Grants for Public and State controlled institutions of higher education - International Development

The U.S. Embassy Tashkent Public Diplomacy Section (PD) of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to implement the English Access Scholarship Program. The goal of the Access Program is to equip talented students who possess a minimal knowledge of English with effective communication and critical thinking skills through meaningful interaction, cooperative learning strategies, and real-life contexts. Additionally, Access seeks to prepare students for conversational English language skills with native and non-native speakers of English through a variety of experiential learning activities. Selected participants must be bright, economically disadvantaged students with a beginning level of English. Participants should commit to enroll in classes during the full two-year program. Students are expected to graduate with certificates of completion from the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan at the end of their two-year program. Applicants may submit proposals to manage one Access location, however, preference will be given to organizations willing to manage and implement several existing Access and Access Satellite Center locations across Uzbekistan. The selected implementer(s) must be willing to work with the existing Access and Access Satellite Center location(s) and venue(s) with the understanding that they would be responsible for recruiting participants and for ensuring those locations and venues meet the standards of the program. Organizations with previous experience and a capacity of working with educational institutions on a national level will be given priority. This experience should be documented in the organizations proposal.

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 support civil society efforts to provide effective civic oversight of the Government of Ukraines (GOU) armed forces, security services,1 and the law enforcement.

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for a project advances responsive, accountable, and rights-respecting governance for citizens by strengthening environmental governance in Pacific Island countries.

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 support the sustainability of independent media in Ukraine.

