U.S.-Russia Peer-to-Peer Dialogue Program (United States and Russia)

Deadline: 22-Mar-24

The U.S.-Russia Peer-to-Peer Dialogue Program (P2P) invites project applications seeking to expand U.S.-Russian communication and cooperation.

P2P will fund innovative projects promoting peer-to-peer collaboration and long-term engagement between Russians and Americans on topics of mutual interest.

Project Design

Projects should emphasize U.S.-Russian collaboration and knowledge exchange in their design. While conducting the funded project, implementers should have varied and plentiful opportunities to substantively engage with their international partners. Engagement can be achieved through co-hosted webinars, conferences, bilateral presentations, international volunteer engagement, collaborative performances, mutually created online products, or through other creative activities. Priority will be given to projects that demonstrate adaptability in their project design to ensure U.S.-Russia collaboration amid the ongoing geopolitical situation.
Projects should result in collaborative outcomes and deliverables that address one or more of the following areas: 1) public health; 2) media and information; 3) space, science, and technology; 4) collaboration in the arts; and 5) diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. Applicants are encouraged to utilize innovative technological solutions to create long-lasting products which should be accessible online. All P2P project deliverables should be free and accessible for public use. Successful projects will result in a tangible deliverable or outcome that enhances interaction and understanding between U.S. and Russian society well beyond the project end date.
Applicants are encouraged to include project components that share cultural and professional skills in the project’s technical areas. This exchange of information and skill can be achieved through invite-only lectures, widely distributed publications, internal meetings, or in a variety of other ways.
Proposed projects may be conducted either virtually, in-person and/or in a hybrid format and may include limited travel from Russia to the U.S or to a third country. International travel from Russia to the U.S. is allowable if traveling participants have valid U.S. visas and/or are able to secure an appropriate visa (i.e. a humanitarian visa, a business visa, or Exchange Visitor (J) visas sponsored by their U.S. partner). Please note that P2P program is not responsible for securing visas and is unable to assist with visa appointments. Additional costs related to travel to a third country for potential visa appointments should be covered by project partners. If opted to include international travel, the applicants should have contingency plans to replace international travel and achieve results through virtual programming. Competitive applications will demonstrate flexibility and adaptability in project design amid ongoing restrictions and security considerations in the Eurasia region.
All applicants are obligated to uphold low-profile communication and advertisement campaigns. This includes demonstrating the ability to utilize secure channels for information dissemination and engaging target beneficiaries effectively, considering the ongoing security and sensitivity concerns.

Funding Information

Applicants may request up to $70,000 per project. Use of funds throughout the project must be consistent with the implementers’ application budget.
Furthermore, project funding may only be used for activities directly connected with the implementation of the project, such as:
- Direct costs of project-related events (e.g., organizing meetings, rental of conference facilities, translation services);
- Communication between partner organizations (e.g., phone, email, web conferencing);
- Funds used to conduct outreach and marketing activities, and dissemination of project deliverables (e.g., publications, email marketing, social media promotion, website maintenance costs);
- Prorated portion of salaries for project team members;
- Modest honoraria for key project experts;
- Other expenses, including indirect costs, directly related to project implementation.
Projects that receive funding may vary in duration but must be completed within 12 months of launching.

Eligibility Criteria

Public and private not-for-profit organizations registered in the U.S. or Russia at the time of application are eligible for funding. This includes nonprofit organizations, higher education institutions, schools, and other entities. For-profit and business institutions are not eligible to apply, with the exception of for-profit cultural organizations. While cultural for-profit organizations are eligible to apply, note that P2P project activities/deliverables (training, courses, handbooks, etc.) cannot be used to generate profit and should be open to public without any limitations.
Experience working directly with international partners in the past is not required for this funding opportunity.
Please note that American organizations can apply to serve as the Applicant/Recipient Partner in P2P projects, while Russian organizations can fulfil the role of the International Partner organization. In limited cases, applications with the Russian organization as the Applicant/Recipient might be considered. Please consult with P2P staff to determine whether the Russian partner may be the Applicant/Recipient organization. Note that the Applicant organization is responsible for administrative and financial implementation of the project.
Prospective applicants must submit an original concept note for their project, offering the flexibility to either propose a follow-on activity stemming from a previous P2P project (with a requirement for an original concept note) or suggest an entirely new and unique project.
P2P is a U.S.-Russia collaboration programs and partnerships should be one U.S. based and one Russia based partner. Russian CSOs temporarily based outside Russia are eligible with the opportunity to participate as long as their project design creates an impact for beneficiaries who live inside Russia and have a local partner/network based in Russia through which the project can be implemented.

For more information, visit P2P.