OARS funding International

The Small Business Regional Training project will support the creation of a regionally appropriate standardized training curriculum and accreditation/certification to Central American business counselors and Small Business Development Center (SBDC) staff, such that SBDCs can expand services and capacity for micro -, small-, and medium- sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Central America. This grant will also include a focus on advising for women-owned small businesses and promoting women’s entrepreneurship generally in Central America. This project will enhance the competitiveness of more than 16,000 MSMEs in Central America by strengthening regional capabilities through technical training to over 250 business counselors and the development of standard operating procedures at a growing number of SBDCs in Central America.

The Orangutan Foundation invites grant applications for research into orangutan behaviour and ecology, or related rainforest field research in Indonesia.

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.

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.

The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is now accepting proposals for a new grant called the Saudi-American Educational and Cultural Initiative Grants (SAECIG) and is for Saudi and U.S. non-governmental and community organizations, universities, entrepreneurs, cultural organizations or qualified individuals who propose to work together to develop or expand educational, professional and cultural exchange activities and promote dialogue and partnership between the people of the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The new grant will support innovative forms of collaboration to expand the diversity of activities in the U.S.-Saudi partnership and develop the next generation of leaders, especially among youth, young professionals and women, and to promote mutual understanding and respect through long-term partnership and cooperation between our two countries.

U.S. Consulate General Chiang Mai announces the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for a new program whose goal is to provide high school educational opportunities for underprivileged Thai girls who would otherwise be unable to attend. The program will provide $45,000 to fund a minimum of 30 girls through two years of upper secondary school (preference will be given to groups who can demonstrate the ability to stretch funds to help more girls without sacrificing the quality of their education, for example by matching funds).

The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs Division, of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for the Youth Leadership Program with Burma. Public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to conduct three- to four-week U.S.-based exchange programs for teenagers and adult educators. Participants will be high-school-aged youth and adult educators. Applicants should plan to provide U.S.-based programming for 17-18 youth and 2-3 adult participants from Burma. The activities for each program will focus on civic education, leadership, diversity, and community engagement and prepare participants to conduct projects at home that serve a community need.

The U.S. Embassy to Cuba Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce that limited funding is available through the U.S. Embassy to Cuba Public Affairs Small Grants Program to support activities that promote U.S.-Cuba bilateral relations in the following four priority areas: Increase entrepreneurship and economic opportunities, especially among youth and underserved communities; Enhance bilateral partnerships through the promotion of education, the access and use of technology, sports, and partnerships across the Americas. Promote cultural exchange and enhance understanding of our shared history, traditions, and values through innovative means. Eligibility is limited to those who qualify to receive U.S. grants, and have the ability to develop and implement their proposed programs in Cuba. The U.S. Embassy in Cuba and the Department of State encourage organizations that have not previously received international program funding from the U.S. Government to apply under this announcement. Please see our website for additional information and application instructions.

The U.S. Embassy to Cuba Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce that limited funding is available through the U.S. Embassy to Cuba Public Affairs Large Grants Program to support activities that promote U.S.-Cuba bilateral relations in the following three priority areas: 1) Increase entrepreneurship and economic opportunities, especially among youth and underserved communities; 2) Institutional linkages between academic or nonprofit organizations to enhance bilateral partnerships through the promotion of education, the access and use of technology, sports, and partnerships across the Americas. 3) Promote cultural exchange and enhance understanding of our shared history, traditions, and values through innovative means. Eligibility is limited to those who qualify to receive U.S. grants, and have the ability to develop and implement their proposed programs in Cuba. The U.S. Embassy in Cuba and the Department of State encourage organizations that have not previously received international program funding from the U.S. Government to apply under this announcement. Please see our website for additional information and application instructions

The purpose of this project is to increase civil society engagement in environmental protection, resulting in increased compliance with and enforcement of wildlife laws and reduction of illegal trade of wildlife in countries that, with the United States, are parties to the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR): Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

The Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) program in the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Office of Assistance Coordination (NEA/AC) announces a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to bolster Tunisia's political processes and encourage citizen engagement at the local level.

