Grants for Private Institutions Of Higher Education

The U.S. Embassy Luanda is pleased to announce the availability of a funding opportunity through the 2024 Ambassadors Special Self-Help Fund. The Ambassadors Special Self-Help (SSH) program is a grass-roots grant assistance program that allows U.S. Ambassadors to support local requests for small community-based development projects. The purpose of the Special Self-Help Program is to support communities through modest grants that will positively impact local communities. The SSH philosophy is to help communities ready to help themselves.

The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a project to improve and strengthen the institutional capacities of the Colombian National Police CNP and the Directorate of Veterans and Inclusive Rehabilitation DIVRI to provide CNP officers and Colombian Military permanently wounded in the course of eradication, drug interdiction, rural security, antiterrorism, and anti-drug trafficking operations; access to vocational assistance. The project should include the design of strategies to access educational scholarships, vocational training, entrepreneurship and/or employment opportunities. The CNP and DIVRI will benefit from the project as the designed strategies will assist in improving their access to career development and employment opportunities.

This funding opportunity supports educational projects that incorporate the arts into learning experiences, aimed at engaging students creatively and improving their educational outcomes.

This funding opportunity supports specific arts and culture projects that engage the public, promote lifelong learning, and enhance community livability across various artistic disciplines in Michigan.

The Perkins CTE Reserve Grant, under the authority of the Wisconsin Perkins State Plan 2020, allocates secondary reserve funds to support the development, implementation, promotion, and monitoring of career pathways at the regional level. These pathways are aligned with state-identified high-skill, in-demand occupations or industries. The grant's objective is to increase the number of students accessing, participating in, and completing these career pathways, with a focus on equity and access for special populations. The grant has evolved over four years, initially focusing on creating the necessary infrastructure for regional career pathway development and then emphasizing student engagement, equitable access, and completion of career pathways, including career-based and work-based learning experiences.

This funding opportunity supports innovative projects led by emerging leaders in Michigan's arts and culture sector, encouraging fresh ideas and approaches.

This grant provides funding to educational institutions and organizations to create inclusive pathways for diverse students to engage in geoscience education and careers, focusing on historically excluded groups.

With this solicitation NIJ seeks proposals for funding from accredited research universities for a study on the current landscape of multidisciplinary teams working on sexual exploitation crimes against children, including structure, participants, and outcomes, in addition to best practices for multidisciplinary teams to improve effectiveness, outcomes, and victim well-being. With this solicitation, NIJ seeks proposals for funding from accredited research universities for a study on the current landscape of multidisciplinary teams working on sexual exploitation crimes against children, including structure, participants, and outcomes, in addition to best practices for multidisciplinary teams to improve effectiveness, outcomes, and victim well-being. Applications from entities other than accredited research universities will not be considered. NIJ will give special consideration to proposals with methods that include meaningful engagement with the people closest to the subject of study, including practitioners as well as community members representing crime victims, people under criminal justice supervision, and members of high-crime communities. Applicants are encouraged to propose multidisciplinary research teams to build on the complementary strengths of different methods and areas of subject matter expertise. NIJ also seeks proposals that include consideration and measurement of issues of diversity, discrimination, and bias across age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation, as applicable. Applications proposing research involving partnerships with juvenile justice, criminal justice or other agencies should include a strong letter of support, signed by an appropriate decisionmaking authority from each proposed partnering agency. A letter of support should include the partnering agency’s acknowledgment that de-identified data derived from, provided to, or obtained through an award funded by NIJ will be archived by the grant recipient with the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD) at the conclusion of the award. Applicants and their potential partners are encouraged to review NIJ’s data archiving guidance. If selected for an award, grantees will be expected to have a formal agreement in place with partnering agencies by January 1, 2025. That formal agreement must include a provision to meet the data archiving requirements of the award. NIJ seeks proposals that include robust, creative, and multi-pronged dissemination strategies that include strategic partnerships with organizations and associations that are best equipped to ensure that research findings lead to changes in policies and practices. Special consideration will be given to proposals that dedicate at least 15% of the requested project award funding toward implementing such strategies, as demonstrated in the “Budget Worksheet and Budget Narrative.” In the case of partnerships that will involve the use of federal award funds by multiple partnering agencies to carry out the proposed project, only one entity/partnering agency may be the applicant (as is the case with any application submitted in response to this solicitation); any others must be proposed as subrecipients. The applicant is expected to conduct the preponderance of the work proposed.