Executive Summary: Competitive proposals will show the capacity to manage both the PD operational/programmatic and ASSF programmatic activities at the Spaces. Thus, the most competitive applicants will submit at least two proposals, as appropriate. Furthermore, applicants demonstrating the capacity to manage multiple Spaces will be highly competitive. The recipient will receive significant Public Diplomacy Section input and assistance to ensure the programming under both awards meets U.S. Embassy Dushanbe goals and objectives. The expected date range for implementation of all projects is October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025. Please follow the instructions below for the application. Background American Spaces are the premier public diplomacy platform of the U.S. Embassy in Tajikistan that has been strengthening mutual understanding and friendship between the people of Tajikistan and the United States of America for almost 21 years. The eight American Spaces in Tajikistan are located in Bokhtar, Dushanbe, Gharm, Isfara, Khorugh, Khujand, Kulob, and Panjakent and offer English resources and development opportunities to meet interests of diverse audiences, while also serving as gateways for Tajik citizens to learn about American society, culture and education. The American Spaces are well known in the community for their regular English-language activities, such as conversation groups with native speakers, workshops with visiting specialists, and regular presentations by Americans on U.S. life and culture. American Spaces operate based on the global standards of the American Spaces program. These standards mandate that every American Space offer programming in six core areas free of charge for all the participants: 1. English language teaching and learning: Increase English language proficiency and instructional skills of English language learners and English language teachers, particularly for underserved audiences by facilitating a wide range of programs (designed and delivered by American Space coordinators, USG grantees, and volunteer networks) that build the skills of English language teachers and promote English language learning. American Spaces provide access to English language speakers and professional development/teacher training resources provided by the State Department. 2. Information about the United States: Increase awareness and understanding of school and university students about American history, culture, and society through people-people diplomacy. American Spaces also offer collections of English books, videos, newspapers, magazines, photo galleries, and Internet access and ensure these collections remain accurate, up to date, and audience appropriate. 3. Educational advising: Increase the knowledge and skills of high-school students on higher education opportunities in the United States by providing accurate, comprehensive, and up-to-date guidance on applying to U.S. colleges and universities. In collaboration with Education USA, American Spaces conduct virtual sessions providing accurate, comprehensive, current information about opportunities to study in the United States. American Spaces host students/ alumna of different exchange programs to talk about their study, life in the States, sharing tips from their personal experience. They also conduct essay writing clubs and TOEFL sessions for the student who seek opportunity to study in the States. 4. Alumni engagement: Support continuing engagement with alumni of U.S. exchange programs and cultural enrichment programs, connecting them to local audiences by sharing their U.S. experience and expertise to benefit the local communities. 5. Skills Building: Develop skills and increase capacity of the Tajik population to meet global challenges, mitigate crises, increase trade, support inclusive and sustainable economic growth and opportunity and strengthen resilience to economic, technological, environmental and other global challenges. American Spaces continue offering programs to meet interests of diverse audiences in the regions especially by organizing projects that promote English language, innovation, entrepreneurship, environmental protection, and gender equality in STEM, as well as teach skills such as critical thinking and media literacy, resume writing and job promotion, how to launch entrepreneurial or social development projects, how to use makerspace equipment to conduct projects. 6. Strategic Cultural Programs: Foster people-to-people connections, increase understanding and build respect towards the United States with Tajikistan audiences through cultural programs and holiday celebrations, that can include visual and performing arts, film, literature, health, food culture/cuisine, sports, science and technology, volunteerism, makerspace activities, environment, civil society, and entrepreneurship. The American Spaces in Tajikistan also actively partner with international and local organizations to conduct highly impactful programs. Funding Opportunity 1: Operational/Programmatic (PD): Competitive proposals will show a cost-share for space/rent or staffing. Competitive proposals will seek to maintain current Spaces locations or justify proposals to relocate to a new facility. Project Goal: Strengthen relationships, deepen trust, and expand people-to-people exchanges between the United States and Tajikistan. Objectives: Objective 1: Oversee and administer American Spaces operations within the allocated budget over a 12-month period, demonstrated by implementation of innovative solutions to technical and logistical challenges, maintenance of staffs high professional standards, and cost-efficient maintenance of spaces, while maintaining the modern aesthetic and accessibility standards of American Spaces. Provide skilled, innovative staff, comfortable with social media, to attract and work with public audiences. Objective 2: Increase the reach and engagement outreach to target American Spaces audiences by creating and launching a unified social media strategy within the second months of the programs implementation. Objective 3: Improve program management, reporting, and other professional skills of American Space Coordinators at six American Spaces through in-person and virtual professional development training and activities. a. Training topics may include but are not limited to: project planning, report writing techniques, methods on tracking Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and metrics, budget management, data collection tools and techniques, data analysis, social media management, graphic design and content development, customer service, first aid, etc. b. Offer free-of-charge skills building workshops and educational programs to showcase American culture, holidays, and traditions at six American Spaces of Tajikistan: Gharm, Isfara, Khorugh, Khujand, Kulob, Panjakent. Objective 4: Design and execute a range of diverse programming activities across six core areas of American Spaces (described above) at six American Spaces in Tajikistan: Gharm, Isfara, Khorugh, Khujand, Kulob, and Panjakent, demonstrated by sustained participation and increases in participant turnout. Funding Opportunity 2: Programmatic (ASSF) Goal: Strengthen relationships, deepen trust and expand people-to-people exchanges between the United States and Tajikistan through the promotion of the English language, providing a supportive and tolerant community to combat violent extremism, increasing regional connectivity, and promoting economic opportunities. Objective: Design and execute a range of diverse programmatic activities across six core areas of American Spaces (explained below) in alignment with Mission goals at eight American Spaces in Tajikistan, demonstrated by sustained participation and increases in participant turnout. 7. English language teaching and learning: Increase English language proficiency and instructional skills of English language learners and English language teachers, particularly for underserved audiences by facilitating a wide range of programs (designed and delivered by American Space coordinators, USG grantees, and volunteer networks) that build the skills of English language teachers and promote English language learning. American Spaces provide access to English language speakers and professional development/teacher training resources provided by the State Department. 8. Information about the United States: Increase awareness and understanding of school and university students about American history, culture, and society through people-people diplomacy. American Spaces also offer collections of English books, videos, newspapers, magazines, photo galleries, and Internet access and ensure these collections remain accurate, up to date, and audience appropriate. 9. Educational advising: Increase the knowledge and skills of high-school students on higher education opportunities in the United States by providing accurate, comprehensive, and up-to-date guidance on applying to U.S. colleges and universities. In collaboration with Education USA, American Spaces conduct virtual sessions providing accurate, comprehensive, current information about opportunities to study in the United States. American Spaces host students/ alumna of different exchange programs to talk about their study, life in the States, sharing tips from their personal experience. They also conduct essay writing clubs and TOEFL sessions for the student who seek opportunity to study in the States. 10. Alumni engagement: Support continuing engagement with alumni of U.S. exchange programs and cultural enrichment programs, connecting them to local audiences by sharing their U.S. experience and expertise to benefit the local communities. 11. Skills Building: Develop skills and increase capacity of the Tajik population to meet global challenges, mitigate crises, increase trade, support inclusive and sustainable economic growth and opportunity and strengthen resilience to economic, technological, environmental and other global challenges. American Spaces continue offering programs to meet interests of diverse audiences in the regions especially by organizing projects that promote English language, innovation, entrepreneurship, environmental protection, and gender equality in STEM, as well as teach skills such as critical thinking and media literacy, resume writing and job promotion, how to launch entrepreneurial or social development projects, how to use makerspace equipment to conduct projects. 12. Strategic Cultural Programs: Foster people-to-people connections, increase understanding and build respect towards the United States with Tajikistan audiences through cultural programs and holiday celebrations, that can include visual and performing arts, film, literature, health, food culture/cuisine, sports, science and technology, volunteerism, makerspace activities, environment, civil society, and entrepreneurship. Expected Activities by SpaceActivities and overall budget listed below, to include administrative oversight, per Space has been pre-approved by the State Departments Office of American Spaces. Please access the detailed announcement from the related documents tab.

