Grants for Private institutions of higher education - International Development

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: (1) strengthen civil society efforts to investigate and document human rights violations and abuses committed against ethnic and religious minority communities from Burma, including Rohingya communities; (2) support pro-democracy activists pursuing justice for victims and accountability for those responsible for abuses; and (3) promote non-recurrence of atrocities.

This grant provides funding to U.S.-based nonprofit and educational organizations to facilitate the placement and support of international high school students from select countries, promoting cultural exchange and understanding through host family arrangements and school attendance.

This funding opportunity supports U.S. and Luxembourgish organizations in initiatives that strengthen security and defense collaboration, focusing on NATO, countering misinformation, and enhancing cybersecurity efforts.

The U.S. Department of State through Embassy Bridgetown announces an open competition for a project to strengthen independent medias ability to increase access to objective and quality information in the Eastern Caribbean. Media outlets across the Caribbean face challenges including declining revenue sources and expensive operating environments. These challenges are compounded by the fact that many outlets have been traditionally under resourced. Media enterprises are suffering loss of advertising revenue and other funding streams. Many media houses also have gaps in adapting to the financial and editorial challenges of the current age and may lack fully developed business plans, leaving the outlets open to potential malign influence or interference efforts. Outlets also lack up-to-date equipment, computers, and software, hampering their ability to produce high-quality and timely content. Further, many operate under austere conditions and struggle to produce enough original, local content, exacerbating their vulnerability to disinformation, propaganda, and co-optation. Assistance is needed to ensure that journalists, outlets, and other media-related institutions have access to the training, networks, content, and equipment they need to resist false narratives and maintain a free and diverse media ecosystem. Embassy Bridgetown and partners seek to build the capacity of Eastern Caribbean media outlets using a third-party implementer. The implementer will scope its approach based on the following lines of efforts: Training and capacity building: training to include but not limited to: methods to increase content production on a wide range of stories, how to expand reach and advertising revenue, how to develop sustainable business models and plans, fact checking and other core journalistic skills, identifying and countering disinformation, and better educating the general public on how to spot disinformation. A training centered around World Press Freedom Day and multimedia training will be built into the program deliverables. Mentorship and network building: mentorship on journalism and media production skills building and financial/business practices. Network building to support joint reporting and fact-checking, and to create a sustainable community of practice that can share best practices beyond the life of this project. Content provision: providing Caribbean media outlets with access to wire service licenses to enable them to run high-quality, independent, third-party content (Associated Press in English, for instance). Content provision may draw on collaboration with other international wire services to offer an aggregated package to local media partners that they could pull from to disseminate themselves. Supplies: providing up-to-date media equipment, computers, and software on an objectively assessed needs basis to support independent, locally developed news content. Embassy Bridgetown seeks proposals that will provide financial and technical assistance to small and medium-sized media outlets to strengthen their ability to safely produce and disseminate accurate information to audiences in the Eastern Caribbean. The goal of this project is to support the independence of regional journalists and media outlets to increase access to information within the domestic and regional media ecosystems.

The Educational Information and Resources Branch (EducationUSA Branch or ECA/A/S/A) in the Office of Global Educational Programs of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces a NOFO for up to three cooperative agreements to administer FY 2025 EducationUSA Advising Services, pending the availability of FY 2025 funds. EducationUSA is the U.S. Department of States global network of over 430 educational advising centers in more than 175 countries and territories. EducationUSA advisers provide accurate, comprehensive, and current information about the full range of U.S. higher education opportunities, guiding prospective students to find the institution that best fits their needs. In addition, the EducationUSA network assists accredited HEIs to help institutional leaders meet their campus internationalization goals, including strategic guidance to U.S. institutions regarding relevant international higher education systems and partners to enhance their international networks and potential partnerships. The EducationUSA network, in collaboration with ECA, also provides information on the U.S. higher education system to foreign governments and institutions and encourages study abroad by Americans to expand their understanding of foreign cultures, communities, and countries.With the goal of increasing student mobility between the United States and other countries through EducationUSA advising, ECA expects this NOFO will result in up to three cooperative agreements. Applicants can submit proposals for one, two, or all three of the components below: Component A for EducationUSA Global Advising Services to support advising operations worldwide including, but not limited to, the development and maintenance of IT infrastructure, training resources and materials, global strategic communications and outreach, and the employment and management of approximately 12 Regional Educational Advising Coordinators (REACs). (Approximately $6,600,000.) Component B for EducationUSA Advising Services in Eurasia and Central Asia, to support advising in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine. (Approximately $1,500,000.) Component C for EducationUSA Advising Services in the Middle East and North Africa, to support advising in Egypt, Gaza, Lebanon, Tunisia, West Bank, and Yemen. (Approximately $650,000.) Please see the full announcement for additional information.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for organizations working to preserve Uganda's cultural heritage, including historic sites, artifacts, and traditional practices, while engaging local communities and promoting sustainability.