Note: Each funding opportunity description is a synopsis of information in the Federal Register application notice. For specific information about eligibility, please see the official application notice. The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html. Please review the official application notice for pre-application and application requirements, application submission information, performance measures, priorities and program contact information. For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an application, please refer to our Revised Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 7, 2022. Purpose of Program: The GEAR UP program is a discretionary grant program that encourages eligible entities to provide support, and maintain a commitment, to eligible students from low-income backgrounds, including students with disabilities, to assist the students in obtaining a secondary school diploma (or its recognized equivalent) and to prepare for and succeed in postsecondary education. Under the GEAR UP program, the Department awards grants to two types of entities: (1) States and (2) Partnerships consisting of at least one degree-granting institution of higher education (IHE) and at least one local educational agency (LEA). Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.334A.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting innovative proposals in the following technical areas: development of a nano-scale heterogeneous material synthesis on lattice mismatch substrates to realize defect-free multi-layer heterogenous junctions with atomically sharp surface/interface and atomically abrupt compositional transition. Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) describes a newly proposed initiative of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) concerning standing up a University Center of Excellence (CoE) for Data Assimilation (DA) Driven by Mathematical Features Representing Physics with educational institutions in the United States. The University CoE is defined as a joint effort among multiple technical directorates (TDs) of the Air Force Research Laboratory to include: the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), Aerospace Systems Directorate (RQ), Space Vehicles Directorate (RV), and Munitions Directorate (RW), referred to collectively as we, our, or us, in this FOA, and an outstanding university or team of universities that will perform high priority unclassified and collaborative basic / applied (6.1/ 6.2) research which addresses the United States Air Force (USAF) and United States Space Force (USSF) research needs in the DA area with relevance to high-speed flows and combustion.

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for projects that combats Gender Based Violence in Uzbekistan. The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for projects that combat gender-based violence (GBV) in Uzbekistan.        ​​​On April 6, 2023, Uzbekistan’s Senate unanimously adopted amendments criminalizing domestic violence and strengthening protections for women and children.  The legislation, signed into law by President Mirziyoyev on April 11, amends the Criminal and Administrative Codes.  While this legislation amended the Criminal and Administrative Codes, there are a few barriers to making the law a reality.  First, there is uneven implementation across localities because of cultural and resource variances across urban, peri-urban, and rural communities.  Second, limited public knowledge about the new law has resulted in few people seeking access to legal assistance.  Lastly, societal norms impede individuals from reporting domestic violence.     Through this award, DRL aims to address these gaps by:      Increasing awareness among all Uzbekistanis about the new GBV law at the local level and how it applies to women and communities across Uzbekistan.  Raising awareness about harmful practices that normalize and excuse GBV toward women and girls.  Supporting local civil society, community leaders, and social workers as they advocate to local law enforcement and local governance structures for the consistent implementation of the new law at the local level.     The proposed program should achieve the following outcomes:    Local civil society organizations (CSOs) and community advocates are better equipped to promote awareness of the new GBV law and advocate for its consistent and accountable implementation with law enforcement and government structures.   CSOs are better able to advocate for and assist GBV survivors to ensure they have access to resources and all provisions provided under the new GBV law.   Communities better understand and can advocate for the even implementation of the new GBV law at the local level.  Improved data collection and monitoring of GBV case response under the new law, All programs should aim to have impact that leads to reforms and have the potential for sustainability beyond DRL resources.  DRL’s preference is to avoid duplicating past efforts by supporting new and creative approaches.  This does not exclude from consideration projects that improve upon or expand existing successful projects in a new and complementary way.  DRL is committed to advancing equity and support for underserved and underrepresented communities. In accordance with the Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Underserved Communities, programs should implement strategies for integration and inclusion of individuals/organizations/beneficiaries that can bring perspectives based on their religion, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, sex characteristics, national origin, age, genetic information, marital status, parental status, pregnancy, political affiliation, or veteran’s status.  Programs should be demand-driven and locally led to the extent possible.  DRL requires all programs to be non-discriminatory and expects implementers to include strategies for nondiscrimination of individuals/organizations/beneficiaries based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, marital status, parental status, political affiliation, or veteran’s status.  Competitive proposals may also include a summary budget and budget narrative for no additional months following the proposed period of performance, indicated above. This information should indicate what objective(s) and/or activities could be accomplished with additional time and/or funds beyond the proposed period of performance. Where appropriate, competitive proposals may include: Opportunities for beneficiaries to apply their new knowledge and skills in practical efforts; Solicitation of feedback and suggestions from beneficiaries when developing activities in order to strengthen the sustainability of programs and participant ownership of project outcomes; Input from participants on sustainability plans and systematic review of the plans throughout the life of the project, with adjustments made as necessary; Joint identification and definition of key concepts with relevant stakeholders and stakeholder input into project activities; Systematic follow-up with beneficiaries at specific intervals after the completion of activities to track how beneficiaries are retaining new knowledge as well as applying their new skills. Activities that are not typically allowed include, but are not limited to: The provision of humanitarian assistance; English language instruction; Development of high-tech computer or communications software and/or hardware; Purely academic exchanges or fellowships; External exchanges or fellowships lasting longer than six months; Off-shore activities that are not clearly linked to in-country initiatives and impact or are not necessary per security concerns; Theoretical explorations of human rights or democracy issues, including projects aimed primarily at research and evaluation that do not incorporate training or capacity-building for local civil society; Micro-loans or similar small business development initiatives; Initiatives directed towards a diaspora community rather than current residents of targeted countries.