The U.S. Department of State, U.S. Embassy Banjul announces an Open Competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for projects that support capacity activities for local civil society organizations (CSOs). Subject to the availability of funding, a grant of up to $500,000 U.S. Dollars in FY 2023 Economic Support Funds (ESF) will be awarded for work that will build the capacity of CSOs which will enable them to effectively engage the government and hold them accountable, help fight corruption and educate the public on key social and human rights issues. Applicants can find application forms and other materials needed to apply on GRANTS.gov https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-mandatory-family and/or U.S. Embassy Banjuls website https://gm.usembassy.gov/grant-opportunities/ under the announcement title Strengthening the Capacity of Civil Society Organizations to Promote Accountable Governance in The Gambia funding opportunity number BJL-ARDF-FY23. Please contact the U.S. Embassy Banjuls point of contact listed in Section G if requesting reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities or for security reasons. Please note that reasonable accommodations do not include deadline extensions.

YSEALI (yseali.state.gov) is the U.S. governments signature initiative to engage emerging leaders in Southeast Asia. The program aims to create a network of young Southeast Asian leaders who work across national borders to solve common problems. Through a variety of programs and engagements, YSEALI seeks to build the leadership capabilities of youth in the region, strengthen ties between the United States and Southeast Asia, and nurture a community of leaders who work across borders to solve shared issues. YSEALI is open to young leaders ages 18 to 35 who are both citizens and residents of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries (Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) or Timor-Leste. Responding to priorities from youth in the ASEAN region, YSEALI programs focus on four themes (i.e., Civic Engagement, Economic Empowerment and Social Entrepreneurship, Education and Environmental Issues). The 2025 YSEALI WLA: InnovateHER will advance all of the YSEALI themes and the U.S. Mission to ASEANs strategic goals: Sub-objective 3.2.1. ASEAN recognizes the contribution of women in the economic recovery of the region and strives to promote DEIA principles across its economic community pillar. Sub-objective 3.2.2. The United States creates a program to promote the role of women across ASEAN in contributing to peace and security across the region. The 2025 YSEALI WLA: InnovatHER will be designed for 50 to 60 female participants who have professional experience working in the tech industry. Possible fields include artificial intelligence technology, clean energy, cybersecurity, software development, medical technology research, and tech start-up incubators. The participants, age 20 to 35, must represent all 10 of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states and Timor-Leste. The Academy will have pre-workshop virtual activities and an in-person four-day or five-day workshop located in Southeast Asia. The purpose of the pre-workshop and workshop activities will be to: (1) create a network of Southeast Asian women making advances in technology who will design future activities and workshops for women in the YSEALI network; (2) explore how technological advancements, including artificial intelligence, could improve the daily lives of women; (3) discuss political and governmental policies that are affecting womens access to the digital economy and technological advancements; (4) develop general leadership skills, including self-awareness of personal professional strengths. FULL NOFO is on the U.S. Mission to ASEAN website here.

