In partnership with the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA), the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) was in Pittsburgh on April 17 to conduct grant writing and career development workshops. USIP’s Elizabeth Murray, a senior program officer who oversees the Institute’s Horn of Africa Priority Grant Competition, conducted the sessions at the University of Pittsburgh.
Murray, a native of Pittsburgh, spoke to graduate students for one hour about “Careers in Peacebuilding.” During this workshop, Murray provided an overview of the field of peacebuilding and the NGOs and agencies that work within it, as well as advice about how to prepare for a career in peacebuilding. Professor Louis Picard, director of the Ford Institute for Human Security, commented that “the students who attended Elizabeth Murray’s session on Careers in Peacebuilding came away with a clearer understanding of internship and job opportunities in the field. The candid information that Elizabeth shared will be useful guidance for years to come as these GSPIA students prepare to launch their careers.”
In the afternoon, approximately 40 students, faculty, and staff from the University of Pittsburgh and other area universities attended a three hour “Introduction to Grant Writing” workshop that covered proposal writing, identifying possible sources of funding, and interacting with potential funders. “It is a rare opportunity when a grant maker presents a workshop directly to grant seekers. Elizabeth’s instruction, insights, and advice will be valuable to all who attended; it was a top rate session. The interactive, role playing activity she conducted with the prospective funder and grantee was a highlight,” commented Professor Picard.
Murray was impressed by the attendees at both sessions. She noted that “the GSPIA students who attended the career session had impressive backgrounds and were well positioned to enter the field of peacebuilding.” In the afternoon session, she found the participants “very engaging, with a wide variety of attendees who benefited both from the content of the session and from interacting with one another.” USIP was especially appreciative of the warmth and hospitality of the University of Pittsburgh and workshop audiences.
USIP has also conducted grant writing workshops in Vermont, South Carolina, Texas, Illinois and Minnesota.
USIP is our country's global conflict management center. Created by Congress in 1984 to be independent and nonpartisan, its works to prevent, mitigate and resolve international conflict through nonviolent means.