This grant provides funding to support promising postdoctoral researchers in neuroscience, enabling them to receive advanced training and mentorship in a focused research environment.

The Charlevoix County Community Foundation invites applications to its Community Priorities Grant cycle to enhance quality of life for residents of Charlevoix County, Michigan. The cycle offers eligible nonprofit partners and public entities an opportunity to seek support for projects and programs addressing local needs, and donor advisors may also recommend grants through the cycle. Proposals are evaluated for organizational impact and relevance, leadership and capacity, financial solvency, the extent to which funds strengthen the organization or the community served, the comprehensiveness of planning and proposed activities, and the expected duration of impact. The program is intended to reach a variety of needs in the county. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofits, units of government, and educational institutions from preschool through college that serve Charlevoix County residents and do not discriminate in hiring or service provision. Grant size and duration are not stated in the description. Applications are due May 1, 2024 through the foundation’s process. Applicants should consult the Community Foundation for official details and submission instructions.

The Department of States Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office) is pleased to invite organizations to submit proposals to provide global on-demand training and/or technical assistance in support of its global Training and Technical Assistance (T) Program. The Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office) announces an open competition for projects in support of its global Training and Technical Assistance (T&TA) Program. The TIP Office manages foreign assistance programs dedicated to combating human trafficking outside of the United States. The TIP Office awards grants to combat all forms of human trafficking—sex trafficking, child sex trafficking, forced labor, domestic servitude, forced child labor, and the unlawful recruitment and use of child soldiers. The Department of State’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP Report) provides a diagnostic assessment of the efforts of governments to combat human trafficking and shapes our foreign assistance priorities. More information is available at: https://www.state.gov/international-programs-office-to-monitor-and-combattrafficking-in-persons/. The TIP Office’s Training and Technical Assistance (T&TA) program aims to increase government and/or civil society capacity to combat human trafficking. T&TA is most appropriate for addressing specific knowledge or other capacity gaps through targeted, short-term interventions. The TIP Office can provide training and/or technical assistance on topics spanning all 4Ps – Prevention, Protection, Prosecution, and Partnership. However, prevention is not often a direct or dominant focus for individual T&TA interventions, it is instead frequently integrated into the T&TA interventions through the lens of Protection, Prosecution, and/or Partnership. T&TA interventions are most often initiated by requests from U.S. Embassies abroad, or sometimes from our T&TA implementing partners. The TIP Office reviews requests for T&TA on a rolling basis throughout the year. Selected T&TA requests are then referred by the TIP Office to the relevant implementer, depending on the type of assistance requested, the implementer’s areas of expertise, and funding availability. The timeline to complete T&TA activities will depend on a variety of factors such as strategic priorities and country contexts. The selected implementer should be able to create an intervention concept note and budget in response to the specific T&TA request before the intervention is approved for implementation. The selected implementer should also expect to work closely with TIP Office staff throughout the development and implementation of interventions and activities. T&TA interventions can be standalone or they can lay the groundwork for or complement other programming, but they do not take the place of longer, multiyear programs. Individual T&TA interventions can sometimes also be structured in phases, with each phase being subject to TIP Office approval. T&TA activities may be conducted in countries across all regions of the world, so the scope of T&TA implementers’ capabilities must be global. The selected applicant should be able to respond to unanticipated requests for assistance in any country and/or