The U.S. Mission to Ecuador through the Public Diplomacy Section (PDS), announces an open competition for organizations and individuals to submit proposals to implement projects with innovative approaches to counter irregular migration in Ecuador.

Executive Summary: The U.S. Embassy Colombo, Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) is pleased to announce a funding opportunity through the Public Diplomacy grants program to support participation of Sri Lankans in regional and other international exchange and learning opportunities. Please follow all instructions below. Background: U.S. Embassy Colombo supports a variety of exchange and learning opportunities for Sri Lankans to foster skills and capacity in areas of leadership, community engagement, civic discourse, entrepreneurship media, social media, and technology. Some examples include the Everest International Model United Nations, Tech Camp, and Women in Science STEAM Camp. Funded and organized by the U.S. Embassy, these exchanges will occur within the South Asia region, and are estimated to include between 15 and 25 individuals. Final participant numbers and the locations of their exchanges will be finalized in late 2024 through 2025. To best expand our exchange and learning opportunities, PDS Colombo is seeking an implementing partner (through a Cooperative Agreement; with significant Public Diplomacy Section input and assistance) to administratively support participant selection and to take the lead on administrative tasks associated with travel in consultation with PDS Colombo for the several anticipated exchange and learning opportunities in late 2024 through 2025.

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 that supports the meaningful political and civic participation of youth in the Solomon Islands.

The United States Department of States Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Office of International Visitors (ECA/PE/V) announces an open competition for the FY 2025 International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) International Airport Arrivals and Departures Program, pending the availability of FY 2025 funds. Launched in 1940, the IVLP is a professional exchange program that seeks to build mutual understanding between the United States and other nations through carefully designed short-term visits to the U.S. for current and emerging leaders. These visits support U.S. foreign policy goals and reflect the participants professional interests.Only one proposal will be considered by ECA from each applicant organization. In cases where more than one submission from an applicant appears in grants.gov, ECA will only consider the submission made closest in time to the NOFO deadline; that submission would constitute the one and only proposal ECA would review from that applicant. Please see the full announcement for additional information.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is soliciting proposals to improve existing efforts to reduce mortality of whales from entanglement in fishing gear in Southern California. Donor Name: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) State: California County: Los Angeles County (CA), Orange County (CA), Santa Barbara County (CA), Ventura County (CA) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline:  07/17/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: 2 Years Details: The activities will provide compensatory restoration for injury to cetaceans caused by the Refugio Beach Oil Spill (RBOS). Specifically, the aim of the activities is to augment an existing permitted and authorized program off the southern California coast by increasing the capacity of the entanglement response network in areas that need additional support to respond to reports of entangled cetaceans, to document and disentangle these animals, and to broadly support efforts to reduce the number of entanglements that could lead to serious injuries or mortalities. Priorities Project proposals should address as many of these program priorities as possible: Directly Enhance Entanglement Response Enhance entanglement responses that benefit cetaceans in Southern California. Types of direct response activities could include, but are not limited to: Participate in, and/or lead, entanglement responses in Southern California Participate in, and/or lead, entanglement responses beyond Southern California that benefit cetaceans in Southern California Coordinate with federal, state and local resource agencies This project will work closely with federal, state and local resource agencies to enhance coordination of the overall West Coast Marine Mammal Entanglement Response Program (Program), with a primary focus of benefitting cetaceans in Southern California.  Train and develop volunteer response capacity Efforts to train and develop volunteer response capacity throughout the West Coast have been limited. In addition, the relatively low number of high-level trained responders on the West Coast make it difficult to generate effective responses that may include detailed documentation of entanglement events, as well as disentanglement efforts.  Build capacity and infrastructure Proposals should outline how these activities will contribute to the development of the overall capacity and infrastructure of the Program. Funding Information An estimated $250,000 will be available through this solicitation for a Phase 1 project award, which is anticipated to last 1–2 years.  Geographic Focus The priority geographic focus is Southern California, and – in particular for responding to entangled cetaceans – the coastlines off Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles and Orange Counties Applicants do not need to be primarily based in the Southern California area if they can provide assurance that they can effectively perform entanglement response and capacity building activities in Southern California. Project proposals may include additional activities outside of the priority geographic focus if they relate to the health and protection of individual cetaceans that may occur in southern California at some point during their life. Eligibility Criteria Eligible applicants include non-profit 501(c) organizations, state government agencies, local governments, municipal governments, for-profit organizations, Tribal governments and organizations, educational institutions, international organizations. Ineligible applicants include U.S. federal government agencies, and unincorporated individuals. For more information, visit NFWF.

