Group items tagged

The Partnership for the Development of Eastern Congo (P-DEC) Program seeks an integrated set of cross-sectoral interventions. Through a cohesive and holistic approach, P-DEC Program aims to amplify the impact of USAID investments and complement other planned interventions by the Government of the DRC and external actors in the public and private sectors. The purpose of the P-DEC Program is therefore to address the development emergency in eastern Congo through a multi-year, multi-sectoral initiative that will build community trust, strengthen the resilience of individuals and communities, fortify existing governance structures, and create opportunities for long-term development and self-reliance of local communities. These activities may also reach across a range of partner types - from public-private partnerships to capacity-building of local organizations. USAID envisions an approach centered around two geographically defined planning and implementation phases. While geographically defined, the phases are not sequential, nor are they strictly defined technical categories; they are fluid, and are conceptual in nature. The approach also focuses on urban and peri-urban areas with large populations, existing transportation networks, and a level of security and stability necessary for implementation.

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 Religious Freedom globally. "Religious freedom" refers to the right set out in Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, including the freedom to adopt a religion or beliefs, change your beliefs, practice and teach your beliefs (which may include through publications, public and private speech, and the display of religious attire or symbols), gather in community with others to worship and observe your beliefs, and teach your beliefs to your children. Proposed programming must be responsive to restrictions on religious freedom and must be in line with the U.S. Government's religious freedom, democracy, governance, and human rights goals. Helpful resources for applicants include the annual country-specific International Religious Freedom Reports https://www.state.gov/international-religious-freedom-reports/ and annual country-specific Human Rights Reports https://www.state.gov/reports/2018-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/. Applicants will be responsible for ensuring program activities and products are implemented in accordance with the Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution. DRL programming will engage youth to foster an environment of greater inter-communal and intra-communal respect and peaceful coexistence among religious communities in Pakistan promoting the rights of all people to live free from discrimination, abuse, and violence on account of their religious identity, practices, or affiliation. Proposals should be gender inclusive and include religious minorities.

For over forty years, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has partnered with the Government of Kenya (GoK) to protect the health of the Kenyan people and strengthen health systems. The United States Government remains the largest investor in Kenya's health sector. This investment includes PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), GHSA (Global Health Security Agenda), Malaria, TB, Immunizations and Influenza. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) seeks to build upon activities funded by CDC to support USG global health priorities in Kenya through implementation of programs and activities that focus on strengthening public health programs. After five years of implementing and strengthening global health security systems, the USG will continue to advance prevent, detect, and respond strategies to mitigate threats. This NOFO's main outcomes are to: Improve prevention of avoidable epidemics including naturally occurring outbreaks and intentional or accidental releases of dangerous pathogens Improve ability to rapidly detect threats early, including detecting, characterizing, and reporting emerging biological threats Respond rapidly and effectively to public health threats of international concern Strengthen implementation science programs and platforms to improve health outcomes

The project will promote the development of English language, classroom pedagogy, community engagement and leadership skills of the participants through first-hand experience and networking with English language teaching peers in the United States. Through teamwork activities, the program will develop participants' classroom, leadership, communication skills, and teacher trainer skills. In addition to enhancing the participants' ability to implement effective English language programs in Pakistan, the exchange program will provide participants a better understanding of the United States, its people, and its democratic values. By the end of the English Language Teaching Exchanges, approximately 50 Pakistani English language teachers from government or foundation schools from undeserved areas will further develop their pedagogic expertise in teaching English language, improve their own English language proficiency, and increase their knowledge about the United States.

The program is a two-part initiative designed to foster new connections between scholars and journalists covering international affairs. To that end, it offers an interrelated set of awards, including programming grants for universities and fellowships for scholars in the humanities and social sciences who study religion in international contexts.

