The Grant Program

• Examples of Projects Funded
• Eligible Grant Recipients
• Review Process
• Application

The Annual Grant Competition funds projects focused on preventing, managing, and resolving violent conflict and promoting post-conflict peacebuilding outside the borders of the U.S. Awards are offered across a broad range of relevant disciplines, skills, and approaches. USIP welcomes proposals of an interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary nature.

Topic areas of interest to USIP include, but are not limited to:

• Conflict analysis and prevention;
• Mediation and conflict resolution;
• Postconflict peace and stability operations;
• Religion and peacemaking;
• Rule of law and transitional justice;
• International organizations and collective security;
• Economies and conflict;
• Social, psychological, and physical impacts of war and conflict;
• Media and conflict.

Examples of Projects Funded

USIP invites proposals for projects on the causes and impacts of war and processes of peacemaking that include outputs such as:

• Applied and scholarly research;
• Curricula, texts and educator training related to secondary through post-graduate study;
• Training, symposia, and continuing education programs for practitioners, policymakers, policy implementers, and the public;
• Public information efforts, including development of video and film projects;
• Expanded library resources, the development of bibliographic databases and indexes, and the expansion of cooperative efforts in resource sharing;
• "Track II" dialogues and related programs.

Eligible Grant Recipients

The Grant Program funded the documentary "In Rwanda We Say...The Family That Does Not Speak Dies," which recently was awarded an Emmy for best documentary.

USIP may provide grant support to nonprofit organizations and individuals—both U.S. and foreign—including the following: institutions of post-secondary, community, and secondary education; public and private education, training or research institutions, and libraries.

Individuals seeking funding must identify a nonprofit organization (i.e., educational institution, research institution, civil society organization, or NGO) that will receive, administer, and report on the use of grant funds on behalf of the applicant.

Support for degree work is not eligible in the Grant Program. Inquiries about support for dissertation research should be directed to USIP's Jennings Randolph Program for International Peace.

Only one application may be submitted by the same project director.

Unsuccessful applicants of previous Grant Program competitions may not submit the same application unless it has been substantially revised.

USIP will not accept applications that list as participants, consultants, or project personnel members of USIP's Board of Directors or staff. In addition, any application that lists USIP as a collaborator in the project will not be accepted.

Individuals who are currently working as USIP contractors may not be eligible to apply for grant support. To determine eligibility prior to submitting an application, please contact the Grant Program staff.

Applications must be submitted in English.

This grant funded report featured survivors of violence in Northern Ireland.

Most USIP grants are one to two years in duration. Most awards fall in the range of $40,000 to $120,000. The amount of any grant is based on the proposed budget, while final determination is made through negotiations with successful applicants. When applicants are employed by an eligible institution, such as a college or university, USIP requires that grants be made to the institution rather than to the individual. Applicants are advised to eliminate indirect costs in their budget submissions, as USIP does not favor having public monies entrusted to it applied to costs not directly related to the project.

Review Process

The Annual Grant Competition review process involves (1) initial examination of applications by USIP staff, followed in most cases by (2) review by expert panels drawn from outside USIP and (3) further consideration of the panels' recommendation by USIP's executive officers. For previous grantees, an evaluation of the earlier grant will also be conducted. USIP's board of directors make the final decisions on awards.

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.