YSEALI (yseali.state.gov) is the U.S. governments signature initiative to engage emerging leaders in Southeast Asia. The program aims to create a network of young Southeast Asian leaders who work across national borders to solve common problems. Through a variety of programs and engagements, YSEALI seeks to build the leadership capabilities of youth in the region, strengthen ties between the United States and Southeast Asia, and nurture a community of leaders who work across borders to solve shared issues. YSEALI is open to young leaders ages 18-35 who are both citizens and residents of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries (Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) or Timor-Leste. Responding to priorities from youth in the ASEAN region, YSEALI programs focus on four themes (Civic Engagement, Economic Empowerment and Social Entrepreneurship, Education and Environmental Issues). One component of YSEALI is the annual Regional Workshops held across Southeast Asia on strategic topics. Focusing on youth and community action, the YSEALI Blue Economy Regional Workshop aims to advance the YSEALI theme of Sustainable Development and U.S. Embassy Jakartas strategic goals by examining how technology and regional collaboration can create sustainable economic growth in sectors related to ocean ecosystems. These include the emerging sectors of renewable blue energy, desalination, and blue carbon, as well as traditional sectors of fisheries, marine conservation, and marine transportation. It also supports U.S. Embassy Singapores strategic goals by bringing Singapore, limited in space and natural resources, into regional partnership roles on blue economic issues, from green shipping and renewable energy to desalination and ocean-based food security. The workshop should be a minimum of five and maximum of six days - inclusive of travel days (with international travel into and out of Singapores Changi airport). Lodging and conference venue should be in Batam with the majority of workshop sessions taking place in Batam, but day trips to Singapore and other areas around Batam to explore sustainable fishing, blue energy, or green port initiatives like the U.S-Singapore green shipping corridor can be included. The program may also include meetings and activities in Singapore on arrival or prior to departure. Travel to and from Batam should be via high-speed ferry services. This workshop will bring together 60 YSEALI members from ASEAN countries and Timor Leste who have an interest in emerging energy technologies, coastal economic development, environmental development, environmental science, green technology, marine conservation, social equity, economic vitality, and the ability to lead. Proposals may also include participation of the Young Pacific Leaders (YPL) network to create synergy between communities working on blue issues economy across Southeast Asia and the Pacific. YSEALI leaders will have the opportunity to share new ideas and perspectives on how to harness the potential of the blue economy to increase economic growth in a sustainable and science-based way. The workshop should include sessions on defining blue economy, introducing ASEAN and ASEAN member state initiatives related to blue economy, regional collaboration, and multi-nation funding opportunities. The workshop should look at blue economy issues in a globalized society and examine approaches taken by the United States and countries in the region. The concepts of leadership, giving back, and strengthening a Southeast Asian/ASEAN identity based on shared values and shared challenges should be integrated into the program. Workshop speakers/facilitators/mentors should be citizens of the United States, an ASEAN member country, or Timor-Leste. The workshop should include site visits to companies, government-affiliated programs, or non-governmental organizations where innovative approaches are being taken to harness blue economy potential. The proposal should include workshop follow-on activities such as virtual collaborative work, projects funded through small seed grants, and/or ongoing mentorship. The follow-on activity should be included in the monitoring and evaluation plan. The workshop should also include a cultural or community service component that promotes ASEAN unity, and the United States as a partner to ASEAN. The recipient is expected to develop syllabus materials and an event program with participant and speaker biographies, as well as design banners, backdrops, and other printed materials. The recipient is expected to design a digital engagement strategy for workshop participants and social media audiences, including live video or live online engagement during the program. The proposal should include workshop follow-on activities such as virtual collaborative work, projects funded through small seed grants, or ongoing mentorship. The follow-on activity should be included in the monitoring and evaluation plan. The proposal should include a pre and post workshop survey to measure the overall effectiveness of the workshop as well as any changes to the participants knowledge of the workshop topic. No new website specific to the event should be created or launched. Domain, hosting and build costs will not be covered.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The U.S. Consulate General in Erbil of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a program to build capacity among various civil society groups in support of diverse goals. Priority Region: Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR). Program Objectives: This is an omnibus grant with six distinct objectives and target audiences. 1) Law school students from rural universities (University of Raparin, University of Garmian, Soran University, Halabja University, and Koya University) in the IKR have few opportunities to engage with civil society and learn about the actual implementation of human rights-related laws and norms. Directly connecting them via paid internships with local civil society organizations (CSOs) to help them understand CSOs work helps ensure that rural residents in need of legal services will have better prepared legal counsel, who can help connect those clients in need to local CSOs able to support their needs beyond legal services, in support of overall human rights objectives. It also helps provide rural CSOs in need of legal services with legal teams better prepared to represent them in court. 2) Human rights related NGOs are typically operated by individuals with few opportunities for professional development or training, and as a result are largely ineffective at fundraising and lobbying. Providing training to smaller, more rural, and/or newer CSOs on advocacy and lobbying techniques, fundraising best practices, strategic planning, and leadership and management best practices will yield more effective CSOs better able to advocate for democratic advancement within the IKR. 3) Few IKR-based journalists attend journalism school, and journalism school students often graduate without effective understanding of tradecraft and ethics, yielding a media environment in which biased and substandard reporting are common, with a lack of fact checking, multiple sourcing, or other tradecraft skills. Providing training to journalists with fewer than 5 years of experience or journalism students will help rectify this issue. 4) Understanding of modern water management techniques in the IKR is limited, even among specialist academics and practitioners, leading to significant agricultural production issues in the face of climate change-related drought. Helping environmental or agricultural CSOs better understand these techniques, as well as best practices in community advocacy, can help them spread these techniques to major water users including the agricultural sector, reducing overall demand for water. 5) Similarly, environmental-focused academics have a key role to play in advising the government as to the best policies for improving overall water management within the IKR. Organizing a symposium or conference for water management and environmental science professors, academics, and industry leaders can help them come up with specific suggestions for implementation by both industry and the Kurdistan Regional Government. 6) Finally, students with disabilities including but not limited to ADHD and autism spectrum disorder often face both social exclusion and a lack of preparedness on the part of teachers and schools to effectively teach such students. Training employees of the KRG Ministry of Educations Training and Curriculum Development department on best practices in this field will help spread this knowledge throughout the IKRs teachers and ensure better outcomes for students with disabilities. Above-mentioned programs should be designed in a way that they strengthen cultural ties between the United States and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region through programming that highlights shared values and promotes bilateral cooperation. All programs must include an American cultural element, or connection with American expert/s, organization/s, or institutions in a specific field that will promote increased understanding of U.S. policy and perspectives. Such inclusion may consist of U.S.-developed materials or resources, virtual speakers, or using key examples from the United States to advance outcomes. Participants and Audiences: Minimum envisioned outcomes: (1) 25 total rural law school students from at least three of the aforementioned universities; (2) 25 human rights advocates from smaller/newer NGOs; (3) 25 newer journalists or journalism school students representing the IKRs diversity; (4) 25 civil society activists from environmental organizations; (5) 25 academics working on water management or environmental issues; (6) 10 employees from the KRG Ministry of Educations Training and Curriculum Development department.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONThe U.S. Consulate General in Erbil of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a program to build capacity among visual artists and IT students and recent IT graduates in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR) and Kirkuk governorate. Please follow all instructions below.Priority Region: Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR). Program Objectives: The IKR is overly dependent on petroleum export for economic purposes; helping various demographics launch online businesses will help diversify the economy, leading to greater economic stability and advancing overall climate goals. This program will train individuals from specific rural demographics on how to successfully monetize existing businesses or business ideas online. Participants and Audiences:This program envisions two separate programs: (1) one focused on IT students or recent (previous 2 years) graduates from any of the following seven universities: University of Zakho, University of Garmian, University of Halabja, University of Raparin, Soran University, Koya University, and Charmo University. This program would (a) help students conceive of a new app, (b) provide mentorship from experienced app designers to lead them through the process of app developments, and (c) mentor them as they launch their apps to be monetized online ideally through existing app marketplaces. Outcomes should include one monetized app for each participant. (2) The second program should focus on visual artists (sculptors, painters, digital artists, weavers, jewelry makers, crafters, ceramicists, etc) with an existing social media following of at least 5,000 individuals. This program would assist them with learning how to create an online sales platform or make use of existing online sales platforms through which they can monetize their work online. Outcomes should include each participant successfully using an online sales platform to monetize their work. All participants must be based in either the Iraqi Kurdistan Region or Kirkuk Governorate. Above-mentioned programs should be designed in a way that they strengthen cultural ties between the United States and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region through programming that highlights shared values and promotes bilateral cooperation. All programs must include an American cultural element, or connection with American expert/s, organization/s, or institutions in a specific field that will promote increased understanding of U.S. policy and perspectives. Such inclusion may consist of U.S.-developed materials or resources, virtual speakers, or using key examples from the United States to advance outcomes.