he United States Agency for International Development, Regional Development Mission for Asia (USAID/RDMA) is in the process of designing a new program to support microenterprise development in Lao PDR., including, but not limited to, agriculture sector. This is a Request for Information (RFI) which intends to provide public information to parties interested in USAID's support in the sector, as well as to collect any information and suggestions about the USAID's planned programming. Information collected is intended to help in the Mission's activity design and development for an intended future solicitation which is anticipated to be issued in the mid 2018. Requested Action: At this time, USAID is seeking responses to the questions of this RFI as detailed below. Please note USAID is not seeking technical or cost applications/proposals at this time. Responses to this RFI are voluntary and USAID will not pay respondents for any information provided in response to this RFI. If a future solicitation is issued, it will be announced on the Federal Business Opportunities website at www.fbo.gov or at www.grants.gov at a later date. Thank you for your assistance and interest in USAID programs. Sincerely, /s/ Gregory Wang Regional Agreement/Contracting Officer USAID/RDMA, Bangkok, Thailand

CTR will prioritize proposals that efficiently meet NOFO and programmatic goals at the lowest technically acceptable cost.ISN/CTR sponsors foreign assistance activities funded by the Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining and Related Programs (NADR) account, and focuses on mitigating proliferation risk in frontline states and regions where the terrorist threat is on the rise, such as South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. ISN/CTR administers the Partnership for Nuclear Threat Reduction (PNTR) which works to prevent states and terrorist groups from diverting, acquiring, or proliferating nuclear material, technology, or expertise that could be used to attack the United States. In particular, PNTR works to strengthen nuclear security practices and mitigating threats from radicalized or coerced personnel at sensitive nuclear facilities. All known cases of theft involving nuclear material have been led or abetted by insiders. To address this threat, PNTR focuses efforts to prevent radicalized, disgruntled, or coerced insiders from diverting nuclear material, technology, and expertise. PNTR does not provide physical security upgrades or guard force training. ObjectivesPNTR partners with nuclear scientists, technicians, and engineers, security personnel, institutional trainers, and technical organization decision-makers to promote technical cooperation and enhance nuclear security best practices. PNTR projects broadly fall into one of three categories, listed in no particular order: * Insider Threat Mitigation: Activities to develop and implement trustworthiness programs and related regulatory guidance (i.e. human reliability program, fitness-for-duty, etc.) at a facility, organizational, or national level and/or mitigate the risk of an insider threat.

The Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR), part of the Department's Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation (ISN), sponsors foreign assistance activities funded by the Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining and Related Programs (NADR) account, and focuses on mitigating proliferation risk in frontline states and regions where the terrorist threat is on the rise, such as South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. ISN/CTR administers the Biosecurity Engagement Program (BEP) program as part of the Global Threat Reduction (GTR) portfolio. BEP's mission involves institutionalizing biorisk management best practices, securing life science institutions and dangerous pathogens, decreasing the risk that scientists with dual-use expertise will misuse pathogens, and promoting adoption of and compliance with comprehensive international frameworks that advance U.S. biological nonproliferation objectives, including United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540, the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), the World Health Organization's International Health Regulations, and the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) / International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards. BEP generally funds activities in three priority pillars and has a focus on long-term sustainability.

COMAC builds upon previous USAID/Afghanistan programming, including the current Afghan Civilian Assistance Program (ACAP III) activity, which ends in February 2018. The original ACAP program supported Afghan civilian families and communities that have suffered losses as a result of the being caught between fighting among Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), Afghan National Army, and Resolute Support (RS) troops against the Taliban and other anti-government elements (AGEs). COMAC will provide tailored, small-scale assistance packages to eligible families to mitigate the immediate impact of the ongoing conflict on their lives. No cash disbursements are foreseen. Assistance will be provided based on individual family needs. COMAC's funding directive is to assist Afghan civilian victims harmed by military operations.

Objectives: To build on Mission India's existing Emerging Leaders Engagement Strategy (a strategic priority for Mission India) this program aims to strengthen our engagement with the next generation of India's emerging youth and political leaders. The core objective of this program is to invest in the next generation of Indian leaders and to provide a platform for youth to identify and discuss global political and economic trends related to the U.S.-India bilateral relationship. Additionally, the program goal is to build/create network of leaders and mentors, with whom the U.S. Mission can engage to further strengthen the bilateral relationship, through an exchange of experience, information and expertise. Topics for the project should include, but are not limited to, security, counterterrorism, trade, bilateral investment, science and technology, and education

