The Priority Grantmaking competition will fund activities that enhance mechanisms for and advance knowledge and understanding of conflict prevention, conflict management, and post-conflict peacebuilding in Afghanistan, Colombia, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Sudan, according to the priority areas identified below for each country.
- For Iran, priority will be given to proposals focusing on Iranian relations with the West and with its neighbors in the region, and on Iran’s role in regional and international affairs.
- For Afghanistan, Colombia, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Sudan, preference will be given to applications submitted by non-profit organizations based in these countries or to groups that partner with them.
- Applicants may apply at any time throughout the year. Awards will be announced throughout the year.
- The amount of all awards will be based on the proposed budget and work plan, and on negotiations with successful applicants.
- The Institute gives priority to high-quality projects that are likely to generate findings that are accessible to policymakers and practitioners and that show promise of having a substantial impact on the field. Projects that result in findings made widely available to the public—through published writings, manuals, curricular materials, web sites, documentary films, and so forth—are more likely to be funded than those that do not.
Eligibility
- American and foreign individuals and non-profit organizations may apply. Individuals whose proposals are funded will be required to identify a non-profit organization to manage the grant.
- Funding for degree work—that is, payment of tuition fees or support for M.A. or Ph.D.-related work—is not eligible for support under this Initiative. Requests for dissertation research support should be directed to USIP’s Jennings Randolph Fellowship Program for International Peace.
- Applications that list as participants, consultants, or project personnel members of USIP's Board of Directors or staff will not be accepted.
- Any application that lists USIP as a collaborator in the project will not be accepted for review.
- Individuals who are currently working as USIP contractors may not be eligible to apply for grant support. To determine eligibility, please contact the Grant program.
- Current USIP grantees are not eligible for consideration until they have completed work on their grant and submitted all required reports and products.
Initial Review Process - Pre-Proposals
- Application forms are only sent to applicants who have submitted a brief pre-proposal which, after review, we have determined (a) fits within the scope of activities we have defined for the Priority Grantmaking country and (b) is likely to be viable.
- Submit a short (1-2 page) statement describing your organization (including a very brief history and/or structure, its purpose and registered non-profit status) as well as a description of the proposed project.
- Include an overview of the needs that the project will address, the goals or objectives that the project intends to achieve, and how it will contribute to USIP’s objective for the particular Priority Grantmaking country, as described below.
- Provide a brief overview of the proposed activities, products, timeframe and estimated costs (both total and the amount you would like USIP to cover).
- E-mail this short pre-proposal to the individual designated as the contact person for the Priority Grantmaking country in either PDF or .doc (Word, rich text) format, or you may send it by fax to 202-833-1018. If you are faxing the document, please be sure you add a cover page to the attention of the contact person.
Final Review Process
If we judge your pre-proposal to be of interest to the Institute, you will be invited to submit a full proposal and we will send you an application form and comments on your initial submission.
If your project does not meet the objectives of the Priority Grantmaking competition, you may submit your project to our Annual Grant Competition at the next available deadline. Application forms for our Annual Grant Competition are available online.
- Full proposals submitted to the Priority Grantmaking competition will first be discussed with, and reviewed by, Grant program staff. In the event of a successful review, applications will be forwarded for further review to experts outside of USIP. During the review process, staff may contact applicants to request further information.
- Final approval of funded projects will be contingent upon further review and approval by USIP's executive officers and Board of Directors. For previous grantees, evaluations of their earlier grants will be conducted before final decisions will be made.
USIP does not take positions on policy issues pending before Congress, the executive branch, or other domestic or international bodies, and does not fund "Track 1" (official) mediation of international disputes. USIP will not fund grant proposals of a partisan political nature or proposals that would inject the grantee or USIP into the policy processes of the United States government or any foreign government or international organization. In addition, in accord with the United States Institute of Peace Act, Section 1709(b), USIP will not use political tests or political qualifications in selecting or monitoring any grantee. Projects that lead to policy recommendations for governments, international organizations, or nongovernmental organizations are welcome and indeed encouraged, although such recommendations will be those of the grantee and not USIP.
Afghanistan
Grantmaking in Afghanistan will support projects designed to promote public understanding of peaceful alternatives to the violent resolution of conflict, the rule of law, transitional justice, and to build up local capacities for dialogue and peacebuilding.
Grant applications that address the following priorities are welcome:
- Improve public understanding of the costs of conflict and peaceful alternatives to the violent resolution of conflict;
- Reduce strife and insecurity through religious and inter-communal dialogue by supporting traditional approaches to non-violent conflict management;
- Promote education and discussion about conflict resolution, rule of law and transitional justice;
- Improve the capacity of the Afghan civil society for dialogue and conflict resolution.
Other proposals on Afghanistan that respond to the broader mandate of USIP are welcome. Priority will be given to applications submitted by Afghan civil society organizations on the topics above.
USIP Staff Contact: Barmak Pazhwak, afghanistangrants@usip.org. Applications will be accepted only in English.
Colombia
The Priority Grantmaking competition will support projects in Colombia that advance knowledge and understanding of the conflict and enhance mechanisms for its transformation; that strengthen civil society organizations’ capacities to engage in non-violent approaches to conflict prevention, management, and resolution; that enhance collective efforts to secure truth, justice, reparations, and social reconstruction, especially among those regions and populations most affected by violence and social exclusion, and undeserved by existing national and international programs. These include the Caribbean coast, rural areas, women, internally displaced, youth, persons with disabilities, and ethnic minorities.