U.S. Embassy Guatemalas Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) of the U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce funding now available through its Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program. This Annual Program Statement outlines our funding priorities, the strategic themes on which we focus, and procedures for submitting funding requests. Please follow carefully all instructions below. Purpose of Small Grants: PDS Guatemala invites proposals for programs that strengthen cultural, educational, professional, and/or scientific ties between the United States and Guatemala through cultural, educational, and/or exchange programming that highlights our shared values and promotes bilateral cooperation. All programs must include an American cultural or educational element, or connection with American expert(s), organization(s), or institution(s) in a specific field that will promote increased understanding of U.S. policy and perspectives.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is soliciting ConocoPhillips SPIRIT of Conservation program proposals to advance bird species and habitat conservation. Donor Name: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) State: Selected States County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 07/31/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: 2 Years Details: The purpose of this program is to help address the loss of 3 billion birds since 1970 by supporting projects that conserve, restore, or enhance grassland, wetland, sage-steppe, and coastal habitats for birds, or gather lacking bird population data with innovative methods, with an emphasis in focal geographies. Priorities Bird populations typically require a series of different seasonal or local habitats for their breeding, stopover, and wintering periods. Degradation, fragmentation, and loss of habitat can negatively impact bird populations, highlighting the need to implement science-driven and strategic conservation. With geographic focal areas that span major migratory routes in Alaska and along the north–south axis of the central United States, including the Gulf Coast, the program focuses on improving habitat quality and quantity for both migratory and non-migratory bird populations. Funding Information Grant awards will typically range from $100,000 to $275,000. Funded projects should be completed within two years following finalization of a grant agreement.  Geographic Focus Projects must occur in a major migratory route ranging from the northern slope of Alaska to the north-south axis of the central United States, including the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast. Funding is limited to the following states: Alaska, Colorado, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. Eligiblity Criteria Eligible applicants include non-profit 501(c) organizations, U.S. federal government agencies, state government agencies, local governments, municipal governments, tribal governments and organizations, and educational institutions. Ineligible applicants include businesses, unincorporated individuals, and international organizations. For more information, visit NFWF.