The U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section - Small Grants Programs awards grants to U.S. and Nicaraguan individuals and non-profit and non-governmental organizations with legal status to support innovative projects focused on empowering Nicaraguans through educational and entrepreneurial opportunities including promoting a bi-lingual workforce and preventing gender based violence in Managua and Puerto Cabezas. The Small Grants Program cannot fund the following activities: projects supporting primarily partisan political or religious activities; international air travel unless essential to the goal of the project; humanitarian or charitable activities; for-profit, commercial or trade activities; fundraising campaign; scientific research; institutional development per se or support of an organization; activities that duplicate existing projects; construction; vehicles; salaries as the main purpose of the grant; and refreshments as the main element of the grant.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Bureau for Food Security (BFS), Office of Strategic Planning and Program Management (SPPM), Monitoring and Evaluation Division (MEL), invites applications for funding from qualified U.S. and non-U.S., non-profit or for-profit non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international organizations to carry out activities that develop, test or apply innovative methods for monitoring or evaluating Feed the Future/Global Food Security Strategy activities or programs. This Notice of Funding Opportunity serves as BFS's Monitoring and Evaluation team's Annual Program Statements (APS). An APS is issued when USAID intends to support a variety of creative approaches towards developing methodologies to assess and implement development objective activities. The purpose of this APS is to disseminate information to prospective applicants so that they may develop and submit applications for USAID funding. This APS: (a) describes the types of activities for which applications will be considered; (b) describes the funding available and the process and requirements for submitting Concept Papers and applications; (c) explains the criteria for evaluating Concept Papers and applications; and (d) refers prospective applicants to relevant documentation available on the internet.

The U.S. Consulate Fukuoka will award a grant of $500-$2,000 to fund a series of events to promote English language education, introduce American culture, and/or to encourage future travel to and study in the United States. To promote English language, we ask that at least one native-level English speaker is involved in the proposed activities. Proposed activities might follow the past English learning programs hosted by Fukuoka American Center (please contact the Fukuoka Grants Management to receive the sample session descriptions for English Club) or propose an alternative model. Sessions can be held monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly on or after November 15, 2019 for a maximum one-year period. Sessions must be open to the public and cannot be commercial, trade or charitable activities. No for-profit organizations can receive funding through these awards. If awarded, the Grantee will be responsible for coordinating the schedule with the Fukuoka American Center and/or American Shelf partner institutions. The application should include the activity plan, audience recruitment plan, and budget any anticipated programming costs such as honoraria, transportation fees for organizers and guest speakers, and materials and copier fees for publicizing event. Proposals will be evaluated on their potential to effectively promote English language, U.S. culture, and U.S. study abroad or travel and tourism.

This NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), supported by funds from the NIH Common Fund (Common Fund), invites applications to support bioinformatics research training programs at low or middle income (LMIC) African country institutions with significant genomics research capacity.  African applicants may propose graduate degree and long term postdoctoral bioinformatics research training in collaboration with other African or high income country (HIC) collaborators.  It is expected that these training programs will address the need for bioinformatics research expertise in the H3Africa Consortium and result in sustainable centers of bioinformatics research training relevant to global health research for the African continent.

he FETP graduates, staff and trainees are important assets and help build sustainable public health capacity in their countries. Through public health conferences they share field epidemiology experiences and present work investigations through oral and poster presentations. This collaboration reinforces best practices in applied epidemiology, training, surveillance, and response and introduces new tools, concepts, and training materials. However, the region’s FETPs can be more effective if their collaboration extends beyond scientific conferences. Network development can enhance surveillance, investigation and response capacity globally through regular communication and exchange of information and allow for more robust response to regional and national public health threats. In 2009, the FETPs in the East Mediterranean Region (EMRO) began to organize a network in the Middle East that partner with MOH FETP representatives, CDC and EMRO closely collaborate to strengthen existing national FETPs and regional disease surveillance. This close collaboration and networking among programs is critical as the globe faces new and re-emerging public health threats. The recent outbreaks of Ebola and Zika viruses clearly demonstrate the need for strong local and regional programs that can mobilize rapid response teams quickly and assist countries and global partners to control disease and strengthen public health infrastructure.

