Center on Russia and the United States :: Currently available grants

The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), Office of Citizen Exchanges, is offering a grant opportunity for U.S. organizations to conduct exchanges and training programs in collaboration with partner organizations for the New Independent States. Information regarding current and previous years' programs is posted on our website.

Please take a look and see which organizations and types of programming the Department has been funding in the NIS and Central/Eastern Europe. To access the website click here. The current RFP can be found here.

At present required proposals for exchange programs include the following themes:

Media Internships (Ukraine or Belarus/Ukraine, Russia, Caucasus Regional, Central Asia Regional)

Women's Leadership Programs (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan -- Single Country & Regional)

Public Advocacy Training for NGOs and Associations (Russia, Belarus/Russia, Belarus/Cross-border)

Prevention of Trafficking in Women and Girls (Russia, Belarus and Moldova -- Single- and Multi-country)

Please be sure to look for the full text of the Request for Proposals (RFP) and the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI), both of which can be found on their website.

The title of this competition is: Exchanges and Training Programs for the New Independent States--Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine and Russia. Announcement number: ECA/PE/C/EUR-01-19. The deadline for proposal submissions is December 19, 2000.

You can contact them at nistraining@pd.state.gov with any questions concerning this RFP. Please be so kind as to read the entire RFP and PSI before contacting their office.

ACTR/ACCELS Grants

American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS is currently accepting applications for fellowships from the U.S. Department of State, the Department of Education, and the National Endowment for the Humanities that provide support for graduate students, scholars, and faculty to conduct research and/or study languages in the former Soviet Union and east-central Europe.

National Endowment for the Humanities: Collaborative Research Fellowship

Fellowships of up to $30,000 for four to nine months of research in east-central Europe and the former Soviet Union. Proposals must include plans to work with at least one collaborator in the field. The merit-based competition is open to all U.S. post-doctoral scholars in the humanities, including such disciplines as modern and classical languages, history, linguistics, literature, jurisprudence, philosophy, archaeology, comparative religion, and ethics. (For a complete list of eligible disciplines, please contact American Councils.) Language proficiency is not required if applicants can demonstrate a means of conducting research without it. American Councils is prepared to assist scholars in locating potential collaborators. Application deadline: February 15, 2001

Special Initiatives Fellowship for Research in Central Asia:

Grants for field research on policy-relevant topics in Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Scholars may apply for fellowships of four to twelve months in one or more cities or countries in the region. Funding is provided by the U.S. State Department Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States (Title VIII). Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in a relevant field, have held an academic or research position for at least five years, have sufficient language ability to carry out the proposed research, and plan to spend at least four months in the region. Fellowships range from $15,000 to $35,000; they include international airfare, medical insurance, visas, and overseas support from American Councils offices. Application deadline: February 15, 2001

Regional Scholar Exchange Program:

Fellowships for U.S. scholars in the humanities, social sciences, and information technology field to conduct research in the countries of the former Soviet Union for four to six months. Applications for research in Central Asia are particularly encouraged. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and advanced graduate students or junior to mid-career faculty between the ages of 24 and 60. Fellowships include international travel, visas, insurance, living stipends, and logistical support from American Councils regional offices. Typical awards range from $7,000 to $10,000. Application deadline: February 15, 2001

Combined Research and Language Training Program:

Provides full support and approximately eight hours per week of language instruction for three to nine months. Language classes are designed to help young scholars write with sophistication about their academic fields. Fellowships provide round-trip international travel, housing, tuition, living stipends, visas, insurance, affiliation fees, archive access, research advising, and logistical support in the field. Typical awards: $12,000 to $25,000. Open to graduate students, post-docs, and faculty. Funded by the U.S. Department of State, Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States. Application deadlines: October 15, 2001 (Spring Program); March 1, 2001 (Summer Program); April 1, 2001 (Academic Year and Fall Programs).

Title VIII Central Europe Research Scholar Program:

Provides full support for three to nine month research trips to east-central Europe. Fellowships include round-trip international travel, housing, living stipends, visas, insurance, and affiliation fees. Typical awards range from $12,000 to $25,000. Open to graduate students, scholars, and faculty who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents conducting research in the humanities or social sciences. Policy-relevant topics are particularly encouraged. Funded by the U.S. Department of State Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States. Applications currently accepted on a rolling basis.

Title VIII Central Europe Language Program:

Offers international airfare, tuition, insurance, and living stipends to graduate students and faculty for up to three months of intensive language study at major universities throughout east-central Europe and the Baltic States. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Funded by the U.S. Department of State Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Newly Independent States. Application Deadline: March 1, 2001.

Summer Russian Language Teachers Program:

Provides full support for six weeks of summer study at Moscow State University. Courses include advanced Russian language, culture, literature and pedagogy. Participants receive a one-day orientation in Washington, DC; round-trip international airfare; housing; insurance; weekly living stipends; and visas. Open to teachers of Russian at all levels (including high school) and graduate students who intend a teaching career; participants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Application deadline: February 15, 2001.

