Deadline: 31-Jan-23
Partners of the Americas and the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA) at the U.S. Department of State (DOS) invite higher education institutions (HEIs) from the United States to partner with higher education institutions in Colombia to submit proposals for this U.S.-Colombia 100,000 Strong in the Americas (100K) Innovation Fund grant competition.
This 100K Innovation Fund grant opportunity is supported through generous contributions from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the U.S. Department of State. It is designed to support innovative partnerships between HEIs that will result in new models of inclusive, scientific exchange programs between agricultural researchers, both students and faculty, which will improve both countries’ cacao research capacity and support exchanges of scientific and technical personnel in the cacao sector.
The purpose of the 2022 Cacao for Peace Innovation Fund Grant Competition is to provide funding to increase HEI partnerships and the development of scientific exchange programs between agricultural researchers, including both students and faculty, to improve Colombia’s cacao research capacity and to support exchanges of scientific and technical personnel in the cacao sector.
Academic Themes: HEIs are invited to work together in teams to create and implement new student/faculty exchange and training programs in areas related to the cacao value chain, including production, processing, packaging, marketing, exporting, and other related areas. Proposals must propose, or be connected to, a research project focused on the cacao sector and describe how the project will enhance the capacity of students and faculty to perform advanced, applied agricultural research.
Funding Information
- Awards Available: Eight (8) grants of up to USD $25,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- Higher education institutions (HEIs) located and legally registered in the United States and Colombia are eligible to apply for the 2022 Cacao for Peace Innovation Fund Grant Competition.
- The Innovation Fund seeks the broadest diversity of institutions to compete for 100K grants to create and implement new models of student academic exchange and training programs that will have the greatest possibility of replication throughout the United States and rest of the Western Hemisphere. Therefore, this grant competition seeks proposals from a diversity of HEIs, including four-year degree-issuing institutions (public & private), colleges, community colleges, technical/vocational schools, and other post-secondary institutions with credit-bearing programs.
- Applying HEIs must show an established and/or growing capacity for advanced agricultural research.
- Grant proposals must include a team of at least one higher education institution in the U.S. and one higher education institution in Colombia. Grant proposals can involve new partnerships or build on existing partnerships.
- Preferred: Proposals that include one or more Historically Black College & University (HBCU), Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), Tribal College & University (TCU), or Community College in the United States, will be found favorable during the evaluation process.
- Proposals must demonstrate strong institutional support from all parties involved – as well as from potential local partner organizations – and should focus on creating innovative, sustainable student academic training and exchange programs among proposed partner institutions, with a focus on applied agricultural research in the cacao sector.
Expected Results
- Higher education institutions that are successful in implementing Innovation Fund grants in this 2022 Cacao for Peace Innovation Fund Grant competition will:
- Plan, promote, and implement new exchange/training opportunities for students and faculty in the U.S. and in Colombia;
- Expand the capacity, experience, and knowledge of agricultural researchers, both students and faculty, with a focus on the cacao sector;
- Increase the number of students and faculty working in teams to gain skills in the U.S. and in Colombia;
- Create/strengthen HEI partnerships through bilateral academic exchange programs; and
- Engage/collaborate with the Innovation Fund during and after the grant period to share lessons learned, effective practices, and new models of academic mobility and training programs.
For more information, visit http://www.100kstrongamericas.org/grants/