On behalf of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and in partnership with the Indonesian Ministry of Research Technology and Higher Education (Kemristekdikti), IIE announces a pre-solicitation for the USAID Sustainable Higher Education Research Alliances (USAID SHERA) program to increase research capacity in Indonesia through U.S. - Indonesia partnerships. This program will foster long-term research alliances between top-tier Indonesian higher education institutions, affiliate Indonesian higher education institutions, U.S. higher education institutions, private sector partners, and other stakeholders on critical topics of local and global significance.  USAID SHERA seeks to fund approximately five Centers for Collaborative Research (CCRs) on specific topics at top-tier Indonesian institutions in partnership with at least one U.S. higher education institution partner and at least three Indonesian higher education institution partners. The anticipated amount of funding per CCR is US$3 million over four years with the lead Indonesian institution as the primary sub-recipient of the funding. The USAID SHERA team is currently accepting Expressions of Interest (EOIs) through the USAID SHERA website through September 15, 2016. USAID SHERA will review completed EOIs to confirm candidates' eligibility and establish target applicants for the full Request for Applications, to be released by the end of September 2016. Interested U.S. higher education intuitions should contact potential Indonesian applicants directly to discuss participating as a partnership member.

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq invites eligible organizations to submit proposals to assist in the development and implementation of a business mentoring program in southern Iraq geared primarily toward female single heads of household who wish to start their own businesses or enter the job market. U.S. Consulate General Basrah seeks to engage southern Iraqi women who are in positions of increased financial responsibility due to the loss of a family member to armed conflict, violent extremism, and/or sectarian violence. The goal is to enable Iraqi women to meet their essential economic needs and those of their families. Grant objectives are to connect Iraqi women with mentors-preferably female-in the business community, who can teach skills and model strategies that will increase their participation in the local economy, including basic computer skills, resume building, and the use of social media and other online platforms. English training is a desirable, but not required component of the training. Training that facilitates direct contact between the Iraqi diaspora and local women is also desirable. Participants will receive training and access resources as part of a local network of mentors that can provide them real-time tailored feedback and offer ongoing support, advice, and resources to overcome the challenges businesswomen face in the context of southern Iraqi society. The program should also incorporate virtual mentoring sessions with American entrepreneurs - particularly women, and those fluent in Arabic - who can speak to their experiences, offer best practices, and promote linkages between Iraqi and American businesspeople.

The U.S. Embassy Islamabad Public Affairs Section (PAS) announces an Open Source RFP and invites organizations to submit a proposal supporting people-to-people ties between the people of the United States and Pakistan, specifically in the area of music. These activities should expand people-to-people relationships between non-officials (e.g. musicians, industry professionals) and increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of Pakistan through projects that build self-sustaining relationships between the U.S. and Pakistani musicians and music industries. Program Goals: 1. Strengthen People-to-People Ties between the U.S. and Pakistan: Increase mutual understanding through projects that share American music with Pakistani audiences. 2. Create Institutional Linkages Between the U.S. and Pakistani Music Industries: Encourage the local music industry to build long-term, self-sustaining relationships between U.S. and Pakistani musicians, music institutions, existing festivals and music schools. 3. Support Music/Creative Industry Growth: Provide Pakistani musicians with opportunities to network and discuss challenges facing Pakistan's music industry, engage in substantive dialogue with American music industry professionals, and increase cooperation on problems of mutual concern, such as intellectual property rights. 4. Strengthen Regional Cooperation between Afghanistan, Pakistan and India: Increase mutual understanding on a regional level by including Indian and Afghan musicians in music capacity-building projects. 5. Expand Music Outreach to Youth and Underserved Audiences: Though music programs, develop local partners that are able to access regions of Pakistan not easily accessed by U.S. officials and make American music available to the local youth audience.

A program of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program offers intensive summer language institutes in thirteen critical foreign languages. The selection process is administered by American Councils for International Education with awards approved by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

The Council of American Overseas Research Centers is pleased to announce a new focused regional fellowship program enabling pre- and early post-doctoral scholars to carry out research in the humanities and related social sciences in countries bordering the Mediterranean and served by American overseas research centers. Funding for this program is generously provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.