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

This funding opportunity provides financial support to organizations working to prevent Russia from acquiring and using chemical and biological weapons through enhanced security measures, training, and international collaboration.

U.S. Embassy Gaborone of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit proposals to carry out a program to train investigative journalists in Botswana, capacitate training cohort participants in developing and writing/producing, and publishing well-researched investigative news stories that serve the public interest, and develop newsroom financial and management capacity that supports a robust, ethical, and sustainable independent news media environment in Botswana

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations and educational institutions in Poland to engage high school students in career readiness programs that emphasize American leadership and workforce skills through interactive workshops and mentorship.

Executive Summary: The U.S. Embassy Ashgabat, Turkmenistan announces an open competition to implement American Spaces Programs project at the four American Spaces in Turkmenistan located in Ashgabat, Dashoguz, Mary and Turkmenabat. The program will include a variety of programs in a) enhancing English skills (e.g., drama club, English club and sessions, etc.), b) introducing to STEM skills (e.g., math contest, NASA apps development challenge, coding, etc.), c) business skills development (e.g., interactive economics, business camp, etc.), and d) climate change awareness. The primary audience for these programs will be Turkmen youth ages 10 to 25, including girls and women, school and university students and young professionals, especially from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The program will also engage alumni from previous Embassy programs as experts and program coordinators as well as bring local businesses and nonprofit organizations to share their expertise and build stronger local professional communities. Potential implementer will be responsible for planning, executing, closing, and monitoring and evaluation of the programs. The expected date range for implementation of this project is October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025. Potential candidates can apply to administer all of the suggested programs below or just one or several of the programs at a time. Background: American Spaces are the premier public diplomacy platform of the U.S. Embassy Ashgabat in Turkmenistan that further strengthens mutual understanding and friendship between the people of Turkmenistan and the United States of America. American Spaces are located in Ashgabat, Dashoguz, Mary and Turkmenabat and offer English resources and development opportunities to meet interests of diverse audiences, while also serving as gateways for the Turkmen 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 also partner with international and local organizations to conduct highly impactful programs, such as Academy for Women Entrepreneurship in partnership with Arizona State University, a variety of STEM programs to introduce local youth to web design and app development, as well as book festivals and eco festivals. The American Spaces Program aims to support implementing a range of diverse programming activities with key primary audiences in all four American Spaces across Turkmenistan. Project Goal: Increase mutual understanding between the United States and Turkmenistan through experiential learning activities that promote English language, innovation, entrepreneurship, environmental protection, and gender equality in STEM. Primary Audiences: The primary audiences for the American Spaces Program in Turkmenistan are: a. School and university students b. School and university teachers c. Young professionals, such as current/aspiring entrepreneurs, especially from economically disadvantaged backgrounds d. Girls and women e. Civil society representatives f. USG programs alumni Project Objectives: Objective 1: Enhance STEM and problem-solving skills of at least 500 youth, in Ashgabat and in the regions. Objective 2: Create a network of youth interested in tech and STEM by facilitating community networking opportunities between Turkmen youth and tech communities in Turkmenistan and the United States. American Spaces Program may include the following suggested STEM programs at American Spaces in Turkmenistan: Tech Lab will cover two primary audiences and can cover program coordinator and trainers fee, activities, supplies, catering and promotional materials in all four American Spaces: o A. Coding skills lab will introduce around 100 English speaking school graduates and young professionals, ages 18 30, to the basics of web design and digital skills through a 4-month long program. This program aims to help local youth pursue education in computer science and enter tech careers in Turkmenistan. o B. Technovation Girls will provide program support to around 150 schoolgirls, ages 8-18, in app development and tech entrepreneurship to enable them to successfully compete in the global tech entrepreneurship competition. Regional Math Contest. American Spaces in Turkmenistan plan to organize a first-ever math tournament for school students, ages 10-14, based on the popular U.S. math competition 24 Challenge. The budget may include study materials for a series of 3-month long sessions, tournament materials for the final national tournament in Ashgabat and travel expenses of winners from regional tournaments in each American Corner from Dashoguz, Mary and Turkmenabat. The NASA International Space Apps Challenge. This program aims to engage English speaking students ages 16 - 25 to participate in the global NASA Space Apps challenge through a series of in-person workshops and events in the American Spaces. The budget may include project coordinator and trainer fees, training/activities supplies, final Hackathon promo materials, catering, and social media content creation to amplify the program. Objective 3: Increase English language skills among at least 500 local youth by providing hands-on English learning activities, including but not limited to: An English Immersion program to engage up to 500 English speakers throughout the year, ages 10 to 18 to enhance their English skills through topics on U.S. values of diversity and inclusion, climate change, media literacy, entrepreneurship, and public speaking, through a variety of activities and projects. The budget can include trainer fees, training supplies, promotional items and coffee breaks. This project may include: a. English Drama Club that might organize a play by an American author, that can be also performed at local events and schools through a mobile mini-theater. b. English language learning immersive camps that can be conducted during spring, summer and fall school breaks. c. English language book clubs that can introduce the American Corner resources and services (e.g., English resource books, readers, magazines and games) to improve English skills. Objective 4: Increase knowledge and awareness of climate change mitigation efforts among 100 young eco-champions through educational and networking programs focused on climate action, innovative business best practices and entrepreneurial strategies. These programs may include the following: Climate Champions organize a 10-day climate change awareness program for English speaking students in all American Spaces (ages 16 - 25) throughout September 2024 to August 2025 that will include workshops, field trips, and community service activities conducted in partnership with the local eco activists and nonprofits. During the program participants will learn about the challenges posed by climate change, water, energy, sustainable consumption, and discuss common myths and explore best practices from the United States. The budget may include project coordinator and trainers fees, training supplies, promotional materials, and coffee breaks in American Spaces. Farmcraft program. American Spaces in Turkmenistan plan to organize a global North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF) Farmcraft competition for school students, ages 10-18. This educational program uses the popular game Minecraft to introduce the basics of agricultural science, food security and climate change. The budget may include facilitator fees for a series of 3-month long sessions, training supplies, promotional materials, and coffee breaks in American Spaces. Objective 5: Increase interest in business and entrepreneurship among at least 100 local youth in Turkmenistan through training on business development and economics. These programs may include the following: Business Skills program. The program can run for middle and high school students for 40 hours, with the final pitch events at American Spaces that will bring together local and international business communities. Playful Economics. Based on the playful economics curriculum, this program will introduce the basics of economics concepts in a fun way to middle and high school students (ages 12-18). American Spaces plan to organize a series of programs and activities throughout the year for local youth ages 12-18 across all American Spaces. The budget may include project coordinator and trainer fee, training supplies, and promotional materials. The goal of the program is to introduce the basics of business, entrepreneurship, and other economic concepts. All the programs proposed by the potential implementer should have clear goals and objectives, clear output and outcome statements. Proposals should also indicate plans for reports about success and impact of the programs, social media presence, photo release procedures and other logistics. Potential implementer will be responsible for planning, executing, closing, and monitoring and evaluation of the program.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for small-scale public diplomacy projects that strengthen the relationship between the United States and Gabon, targeting nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and individuals focused on entrepreneurship, English language development, and cultural preservation.