region, with few exceptions. Some examples of what past T&TA interventions have looked like include, but are not limited to, the following: • Review of and edits to draft legislation or implementing regulations on a 24-hour turnaround; • Development and adoption of Foreign Government National Action Plan over the course of five months from receipt of request to final adoption; • Targeted technical assistance on the process to accede to United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and the Palermo Protocol; • Rapid diagnostic needs assessment on anti-trafficking capacity gaps of specialized anti-trafficking practitioners conducted within four weeks of initial request, followed by the development and delivery of a tailored training curriculum; • Tailored trainings delivered to law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges on how to build a human trafficking case in a country with limited resources and low capacity; • Tailored trainings delivered to shelter staff to improve identification, screening, and assistance of victims of trafficking, as well as technical assistance to develop necessary tools, such as screening forms and risk assessments; • Creation and implementation of a training series curriculum tailored to psychological and legal service providers to victims of trafficking in urban and rural locations both virtually and in-person, delivered over the course of several months; • Regional training for law enforcement and prosecutors, tailoring the materials for applicability across various participating countries in the region. While some T&TA activities can be conducted remotely, and the ability to provide some programming virtually is an asset to the T&TA Program and to the selected implementers, the majority of T&TA activities are conducted in-person. Because T&TA interventions can take place in settings where utilities, such as internet connectivity, are unreliable, the TIP Office will not be able to consider applications whose model of T&TA delivery is entirely remote.

Notice of Funding Opportunity Summary This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO) is being released prior to appropriation and/or apportionment of funds for fiscal year 2024. Enactment of additional continuing resolutions or an appropriations act may affect the availability or level of funding for this program. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is announcing the potential availability of funding for agreements for the purpose of leveraging NRCS resources, addressing local natural resource issues, encouraging collaboration and developing state-and-community-level conservation leadership. Proposals must be for projects based in Iowa and focus on conservation issues. Collaborative projects that provide on-the-ground support for Iowa NRCS Field Offices are highly encouraged. Research proposals will not be accepted, nor considered. NRCS anticipates that the amount available for support of this program in FY 2024 will be up to $5,000,000.00, however, budget constraints may prevent NRCS from funding 2024 proposals. Proposals are requested from City or township governments, county governments, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, state governments, nonprofits having a 501 (c)(3) status with the IRS (other than institutions of higher education), or institutions of higher education for competitive consideration of awards for projects between 2 and 5 years in duration. Awarded organizations may be required to present project updates in the form of a formal presentation to the Iowa NRCS Leadership. Organizations may use this opportunity to request additional funding for existing Iowa IPC agreements. For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D. of the full Notice of Funding Opportunity for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov. Key Dates Applicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on May 7th, 2024. For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or [email protected]. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts. For inquiries specific to the content of the NFO requirements, contact the federal awarding agency contact (section G of this NFO). Please limit questions to those regarding specific information contained in this NFO (such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc.). Questions related to eligibility, or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed. The agency anticipates making selections by June 7th, 2024, and expects to execute awards by September 16, 2024. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.