For more information about these programs and applications, contact:

Graham Hettlinger
Manager, Outbound Programs
American Councils for International Education
1776 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Suite 700
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 833-7522
hettlinger@actr.org

Charity Know How

Charity Know How (CKH) was set up in 1991 to help revitalize civil society in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Former Soviet Union (FSU) through the funding of skill-sharing partnership projects between British NGOs and organizations of those regions. Since 1991, CKH has supported more than 2,500 such projects, making awards totaling in excess of 3 million.

The project continue to provide small grants (up to 15,000) for skill-sharing partnerships between NGOs: eligible organizations may be formal and informal voluntary and non-profit organizations, or any group or organization which, under British law, is considered to have charitable purposes. Projects should contain a significant element of transfer of know-how, and can include training programs for NGO staff and volunteers, professional advice and study visits.

CKH is unable to fund applications from individuals, the preparation of funding proposals or applications, the teaching of English as a foreign language or other student programs, any building or capital costs, the costs of transporting humanitarian aid or medical equipment, the costs of offices, salaries or equipment (including fax machines and other communications equipment), or youth, artistic or cultural exchanges.

The project has recently made some changes to its guidelines by introducing target regions for our general grants program. Applications to the general program must now include as principal beneficiary an NGO in at least one of the countries in the four target regions listed below.

Balkans and Carpathians

Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Macedonia (FYROM), Romania, Slovakia

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Belarus, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine

NGOs from other countries in Central and Eastern Europe, (i.e. Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia) may apply as part of an application involving at least one NGO from one of these countries. There are no geographical restrictions or special conditions on work within the countries of the target regions.

In addition to the General Program, we have also introduced two pilot programs, Partnership Development Grants and Global Grants, which are aimed at organizations working further afield.

NB: The application form has also been slightly modified in keeping with these changes. Updated guidelines and application forms are now available from the CKH office. The next deadline for receipt of completed application forms is Tuesday 23 January 2000. Applications under the old guidelines and made on the old application form will not be accepted after that date.

You could obtain any further details, or a copy of the updated guidelines and an application form by contacting Charity Know How

114 - 118 Southampton Row

Tel. (020) 7400 2315

Email ckh@caf.charitynet.org

Website: www.charityknowhow.org

IT Training Tuition Scholarships for College Faculty, Students and Staff

National Education Foundation CyberLearning, a non-profit organization dedicated to bridging the Digital Divide since 1994, is offering "No Excuse" tuition-free on-line training in Information Technology to the first 10,000 applicants. NEF has two on-line programs, recently acclaimed by "Forbes Best of the Web" as the best online IT courses, available:

Personal Computing (300+ self-study and instructor-led courses including all Microsoft Office, Web Design, Lotus Notes, Internet etc, tuition value of $3,000) for a $75 registration fee, the only cost.

Information Technology (650+ self-study and instructor-led courses, including the above and 350+ Certification courses in Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle, Novell, Web Master etc, tuition value of $6,500) for a $270 registration fee, the only cost.

For either program, registration is valid through June 30, 2001 and there are no tuition costs for classes. The registrant receives free unlimited access to the courses, a vast online library, chat areas, certification skill tests and evaluations. This is an exceptional value and a great way for anyone to upgrade IT skills and learn new skills.

To sign up, visit www.cyberlearning.org and click on "PC Scholarships(300+ Courses)" or click on "IT Scholarships (650+Courses)." Then, complete the "Teachers and Others in Education" application. Many colleges, schools and other educational organizations reimburse the training registration fee. Over 5,000 educators, faculty and students have already registered.

To bridge the Digital Divide, NEF also provides "No Excuse" IT training scholarships to disadvantaged school and college students and teachers throughout the Nation.

About NEF: The non-profit National Education Foundation CyberLearning has provided tuition-free IT training to thousands of students, teachers, government and non-profit employees and disadvantaged individuals since 1994. NEF is well on its way to training 100,000 IT professionals and a million disadvantaged students nationally through its "No Excuse" IT Training Program. NEF has earned many distinctions including "The Ivy League of IT Training," "1995 Fairfax Human Rights Award," and " A Leader in Bridging the Digital Divide."

NIS Community College Partnerships Program

The Office of Global Educational Programs of the United States Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for an assistance award program. Accredited institutions offering the two-year Associate's degree and meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may apply to pursue institutional or departmental objectives in international partnerships with counterpart institutions from Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine or Uzbekistan. The underlying purposes of these partnerships should be: 1) to support through teaching, scholarship, and professional outreach from the partner institutions, the transition of the New Independent States to democratic systems based on market economies; and 2) to strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation between the United States and the New Independent States.