The Office of English Language Programs (ECA/A/L) of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for the FY 2024 Online Professional English Network (OPEN) Program, which offers foreign English teaching professionals and language learners the opportunity for professional development through high-quality, accessible, and openly licensed virtual resources, including online English language teacher development courses, online English language learning courses, virtual exchanges, webinars, an alumni community of practice (CoP), multiple social media channels, and other types of engaging and innovative online learning. In cooperation with ECA/A/L, the award recipient will manage the selection, development, and delivery of appropriate online TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) learning courses which will be offered to English language educators or learners on an easily accessible online learning management system (LMS). Courses, webinars, and other virtual programming may be offered globally, regionally, or to specific countries at the request of U.S. embassies. Courses and exchanges are developed by U.S. academic institutions, educational NGOs, or TESOL professional associations, while webinars and other social media programming are developed by U.S.-based TESOL professionals. All content produced for this program should be accessible according to Section 508 compliance standards, openly licensed with a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) License, and follow best practices for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). Please see the full announcement for additional information.

This funding opportunity seeks to partner with a variety of organizations to enhance justice, protect human rights, and promote security initiatives globally.

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 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 increase protections against gender-based violence (GBV) and other types of hate-based crimes in Bulgaria, Czechia, Romania, and Slovakia, including against marginalized communities.

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.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for U.S. and foreign organizations to implement projects that promote economic development, cultural exchange, and stability in Libya, with a focus on collaboration between the U.S. and Libya.

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.

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.

This funding opportunity supports U.S.-based nonprofit organizations or academic institutions to plan and execute a leadership summit for 50 emerging youth leaders from the U.S., South Korea, and Japan, focusing on trilateral cooperation and addressing security and economic challenges.

This funding opportunity supports U.S. and Ivorian organizations in implementing projects that strengthen U.S.-Côte d’Ivoire relations through trade, media literacy, and community empowerment, particularly in Northern Côte d’Ivoire.

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 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.

This funding opportunity supports non-profit organizations and educational institutions in developing projects that promote environmental preservation and economic opportunities in the Congo Basin, while engaging local communities and protecting indigenous peoples.

This funding opportunity supports projects that preserve Kenya's cultural heritage, including historic sites, museum collections, and traditional practices, targeting eligible educational institutions, NGOs, and organizations dedicated to cultural preservation.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to U.S. and Paraguayan non-profit organizations and individuals to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of community programs in Paraguay through data analysis, training, and accountability measures.