The Department of States Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office) is pleased to invite organizations to submit proposals to provide technical assistance focused on establishing survivor leadership and partnership structures in support of its global Training and Technical Assistance (T) Program. The Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office) announces an open competition for projects to provide technical assistance focused on establishing survivor1 leadership and partnership structures 1 For simplicity and consistency, the terms “survivor” and “survivor leader” are used throughout this document. While some individuals who have experienced trafficking choose to embrace the title “survivor,” others do not. Terminology regarding human trafficking varies based on a country’s respective laws and language(s). The word “survivor” is not generally defined by law, nor is it in support of its global Training and Technical Assistance (T&TA) Program. The TIP Office manages foreign assistance programs dedicated to combating human trafficking outside of the United States. The TIP Office awards grants to combat all forms of human trafficking—sex trafficking, child sex trafficking, forced labor, domestic servitude, forced child labor, and the unlawful recruitment and use of child soldiers. The Department of State’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP Report) provides a diagnostic assessment of the efforts of governments to combat human trafficking and shapes our foreign assistance priorities. More information is available at: https://www.state.gov/international-programs-officeto-monitor-and-combat-trafficking-in-persons/. The TIP Office’s Training and Technical Assistance (T&TA) program aims to increase government and/or civil society capacity to combat human trafficking. T&TA is most appropriate for addressing specific knowledge or other capacity gaps through targeted, short-term interventions. The TIP Office can provide training and/or technical assistance on topics spanning all 4Ps – Prevention, Protection, Prosecution, and Partnership. T&TA interventions are most often initiated by requests from U.S. Embassies abroad, or sometimes from our T&TA implementing partners. The TIP Office reviews requests for T&TA on a rolling basis throughout the year. Selected T&TA requests are then referred by the TIP Office to the relevant implementer, depending on the type of assistance requested, the implementer’s areas of universally used or accepted in the context of human trafficking. In some countries, “survivor” may refer to those who have experienced historical, collective, or cultural trauma. Within the United States, there are some widely used terms for individuals who have experienced human trafficking and subsequently decided to engage in anti-trafficking related work on a professional level. Individuals may prefer to be referred to as “survivor leaders,” “survivor advocates,” or “subject matter experts with lived experience of human trafficking.” Some may have other titles or prefer not to identify based on this experience at all. In recognizing individuals’ full life experiences, skill sets, and professional goals, it is important to always ask someone how they want to be identified. Policymakers and stakeholders should not assume that someone who identifies as a “survivor leader,” “survivor advocate,” or “expert with lived experience of human trafficking” should be referred to as such in a professional setting or that identification as a survivor leader makes it acceptable to inquire about someone’s personal experience with human trafficking. expertise, and funding availability. The timeline to complete T&TA activities will depend on a variety of factors such as strategic priorities and country contexts. The selected implementer should be able to create an intervention concept note and budget in response to the specific T&TA request before the intervention is approved for implementation. The selected implementer should also expect to work closely with TIP Office staff throughout the development and implementation of interventions and activities. T&TA interventions can be standalone or they can lay the groundwork for or complement other programing, but they do not take the place of longer, multiyear programs. Individual T&TA interventions can sometimes also be structured in phases, with each phase being subject to TIP Office approval. T&TA activities may be conducted in countries across all regions of the world, so the scope of T&TA implementers’ capabilities must be global. The selected applicant should be able to respond to unanticipated requests for assistance in any country and/or region, with few exceptions. Some examples of what past T&TA interventions have looked like include the following: • Review of and edits to draft legislation or implementing regulations on a 24-hour turnaround; • Development and adoption of Foreign Government National Action Plan over the course of five months from receipt of request to final adoption; • Targeted technical assistance on the process to accede to United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and the Palermo Protocol; • Rapid diagnostic needs assessment on anti-trafficking capacity gaps of specialized anti-trafficking practitioners conducted within 4 weeks of initial request, followed by the development and delivery of a tailored training curriculum; • Tailored trainings delivered to law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges on how to build a human trafficking case in a country with limited resources and low capacity; • Tailored trainings delivered to shelter staff to improve identification, screening, and assistance of victims of trafficking, as well as technical assistance to develop necessary tools, such as screening forms and risk assessments; • Creation and implementation of a training series curriculum tailored to psychological and legal service providers to victims of trafficking in urban and rural locations both virtually and in-person, delivered over the course of several months; • Regional training for law enforcement and prosecutors, tailoring the materials to for applicability across various participating countries in the region. While some T&TA activities can be conducted remotely, and the ability to provide some programming virtually is an asset to the T&TA Program and to the selected implementers, the majority of T&TA activities are conducted in-person. Because T&TA interventions can take place in settings where utilities, such as internet connectivity, are unreliable, the TIP Office will not be able to consider applications whose model of T&TA delivery is entirely remote.