The U.S. Embassy Nassaus Public Diplomacy (PD) section announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to develop and organize a Regional Alumnae Summit for the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) network throughout the Caribbean. The PD section invites proposals from non-profit organizations, civil society organizations, and U.S. government alumni organizations to design and organize a summit to connect small and medium businesses of AWE Alumnae from across the Caribbean during a 2-day Summit in Nassau, The Bahamas in Spring 2025. This Summit will also provide a forum for AWE Alumnae to expand their professional network, share best practices and gain broader market access. In consultation with the U.S. Embassy Public Diplomacy team, the awardee is expected to organize all logistics for the Summit to include, but not limited to several deliverables. Therefore, the proposal should clearly describe how each item below will be addressed: Structure and Overall plan for the event. The estimated Cost for the proposed Venue for the Summit. Equipment (Equipment cannot account for more than 10% of the total project cost.) Marketing plan Proposed 6 Conference Speakers and associated costs (this should include Bahamian, Caribbean and American Entrepreneurs as well as a Keynote Speaker.) Travel Costs for participants from Family Islands. A Business Expo opportunity for participants. Opportunities for participants to scale up their businesses (ex. export, product development and scaling.) Cost Share (not required but looked upon favorably) Public Private Partnerships Pre and Post Surveys for participants (ex. To garner input for topics for summit)