The maximum award in the FY 2001 competition will be $200,000. Requests for amounts smaller than the maximum are eligible. Budgets and budget notes should carefully justify the amounts requested. Grants awarded to organizations with less than four years of experience in conducting international exchange programs will be limited to $60,000. Grants are subject to the availability of funds for Fiscal Year 2001.

Projects must conform with the Bureau's requirements and guidelines outlined in the solicitation package for this RFP, which can be obtained by following the instructions given in the section below entitled "For Further Information".

The NIS Community College Partnerships Program is limited to the following academic fields:

(1) business/accounting/trade;

(2) education/continuing education/educational administration;

(3) journalism/communications; and

(4) social, political, or economic sciences.

U.S. INSTITUTION AND PARTICIPANT ELIGIBILITY

In the United States, participation in the program is open to accredited institutions offering the two-year Associate's degree. Applications from consortia and other combinations of cooperating institutions are eligible. Secondary U.S. partners may include relevant non-governmental organizations, non-profit service or professional organizations, or other institutions of higher education.

FOREIGN INSTITUTION AND PARTICIPANT ELIGIBILITY

In other countries, participation is open to recognized institutions of post-secondary education, including pedagogical institutes and universities, technical institutes and universities, and vocational training schools. Secondary foreign partners may include relevant governmental and non-governmental organizations, non-profit service or professional organizations. Participants representing the foreign institutions must be faculty or staff of the primary or secondary partner institution, and be citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of the country of the foreign partner, and be qualified to hold a valid passport and U.S. J-1 visa.

FOREIGN COUNTRY AND LOCATION ELIGIBILITY

Foreign partners from the following countries are eligible:

Russia Preference will be given to proposals that designate a partner institution outside Moscow and St. Petersburg. Proposals that designate a partner institution in the Russian Far East, Tomsk, or Samara region are encouraged.

Ukraine Preference will be given to proposals that designate a partner institution outside Kiev.

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS

All copies must be received at the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Friday, February 23, 2001. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time, nor will documents postmarked on Friday, February 23, 2001 but received on a later date. It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure compliance with the deadline.

Approximate program dates: Grants should begin on or about August 15, 2001.

Duration: Approximately August 15, 2001 - August 14, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Please contact the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office of Global Educational Programs, Humphrey Fellowships and Institutional Linkages Branch, State Annex 44 (ECA/A/S/U) room 349, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547, fax: (202) 401-1433 to request a Solicitation Package containing more detailed award criteria; all application forms; and guidelines for preparing proposals, including specific criteria for preparation of the proposal budget. Please specify Bureau Program Officer Jonathan Cebra (telephone: 202-619-4126, email: jcebra@pd.state.gov) on all inquiries and correspondence regarding partnerships with institutions in Moldova or Ukraine; please indicate Bureau Program Officer Michelle Johnson (telephone: 202-619-4097, email: johnsonmi@pd.state.gov) on all inquiries and correspondence regarding partnerships with institutions in Russia; please indicate Bureau Program Officer Alanna Bailey (telephone: 202-619-6492, email: abailey@pd.state.gov) on all inquiries and correspondence regarding institutions in any other eligible country.

Applicants must follow all instructions given in the Solicitation Package. The original and 10 copies of the application should be sent to:

U.S. Department of State
Bureau of Cultural and Educational Affairs
Ref.: ECA/A/S/U-01-10
Program Management Staff, ECA/EX/PM, Room 534
301 4th Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20547

Applicants must also submit the "Executive Summary" and "Proposal Narrative" sections of the proposal on a 3.5" diskette, formatted for DOS. This material must be provided in ASCII text (DOS) format with a maximum line length of 65 characters. The Bureau will transmit these files electronically to public affairs sections at U.S. embassies overseas for their review, with the goal of reducing the time it takes to get posts' comments for the Bureau's grants review process.

For more detailed information on the project click here.

You can also find information on Project Objectives, Goals, and Implementation (POGI) here.

The Trust for Mutual Understanding

The Trust for Mutual Understanding was established in 1984 by an anonymous American benefactor as a private, grant-making organization dedicated to promoting improved communication, closer cooperation, and greater respect between the people of the United States, the Soviet Union, and other countries in Eastern and Central Europe.

The Trust provides grant support to American nonprofit organizations conducting international cultural and environmental exchanges in partnership with institutions and individuals in Russia and Eastern and Central Europe. Priority consideration is given to projects in which direct, professional interaction plays a major role.

Today, most of TMU's grants are made for exchange activities relating specifically to Russia, with the balance being allocated primarily for projects involving the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, the Slovak Republic, and Ukraine. A limited amount of assistance is also provided for exchanges with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Mongolia, Romania, Slovenia, and Yugoslavia. The independent Baltic states and those of Central Asia that were formerly part of the Soviet Union are not currently within TMU's purview.

Approximately two-thirds of TMU's grants are awarded for projects in the visual and performing arts and one-third in environmental conservation and protection.