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for a project to address the ethnic marginalization across Coastal West Africa. The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for a project to address the ethnic marginalization across Coastal West Africa. The consolidation of power, poor governance, and rise of violent extremism in some Coastal West African countries have contributed to the exclusion and discrimination of certain ethnic groups in politics and everyday life. While certain ethnic groups are not legally excluded from civic and political participation, their full engagement in decision-making roles remains limited. Certain ethnic groups are particularly marginalized in the government, the civil service, and the armed forces. Some ethnic groups also experience discrimination in employment and access to credit, health care, and education. Hundreds of thousands of individuals, including migrants and rural-based members of society, lack documentation to obtain citizenship or access public resources despite protections under the law. In addition, certain ethnic groups face societal discrimination, including stigmatization, harassment, and attacks. Militant groups have exploited the marginalization of certain ethnic groups by playing on grievances and amplifying 2 feelings of distrust in government to recruit members. For example, the targeting of Fulbe communities—based on the belief that they all support jihadi insurgents—has perpetuated conflict, facilitated jihadi recruitment, and risks spreading the violence into new areas. The property and land rights systems across Coastal West Africa has disenfranchised certain ethnic groups historically, causing violence to erupt at times. For example, pastoralist communities who have lived in certain areas for decades have faced the encroachment of agriculturalists on land that they typically use for grazing. In addition, governments across the region have introduced new laws and policies that limit pastoralists’ way of life. Further problematic is that the agencies in charge of developing new land rights policies and programs do not include members of the ethnic groups that would be heavily impacted by the changes. To respond to these challenges, DRL is seeking proposals with the goal of supporting members of marginalized communities in Coastal West Africa—specifically Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin, and /or Togo—to improve respect for their political rights and civil liberties. Proposals may focus on individual countries or multiple countries, but approaches must be led by, or have strong support from and participation by, groups and individuals representing marginalized ethnic groups. Proposals may include but do not need to support members of pastoralist communities. DRL recognizes that there are numerous other ethnic groups in the region that do not fully enjoy the rights enumerated by law. Applicants are encouraged to complement and deconflict with existing programs that address ethnic marginalization in the region. DRL seeks proposals for programming that are ambitious but also targeted and achievable. DRL will consider proposals that address the goal reflected above but include different, though similar and related, objectives. While proposals may include additional objectives, inclusion of additional objectives will not make a proposal more competitive.

The Integrated Atmospheric Deposition Network (IADN) was established in 1990 as a binational monitoring network between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), in response to scientific evidence that demonstrated that input from the atmosphere is a significant source of many persistent toxic chemicals to the Great Lakes. Since 1990, IADN has monitored persistent toxic chemicals in vapor, particulates, and precipitation at both urban and rural sites across the Great Lakes basin. Master stations are in rural areas on four of the Great Lakes (Eagle Harbor, MI; Sleeping Bear Dunes, MI; Sturgeon Point, NY; ECCC Station: Point Petre, ON) to characterize the background basin-wide trends of persistent toxic chemical loadings to the lakes. Satellite stations are also located in two urban areas (Chicago, IL and Cleveland, OH) to better understand the contribution of large urban areas to persistent toxic chemical loadings to the Great Lakes. All stations are operated by EPA, except for Point Petre which is operated by ECCC. Funding for IADN is provided by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI or Initiative). The GLRI builds on the prior efforts of federal, state, and local agencies; Indian Tribes; businesses; public interest groups; interested citizens; and others to develop a collaborative and comprehensive approach to restoring the Great Lakes. Information about the Initiative can be found at GLRI.us. The statutory authority of the GLRI to award cooperative agreements is contained in the Clean Water Act, Section 118(c)(7), as amended by Public Law 114-322. The EPA has authority to award grants and cooperative agreements for planning, research, monitoring, outreach, and implementation projects in furtherance of the GLRI and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA).This Request for Applications (RFA) solicits applications from eligible entities for a cooperative agreement to be awarded pursuant to the statutory authority referenced above and the GLRI Action Plan III.

