Application deadline April 15, 2022
The Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) of the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade announces a competition open to organizations to submit nominations for the University partnership Program.
Program objectives:
The U.S. Embassy works to help the Serbian people strengthen democracy, the rule of law, and the protection of human rights; contribute to combat the brain drain and advance the country’s economic development; promote regional stability and cooperation; cooperate with international partners to combat crime, terrorism, human trafficking and other global challenges; and make further progress towards Serbia’s accession to the European Union. We also strive to explain American politics, culture, society and values to the Serbian public and to deepen the ties between our two countries.
University partnership proposals should support these goals while facilitating lasting ties between Serbian and American higher education institutions.
Proposals may involve in-person and/or virtual exchanges for students, faculty and/or administrators as well as any of the following activities: curriculum development; needs assessments; joint online courses; joint research projects; development of a joint degree program; development of a study abroad program; sharing best pedagogical practices and teaching methods; support for participation in academic conferences or student competitions (e.g. advocacy, Model US Congress, Model United Nations); establish a university course or program in American Studies; creation of a center focusing on American studies; and/or establish or strengthen a career development center or a research and development center.
We welcome proposals that provide Serbian students and faculty with:
- American academic perspectives on shared areas of interest and lessons learned from the American experience in the targeted topic(s);
- An overview of current research and academic debate in the United States on the targeted topic(s);
- The chance to engage in discussions and debate with their American counterparts; and or
- The opportunity to experiment and evaluate the teaching methodologies used in the classrooms of American universities.
Partnership program proposals should be two-way exchanges that also give US participants the opportunity to broaden their perspectives, provide them with new insights, and allow them to learn first-hand from Serbian scholars about their research projects.
University partnership proposals should be developed with a SMART logic model. The objective of your activity must be: Sspecific, Mmeasurable, realistic Aachievable during the duration of the grant, Rrelated to a real problem or challenge, and Jtime-based, which means you will be able to complete the project and measure the impact by a set date.
In accordance with the Executive Order on Promoting Racial Equity and Underserved Communities, proposals must demonstrate how the program advances equity in race, ethnicity, religion, income, geography, gender identity, sexual orientation and disability. The proposal must also demonstrate how the program will strengthen engagement in underserved communities and with individuals in underserved communities. Proposals must demonstrate how addressing racial equity and underserved communities will enhance program goals and objectives, as well as the participant experience.
In light of social distancing measures and to limit the spread of COVID-19, we welcome proposals that use video conferencing, distance learning tools, etc. If your proposal includes in-person activities, please consider including contingency plans, should the health situation require social distancing measures to be in place during the grant period.
Recipients should: publicize your activities, including through social media and/or traditional press; and highlight US Embassy support, with our logo included on project-related materials.
Program topics:
The Embassy seeks applications that focus on one of the following academic areas:
- Social Sciences:
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- International Affairs
- Safety studies
- Mediation, Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies
- Area or Area Studies: European Studies, Eurasian or Russian Area Studies, Asian Studies, Western Balkan Studies
- American Studies / American Minority Studies / American Gender Studies
- S.History
- S. Government and politics
- Law and human rights
- Holocaust Studies
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- Journalism
- Education
- Civics/Social Studies Education
- Holocaust and tolerance education
- Special education (for students with physical and/or learning disabilities)
- Educational technology (including distance education)
- Economy / Trade / Management / Economic Development / Entrepreneurship, more specifically:
- Agro-industry and agricultural development
- e-commerce, e-business
- Renewable and sustainable energy studies
- Tourism Management / Cultural Preservation / Museum Management
- Local economic development
Note: If your institution is interested in developing a partnership focused on other academic fields other than those listed above, please contact PDS early in the application process to see if this field would be acceptable under the above scope.
All proposals should aim to strengthen Serbian academic institutions and innovative teaching methods.
For more information, please download the FY2022 University Partnership Program Funding Opportunity Notice
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