Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program

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mw.usembassy.gov

Funding Opportunity Title: U.S. Embassy Lilongwe Public Affairs Section (PAS) Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program

CFDA Number: 19.040 – Public Diplomacy Programs

Contact: Edward J. Monster, Grants Officer, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy Lilongwe

Email: LilongwePAO@State.gov

I. Funding Opportunity Description

The Public Affairs Section (PAS) at the U.S. Embassy in Lilongwe, Malawi of the U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce that funding is available through its Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program. This is an Annual Program Statement, outlining our funding priorities, the strategic themes on which we focus, and the procedures for submitting requests for funding. Please carefully follow all instructions below.

Purpose of Small Grants: PAS awards a limited number of grants to individuals, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions to support exchange between the U.S. and Malawi with the aim of improving mutual respect and understanding between the people of the two countries.

The Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program supports projects with the following themes and initiatives:

• American culture/society
• Entrepreneurship and innovation
• Women/girls empowerment
• Youth leadership development
• Human rights and civil society development
• Democracy, transparency in governance, and rule of law
• Science and technology
• Educational initiatives

PAS will ONLY consider grant applications that contain a significant American component or aspect in the proposal. This could include, but is not limited to, including an American expert as a speaker, using curriculum developed by a U.S. institution, or projecting an American film.

Activities that are not funded include, but are not limited to:

• Social welfare projects;
• Individual travel to conferences;
• Construction projects;
• Completion of activities for projects begun with other funds;
• Projects that are inherently political in nature or that contain the appearance of partisanship/support to individual or single party electoral campaigns;
• Political party activities; and,
• Projects that support specific religious activities.

Authorizing statutes for the funding opportunity are:

1) Fulbright-Hays Act, which allows the U.S. Department of State to use funds for the purpose of supporting international exchanges that address issues of mutual interest to the United States: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/iegps/fulbrighthaysact.pdf (PDF 88 KB)

2) Smith-Mundt Act, which specifies the terms in which the United States Government can engage global audiences: http://www.state.gov/pdcommission/library/177362.htm