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications in response to to strengthen civil society resilience in Kyrgyz Republic. The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications in response to the following solicitation.  DRL anticipates funding one proposal from this solicitation, pending availability of funding.      The Kyrgyz Republic has long had a reputation of having the most vibrant, active civil society and independent media in Central Asia.  In recent years however, concerning trends have put that reputation at risk.  Harassment of activists, independent media and CSOs has intensified, with peaceful rallies limited to specific places, with authorities extending restrictions every few months.       Kyrgyz CSOs now face systematic attacks including arbitrary criminal and administrative prosecutions, deportations, and anonymous offline and online threats. They routinely endure unannounced tax inspections and smear campaigns on social media. Additionally, draft anti-democratic legislation currently for consideration in the Kyrgyz parliament threatens to seriously undermine freedom of association and further restrict CSO operating space.     In this challenging environment, DRL aims to maintain civil space and build civil society resiliency. This project’s primary objective is ensuring Kyrgyz CSOs have the tools, training, resources, and support to remain safely and effectively engaged in their work amid increasing repressions.       Elements of useful programming could include digital and physical security trainings, financial audits, flexible small-grants, legal support, advocacy strategy development, cyber bullying response tactics, or building solidarity networks domestically and internationally. The focus should be holistic, addressing security, legal, financial, operational, and psychosocial needs given the multilayered pressures civil society faces.    Program outcomes could include one or more of the following but are not limited to:    Civil society and community actors operate and coordinate safely to navigate the new/emerging legal operating environment in Kyrgyz Republic.     Kyrgyz civil society organizations have the tools, resources, and support to safely and more effectively remain engaged in their work amid increasing restrictions and repressions that challenge the civic space.  Kyrgyz civil society engages in advocacy on human rights issues.  All programs should aim to have impact that leads to reforms and have the potential for sustainability beyond DRL resources.  DRL’s preference is to avoid duplicating past efforts by supporting new and creative approaches.  This does not exclude from consideration projects that improve upon or expand existing successful projects in a new and complementary way.  DRL is committed to advancing equity and support for underserved and underrepresented communities. In accordance with the Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Underserved Communities, programs should implement strategies for integration and inclusion of individuals/organizations/beneficiaries that can bring perspectives based on their religion, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, sex characteristics, national origin, age, genetic information, marital status, parental status, pregnancy, political affiliation, or veteran’s status.  Programs should be demand-driven and locally led to the extent possible.  DRL requires all programs to be non-discriminatory and expects implementers to include strategies for nondiscrimination of individuals/organizations/beneficiaries based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, marital status, parental status, political affiliation, or veteran’s status.  Competitive proposals may also include a summary budget and budget narrative for 12 additional months following the proposed period of performance, indicated above. This information should indicate what objective(s) and/or activities could be accomplished with additional time and/or funds beyond the proposed period of performance. Where appropriate, competitive proposals may include: Opportunities for beneficiaries to apply their new knowledge and skills in practical efforts; Solicitation of feedback and suggestions from beneficiaries when developing activities in order to strengthen the sustainability of programs and participant ownership of project outcomes; Input from participants on sustainability plans and systematic review of the plans throughout the life of the project, with adjustments made as necessary; Joint identification and definition of key concepts with relevant stakeholders and stakeholder input into project activities; Systematic follow-up with beneficiaries at specific intervals after the completion of activities to track how beneficiaries are retaining new knowledge as well as applying their new skills. Activities that are not typically allowed include, but are not limited to: The provision of humanitarian assistance; English language instruction; Development of high-tech computer or communications software and/or hardware; Purely academic exchanges or fellowships; External exchanges or fellowships lasting longer than six months; Off-shore activities that are not clearly linked to in-country initiatives and impact or are not necessary per security concerns; Theoretical explorations of human rights or democracy issues, including projects aimed primarily at research and evaluation that do not incorporate training or capacity-building for local civil society; Micro-loans or similar small business development initiatives; Initiatives directed towards a diaspora community rather than current residents of targeted countries.