MOVO will be a five-year regional messaging and communication effort that leverages both traditional and new media to counter violent extremism and promote democracy, human rights and governance. MOVO will aim to form lasting partnerships to amplify moderate voices in communities as well as national and regional networks and institutions. MOVO will use a strategic information campaigns to tackle difficult, long-standing issues critical to VE vulnerability as well as to respond directly to events and hot topics. MOVO will integrate with other USG CVE and messaging efforts, such as State and USAID-funded programs, Public Affairs Sections and Military Information Support Teams (MIST) in the region. With regard to mediums of information exchange, MOVO will strengthen and expand existing PDev II radio networks and programming, continuing to invest in the medium most easily accessible to rural communities at-risk. However, MOVO will also produce targeted video content in targeted countries that is easily sharable and of most interest to target demographics. Mobile platforms that leverage feature phones have proved wildly popular and are useful in engaging rural audiences. Social media offers exciting new opportunities to connect with target audiences. However, poor internet penetration in target areas and among target demographics may limit the applicability of the medium. MOVO will expand its emphasis on social media in a measured, iterative manner that builds on effective, cost-efficient approaches. To the extent possible, all content will be cross-promoted across radio, video, mobile and social media to increase dissemination and build audiences across demographics and platforms.

The Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers (I/UCRC) program develops long-term partnerships among industry, academe, and government. The Centers are catalyzed by an investment from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and are primarily supported by industry Center members, with NSF taking a supporting role in the development and evolution of the Center. Each Center is established to conduct research that is of interest to both the industry members and the Center faculty. An I/UCRC contributes to the nation's research infrastructure base and enhances the intellectual capacity of the engineering and science workforce through the integration of research and education. As appropriate, an I/UCRC uses international collaborations to advance these goals within the global context.

The FY 2016 CVE Grant Program supports programs, projects and activities that prevent recruitment or radicalization to violence by interrupting those efforts, building community-level resilience to them, and identifying the early signs of radicalization to violence and providing appropriate interventions through civic organizations, law enforcement or other entities. Community resilience in the CVE context means those communities where violent extremists routinely meet disinterest and opposition, recruitment attempts routinely fail, and communities know what tools and support are available to assist individuals that may be on a path towards violence.

Citizen Security: Prevention and Drug Demand Reduction

The goal of the Vaccine Action Program (VAP) is to support collaborative vaccine-related research projects that ultimately reduce the burden of infectious diseases of importance in India, the U.S., the South Asian region and globally. Applications are encouraged from organizations/institutions that propose to conduct vaccine-related research through collaborations with Indian investigators on the following: dengue, influenza (including avian influenza), malaria, enteric diseases, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis.  Basic, translational, clinical, or epidemiological vaccine research may be proposed (no clinical trials will be supported under this FOA).

USAID/Bangladesh intends to award a five-year assistance activity (up to $24.5 million) under the US Government's Feed the Future (FTF) initiative. This activity, the Feed the Future Bangladesh Aquaculture and Nutrition activity, will improve rural household income and nutrition by increasing aquaculture productivity, strengthening the aquaculture value chain, and improving the awareness and adoption of nutrition related behaviors of rural households. This five-year activity will be comprised of three interrelated components: Component 1: Productivity of Aquaculture Ponds, Component 2: Aquaculture Value Chain, and Component 3: Awareness and Adoption of Nutrition Related Behaviors.

The purpose of the LVRP APS is to support USAID's goal of improving livelihoods in conflict-affected areas of South Sudan with stressed and crisis levels of food insecurity. The complexities surrounding conflict and displacement as causes of food insecurity and diminished livelihoods require LVRP to utilize a conflict-sensitive and holistic approach to achieve program objectives. This APS fills a critical gap in South Sudan between humanitarian programming and development programming, where the latter prior to 2014 largely focused on more productive sectors of the economy in the "Greenbelt" of the Equatoria states.

The goal of the Vaccine Action Program (VAP) is to support collaborative vaccine-related research projects that ultimately reduce the burden of infectious diseases of importance in India, the U.S., the South Asian region and globally. Applications are encouraged from organizations/institutions that propose to conduct vaccine-related research through U.S.-Indo collaborations on a variety of infectious diseases, including immunologic characterization.

Peru's criminal justice system faces significant challenges. Judicial processes are characterized by a lack of transparency, overload of cases, and lengthy delays. Justice sector institutions are hampered by limited resources and, according to public surveys, are broadly perceived to be corrupt. At the same time, access to justice is limited by an insufficient number of judges and court staff, case overload, cost of lawsuits, cultural and gender barriers, and fragmented service delivery. The United States Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, is seeking applications from qualified Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Educational Institutions and other qualified organizations for a Cooperative Agreement to implement a program entitled "Justice Sector Support Project (JSSP)."