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is soliciting proposals within the Cumberland Plateau region that will help accelerate the restoration and enhancement of critical forest, grassland, and freshwater habitats. Donor Name: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) State: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 08/01/2024 Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million Grant Duration: 4 Years Details: NFWF seeks to increase the voluntary adoption of conservation practices on working agricultural lands in the region to benefit wildlife and improve soil health, water quantity and quality, and carbon sequestration. Funding is provided by the USDA’s Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Altria Group, Cargill and Nestlé and International Paper’s Forestland Stewards Partnership. Approximately $2.8 million is expected to be available for grants this funding cycle. Program Strategies Restoring Previously Mined Lands Increasing Adoption of Conservation Practices on Grazing Lands Increasing Adoption of Conservation Practices on Cropland Establishing, Enhancing and Maintaining Forest Habitats Restoring Instream Habitats to Support Aquatic Species Helping Landowners – Expanding and Coordinating Technical Assistance and Outreach Funding Information The Cumberland Plateau Stewardship Fund anticipates awarding approximately $2.8 million in grants in 2024. Grant awards are expected to range from $250,000 to $750,000.  Project Period Anticipated completion time for funded projects typically will be 24-48 months. Geographic Focus Projects within the Cumberland Plateau in Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia are eligible with preference given to projects located within the identified focal areas.  Eligibility Criteria Eligible applicants include non-profit 501(c) organizations, state government agencies, local governments, municipal governments, Tribal Governments and Organizations, and educational institutions. Ineligible applicants include U.S. Federal government agencies, businesses, unincorporated individuals, and international organizations. U.S. Federal agencies are encouraged to partner with applicants but are not eligible to submit an application. For more information, visit NFWF.

The Department of States Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office) announces an open competition for projects in support of a forthcoming Child Protection Compact (CPC) Partnership between the United States and the Government of Romania.