reservation.Other high-quality submissions that propose revolutionary technologies that meet the goals of SSO will be considered even if they do not address the topics listed above.Proposals are expected to use innovative approaches to enable revolutionary advances in medicine and healthcare, and the science and technology underlying these areas. While approaches that are disease agnostic are encouraged, ARPA-H welcomes proposals that bring radically new insights to address specific diseases including, but not limited to, cancer, diabetes, neurological diseases, pediatric and maternal/fetal health, infectious diseases, and cardiovascular disease.Specifically excluded are proposals that represent an evolutionary or incremental advance in the current state of the art or technology that has reached the clinical trial stage. An example of this type of proposal might include the request to fund clinical trials of an otherwise developed product. Additionally, proposals directed towards policy changes, traditional education and training, or center coordination, formation, or development, and construction of physical infrastructure are outside the scope of the ARPA-H mission.

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The Bureau of Counterterrorism (CT) of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to provide specialized counter improvised explosive device (C-IED) and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) trainings and equipment to the Ivorian Force Recherche et d’Assistance de la Police (FRAP) and the United Intervention Gendarmerie Nationale (UIGN). The central Sahel is a global epicenter of terrorism. Countries in the region face an acute threat from violent extremist organizations (VEOs) affiliated with al-Qaida and ISIS operating in the central Sahel. Over the past three years, these VEOs have expanded from the central Sahel into the northern border regions of Coastal West Africa (CWA) littoral state (predominately Benin, Togo, Côte d'Ivoire, and Ghana). The VEO threat in CWA is increasing. According to Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) data, 2023 recorded the highest number of VEO events in CWA ever (219), peaking in Q4 (65) with the highest quarterly sum ever experienced in the region. VEOs are increasingly utilizing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to conduct attacks across the region. In Côte d'Ivoire, they have seen a rise in the number of IED events and sophistication of materials used in attacks. This increase is a result of an uptick in illegal and artisanal gold mining which has resulted in heavier explosive materials being trafficked into CDI’s northern border region. With FY23 funding, CT will provide C-IED/EOD training to the CDI national police and the national gendarmerie to increase their capacity to effectively disrupt, degrade, and respond to terrorist activity stemming from the Sahel. Specifically, this program will train law enforcement agents to render safe and disrupt IEDs. Police and Gendarmes slated for this training program will be assigned to EOD cells within each service’s respective intervention unit.

The U.S. Embassy Podgoricas Public Diplomacy Section announces a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the 2024 Media Professionalization Assistance Program. The Embassy plans to support specific projects and initiatives that facilitate the development of media freedom and journalistic professional standards in Montenegro through grant awards ranging from $30,000 $70,000. Grants will be awarded to media, educational institutions, or civil society/non-governmental organizations that adhere to high professional standards in their reporting and/or activities and have a record of trustworthiness and success. Proposals will be evaluated according to the ability of the applying organization to carry out a project with clearly formulated goals that benefits the intended beneficiaries and has the greatest positive impact. Project proposals should address at least one of the following priority areas: 1. Support for the practice of high-quality, professional journalism through projects designed to support independent and fact-based journalism, as well as through initiatives involving practicing journalists and students aspiring to a career in media. 2. Support for media literacy and critical thinking through projects designed to help citizens of all ages recognize, analyze, and ultimately reject disinformation. 3. Support for investigative journalism through projects that support Montenegros continued Euro-Atlantic integration. Areas of focus include (but are not limited to) the following topics: a. The rule of law (e.g., corruption, organized crime, etc.) b. Environmental protection c. The strengthening of democratic institutions d. Human and minority rights (e.g. ethnic minorities, LGBTQi+, etc.) e. Gender equality f. Trade, commerce, economics, and business development 4. The integration and ethical use of Artificial Intelligence in journalism, including how it can be utilized to combat disinformation and malign influence. Applicants should clearly define project goals that advance one or more of the aforementioned areas, as well as define tangible outcomes that can be measured after the projects completion. All application materials must be submitted by email to [email protected] by 17:00 Montenegro time, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. Please send all supporting documents via email attachments or in a zipped folder (RAR files/zipped folders wont be accepted). Do not send application materials via WeTransfer links or Dropbox. You will receive a confirmation of receipt within two business days (by 17:00 on May 16). If you do not receive a confirmation within that time, please send a follow-up email. Please email any questions about this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to [email protected]. Issuance of this NOFO does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. government, nor does it commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals. Further, the U.S. government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received. Please find more information about this funding opportunity on the link below.

The United States Department of States Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA) announces a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to address systemic barriers and socio-cultural attitudes that challenge gender equity and equality in the Caribbean economy, to build the economic resilience and skills capacity of women and adolescent girls aged 16 and older to enable them to enter the labor force and obtain economic security. The project should start in October 2024, exact start dates to be determined. It is anticipated that the award will be executed through a cooperative agreement. This project will be administered by WHAs Office of Policy Planning and Coordination (PPC). Subject to availability of funds, WHA intends to issue one award to not exceed $1,973,359 in FY 2023 Gender Equity and Equality Action (GEEA) Economic Support Funds (ESF) for a project period up to three (3) years. WHAs Caribbean United for Womens Economic Empowerment (CUWEE) project seeks proposals that demonstrate how the potential grantee will strengthen local civil society support actors engaged in advancing womens economic security in the region to help provide economic gender equity and equality in the Caribbean region. The project should include plans to first identify problematic country-specific and/or regional systemic barriers and socio-cultural attitudes, and then work with local civil society organizations (CSO)s to address those barriers. The CUWEE project intends to support a competition that will promote local CSOs to develop and implement pioneering solutions to overcome the local systemic barriers to economic security for women in their country/region. Additionally, the project should provide a training curriculum that builds the capacity of and strengthens the regional Caribbean network of local CSOs engaged in womens economic security.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to early-career faculty at institutions with limited NIH funding to help them establish independent biomedical research programs and enhance student research experiences.

The curriculum for Leadership Essentials for Sustainability was developed in 2017 as an instructor-led training (ILT). This 16-hour site-based program has been requested through NICs technical assistance, and specifically focuses on the soft skills of leadership and behavioral attributes that are a necessity for leading others. The topics can be customized based on the needs of the agency and may include building teams that work; strategic delegation; ethics and integrity; leading and managing change; institutional culture; and effective communication. The topics. The training allows participants with the opportunity to start thinking about their leadership philosophy, and how they might enhance their leadership aptitudes such as empathy, trust, and active listening. Additionally, by developing and practicing competency-based leadership skills, they will be on the path to becoming their organizations future leaders.