Grant applications that address the following priorities are welcome:
- Advance scholarship on the conflict and its resolution and enhance linkages with local, regional or national practitioners through action research and cross-sectoral workshops or dialogues that are grounded in solid analysis and theory;
- Strengthen through education and training the capacity of civil society leaders and organizations (including leading members of religious communities, educators, the media, and human rights and social activists) to participate in and serve as catalysts and multipliers for peacemaking and peacebuilding efforts in Colombia;
- Facilitate strategic alliances and networks of community-based social groups and other key issue-oriented organizations, and build linkages between local, communal programs of peace education and peacemaking, reconciliation and trauma-healing, human rights organizations, and victims’ groups with regional and national efforts.
Other proposals on Colombia that respond to the broader mandate of USIP are welcome. Priority will be given to grant applications submitted on the topics above.
USIP Staff Contact: Virginia M. Bouvier (Ginny), colombiagrants@usip.org. Applications will be accepted only in English.
Iran
Grantmaking related to Iran works to deepen understanding of the internal dynamics of Iran and critical issues at stake in Iran’s relations with the United States and other international actors; develop and advance confidence building measures and innovative, peaceful approaches to resolving conflicts with Iran; and promote bridge building initiatives involving Iranians, Americans, and others.
Grant applications that address the following priorities are welcome:
- Support policy-oriented research that probes key issues in and the dynamics underlying relations between Iran and its neighbors and between Iran and other major actors;
- Promote bilateral and multilateral Track II policy initiatives and people-to-people programs to advance mutual understanding and positive avenues of interaction; and
- Support education programs, including documentary films, radio and other media programming, and training or educational curricula that enhance U.S. public understanding of Iran.
Other proposals relating to Iran that respond to the broader mandate of USIP are welcome. Priority will be given to grant applications submitted on the topics above.
USIP Staff Contact: Steven Riskin, irangrants@usip.org. Applications will be accepted only in English.
Iraq
Grantmaking in Iraq supports the capacity-building of civil society organizations, promotes peace-building and reconciliation, and strengthens the rule of law.
Grant applications that address the following programming priorities are welcome:
- Promote the rule of law;
- Empower marginalized groups, especially women, youth, IDPs, and people with disabilities, to contribute positively to conflict management and peacebuilding processes;
- Promote inter-communal tolerance and conflict resolution through education and training initiatives;
- Strengthen institutions to advance knowledge and understanding of sources of conflict and enhance mechanisms for conflict prevention, conflict management, Peacebuilding, mediation, and related activities.
Other proposals on Iraq that respond to the broader mandate of USIP are welcome. Priority will be given to applications submitted by Iraqi civil society organizations on the topics above.
USIP Staff Contact: Steven Heydemann, iraqgrants@usip.org. Applications will be accepted in both English and Arabic.
Nigeria
Grantmaking in Nigeria will support efforts to prevent violent conflicts, especially those related to the use of oil revenues at local and state levels of government in the Niger Delta. Grantmaking also will support projects that help to resolve inter-communal conflicts in the Delta.
Grant applications that address the following priorities are welcome:
- Provide training to traditional and women leaders at the community level to improve their conflict resolution skills;
- Provide youth with alternatives to violence through conflict resolution and mediation training, including school-based peace education programs for those vulnerable to recruitment by violent groups;
- Support dialogue projects designed to bring together civil society organizations, oil companies, and government agencies to promote transparency about the distribution of oil revenues.
USIP Staff Contact: Taylor Seybolt, nigeriagrants@usip.org. Applications will be accepted only in English.
Pakistan
Grantmaking in Pakistan will strengthen civil society capacities for conflict prevention and promote greater understanding of issues related to identity, tolerance, diversity, and sectarian extremism in Pakistan through education, training, research, and the media.
Grant applications that address the following priorities are welcome:
- Promote dialogue on and a deepened understanding of Pakistan’s diversity across key religious, cultural, and regional divides among relevant stakeholders, including clerics, civilian and military policy practitioners, and opinion shapers;
- Strengthen the capacity of Pakistani civil society for non-violent conflict prevention and resolution;
- Encourage the inclusion of marginalized populations in Pakistani civil society, including women, ethnic and religious minorities, the displaced and people with disability, in efforts to prevent and reduce conflict.
Other proposals on Pakistan that respond to the broader mandate of USIP are welcome. Priority will be given to applications submitted by Pakistani civil society organizations on the topics above.
USIP Staff Contact: Barmak Pazhwak, pakistangrants@usip.org. Applications will be accepted only in English.
Sudan
Grantmaking in Sudan will support projects that help prevent the outbreak of major violence, particularly in Abyei, the Nuba Mountains, and Blue Nile by supporting efforts to resolve local-level conflicts. Grantmaking also will support efforts to achieve stable peace in Darfur by supporting mediation and communal dialogue processes.
Grant applications that address the following priorities are welcome:
- Increase the capacity of tribal and community leaders to better resolve conflicts through mediation and dialogue;
- Support community-level research and consultation projects to enhance public understanding of, and support for, mediation and dispute resolution;
- Increase the capacity of civil society organizations to promote reconciliation and trauma healing.
Other proposals on Sudan that respond to the broader mandate of USIP are welcome. Priority will be given to applications submitted by Sudanese civil society organizations on the topics above.
USIP Staff Contact: Taylor Seybolt, sudangrants@usip.org. Applications will be accepted only in English.