The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Sports Diplomacy Division (ECA/PE/C/SU), in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces an open competition for the implementation of the FY 2024 Global Sports Mentoring Program (GSMP). U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to conduct two separate month-long professional development mentorship programs and a reciprocal overseas exchange involving approximately 70-80 international and American participants in total (30 emerging leader participants from other countries and 40-50 American mentors). By empowering women and people with disabilities, the GSMP directly supports U.S. foreign policy goals, promotes social inclusion, and elevates the status of marginalized populations. Through the mentorship experience, the GSMP encourages mutually beneficial relationships between American sports executives and leaders in the sports sector overseas. Furthermore, the GSMP engages alumni from previous years through sustained U.S. Embassy relationships, follow-on individual grants to alumni, and monitoring and evaluation. Tapping into the power of public-private partnerships and founded on participant-led business plans, the GSMP positively affects communities at home and abroad and creates a more secure and democratic global playing field for all.The FY 2024 GSMP model has two distinct professional development mentorship exchangesthe Sport for Community GSMP and the espnW GSMP. Set for spring of 2025, the Sport for Community GSMP on disability rights taps into the global attention received by mega-sporting eventsin particular, the Paralympic Games, Special Olympics, and Deaflympicsto connect approximately 15 emerging leader participants with 15 to 20 American mentors in the adaptive sports sector. Sport for Community focuses on increasing the inclusion and full participation of marginalized youth and people with disabilities through sports opportunities worldwide. In fall of 2025, the espnW GSMP on womens empowermenta public-private partnership with espnW (ESPNs sports brand dedicated to women in sports)will connect approximately 15 female change agents with approximately 15 to 20 American mentors, all of whom are dedicated to promoting the rights and empowerment of women and girls around the world through sports. From start to finish, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Title IX serve as core themes. By demonstrating how landmark U.S. legislation promotes democratic values and equality, the GSMP underscores American competitiveness and leadership on an international scale. To keep pace with the burgeoning sport for social change and business trend, the GSMP will also incorporate programmatic elements on how sports philanthropy, marketing, and entrepreneurship play into action plan development and implementation. Please see the full announcement for additional information.

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.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to U.S. and Jordan-based nonprofit organizations and educational institutions to organize a two-day education fair promoting U.S. higher education to Jordanian students and their families.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to organizations and institutions working to prevent the proliferation of chemical weapons by enhancing partner nations' capabilities in detection, response, and compliance with international norms.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is soliciting proposals to reduce whale mortality from fishing gear entanglement in Southern California. This grant directly aligns with NFWF's mission to sustain, restore, and enhance the nation's fish, wildlife, plants, and habitats for current and future generations by addressing a critical threat to cetacean populations. The program aims to provide compensatory restoration for injuries to cetaceans caused by the Refugio Beach Oil Spill (RBOS), thereby mitigating past environmental damage and fostering healthier marine ecosystems. The primary beneficiaries of this program are cetaceans in Southern California, particularly those susceptible to entanglement in fishing gear. The impact goals are to increase the capacity of the entanglement response network, improve documentation and disentanglement efforts, and broadly support activities that reduce serious injuries or mortalities from entanglements. This initiative contributes to the foundation's strategic priority of healthy oceans and coasts by safeguarding marine mammals. The program prioritizes several key areas to achieve its goals. These include directly enhancing entanglement response in Southern California, and potentially beyond if it benefits local cetaceans, coordinating with federal, state, and local resource agencies to improve the overall West Coast Marine Mammal Entanglement Response Program, and training and developing volunteer response capacity. Furthermore, proposals should outline how activities will contribute to the development of the overall capacity and infrastructure of the program. Expected outcomes include a more robust and efficient entanglement response network, a reduction in the number of entangled cetaceans, improved survival rates of entangled animals through effective disentanglement, and enhanced coordination among relevant agencies. Measurable results would likely involve metrics such as the number of successful disentanglements, the increase in trained responders, and the documented reduction in entanglement-related mortalities. An estimated $250,000 will be available for a Phase 1 project award, anticipated to last 1-2 years, with a priority geographic focus on the coastlines off Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, and Orange Counties.

This program provides funding for nonprofit organizations and educational institutions to facilitate youth and adult mentor exchanges from sub-Saharan Africa to the U.S., focusing on civic engagement, leadership development, and cultural exchange.

The U.S. Embassy Port Moresby Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce the availability of funding through its Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program. This Annual Program Statement outlines our funding priorities, strategic themes, and procedures for submitting funding requests. Please carefully follow all instructions below. Purpose of Small Grants: PAS Port Moresby invites proposals for programs that advance shared goals of the U.S. and Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. Programs should promote strategic objectives of our countries and meet Mission goals, incorporating an American cultural element or connection with American experts, organizations, or institutions. These programs should focus on strengthening economic, social, and environmental conditions in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and/or Vanuatu. Total Amount Available: $500,000 subject to funding availability. Maximum for Each Award: Local organizations: $24,000, International: $250,000

This funding opportunity provides financial support for non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and individuals in the U.S. and Honduras to implement public diplomacy programs that promote mutual understanding and cooperation between the two countries.

This grant provides funding for cultural initiatives that engage communities in the Congo Basin to promote environmental preservation and celebrate traditional arts.

This funding opportunity supports U.S.-based nonprofit organizations and educational institutions to create international sports exchange programs that promote mutual understanding and advance U.S. foreign policy goals through sports.

This funding opportunity is designed to strengthen Ukraine's ability to control the transfer of sensitive technologies, targeting not-for-profit organizations, educational institutions, and other entities that can enhance regulatory frameworks and industry awareness in the context of defense technology.

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 transparency in citizens’ rights to due process. Uzbekistan’s constitution and law prohibit arbitrary arrest and detention and provide for the right of any person to challenge the lawfulness of his or her arrest or detention in court. Additionally, by law a judge must review any decision to arrest accused individuals or suspects. Judges grant arrest warrants in most cases. Detention without formal charges is limited to 48 hours, although a prosecutors may request that a judge extend detention an additional 48 hours, after which the person must be charged or released. Judges typically grant such requests, and the judge who issues such an extension is often the same one who presided over the trial, which creates incentives to cover up violations. The arresting authority is required to notify a relative of a detainee of the detention and to question the detainee within 24 hours of arrest. Visibility into arrest procedures and treatment of detainees is low, even for family members of detainees and Uzbekistani civil society engaged on the issue of due process. 2 Through this award, DRL aims to support the safe, secure, and professional collection of credible information on political detainees by Uzbekistani media, Civil Society Organizations, (CSOs) and human rights defenders, for human rights reporting and advocacy and to improve the capacity of Uzbekistani CSOs to advocate for transparency and improved conditions in detention facilities.

This grant provides funding to eligible organizations for projects that protect and preserve cultural heritage, including historic sites, museum collections, and traditional cultural practices in Suriname.

The U.S. Mission to the UAE announces the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for a cultural residency program that will: (1) strengthen the foundational social and human ties between the people of the United States and the United Arab Emirates (UAE); (2) deepen U.S.-UAE partnerships with established and high-profile UAE cultural institutions and festivals; and, (3) support capacity building for the creative industry in the UAE. This program will consist of at least six in-person residencies for American artists and performers (individuals or groups) lasting from up to three weeks each and organized around one of six major UAE cultural festivals such as: Abu Dhabi Art Festival, Ras Al Khaimah Arts Festival, Sharjah Heritage Days, and Culture Summit Abu Dhabi. Each residency will consist of at least one festival performance, workshops for Emirati youth and emerging artists, and roundtable discussions with local UAE cultural institutions. American artists and performers will be confirmed based on the local partners priority genres or areas of interest, festival dates, prior experience with cultural residencies or similar programs, and artist capacity to conduct educational outreach activities. Eligibility for this NOFO is limited to U.S. not-for-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) subject to section 501 (c) (3) of the U.S. tax code, including public and private educational institutions and public international organizations and governmental institutions. Applicants are also encouraged to seek partnerships with organizations that demonstrate complementary value to accomplish the wide range of proposed projects. The initial period of performance will be for one year. Funding authority rests in the Smith-Mundt. The source of funding is FY2024 Public Diplomacy Funding.. All applicants should be familiar with OMB Circular 2 CFR Part 200. Please read the entire NOFO package before submitting an application and follow the steps in order to submit before the deadline. Applications that do not meet the eligibility criteria and do not contain all the required information will not be considered.