Unsolicited Grant Program (91.001)
Program
91.001 Unsolicited Grant Program
Federal Agency
UNITED STATES INSTITUTE OF PEACE
Authorization
United States Institute of Peace Act; Department of Defense Authorization Act of 1985, Title XVII, Public Law 98-525, 98 Stat. 2492, 2649, 22 U.S.C. 4601, Section 1701.
Program Number
91.001
Last Known Status
Active
Objectives
To provide support for education and training, research, and public information on international peace and conflict resolution.
Types of Assistance
Project Grants.
Uses and Use Restrictions
The Unsolicited Grant Program provides support for research by scholars; the development of curricula and materials from high school through post-graduate programs; media programming, including the development of materials for television and radio; databases, and bibliographies and implementing collection development. Funds are not provided for projects that intervene in ongoing disputes or involve lobbying.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
Nonprofit organizations, official public institutions, and individuals. Grantees may be U.S. citizens, nonprofit organizations, and official public institutions, or foreign nationals and foreign nonprofit institutions.
Beneficiary Eligibility
Nonprofit organizations, official public institutions, and individuals. Grantees may be U.S. citizens, nonprofit organizations and official public institutions, or foreign nationals and foreign nonprofit institutions.
Credentials/Documentation
Resume/curriculum vitae.
Application and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
None. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure
All applicants must submit their project on an official application form (USIP Form 10C, last revised August 1998), with accompanying documentation as described therein.
Award Procedure
The formal grant review process involves examination of applications first by Institute staff, followed by review by expert panels drawn from outside the Institute, and finally by the Institute's Board of Directors, which makes the final decision on awards. Outside review of an application may also be sought as part of the review process.
Deadlines
There are two cycles in the Unsolicited Grant Program: for the fall cycle, the application deadline is October 1 and the notification date is early February. For the spring cycle, the application deadline is March 1 and the notification date is late June.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Appeals
None.
Renewals
Grantee may submit an application for renewed funding after all requirements on the previous grant are fulfilled. Renewed funding request will be submitted to the Board of Directors for review. Grantees may request an extension of an ongoing project by submitting a letter to the Director of the Grant Program.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
This program has no statutory requirements.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Grants are typically one year in duration, however, short and long-undertakings are also appropriate. Funds are released according to the schedule negotiated between USIP and the grantee. All funds must be spent or obligated within the established grant period.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
Interim performance reports - narrative and financial - are submitted according to the schedule negotiated between USIP and the grantee. Final reports are due 90 days after the end of the grant period.
Audits
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," non federal entities that expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.
Records
Financial records, supporting documentation, statistical records, and all other records pertinent to the grant shall be retained by the grantee for 3 years following the submission of the final report of project expenditures.
Program Accomplishments
The Unsolicited Grant Program has made more than 901 awards. Grantees have produced more than 170 books, 200 articles, and 80 unpublished monographs and manuscripts. In addition, grantees have completed two simulations; 40 sets of curriculum material; one directory entitled Guide to Peace Research in Western Europe; and one conference report on Peace and Security in the Asia Pacific Region.
Financial Information
Account Identification
95-1300-0-1-153.
Obligations
(Grants) FY 02 $1,919,000; FY 03 est $2,149,000; and FY 04 est $2,149,000.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
The average award in the Unsolicited Grant Program is $38,000. The actual amount of any grant is based on the proposed budget and subsequent negotiations with successful applicants.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
Federal Register No. 3155-01.
Related Programs
None.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
Unsolicited Grant Program, United States Institute of Peace, 1200 17th Street NW., Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036-3006. Telephone: (202) 429-3842. E-mail: grant_program@usip.org.
Headquarters Office
United States Institute of Peace, 1200 17th Street NW., Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036-3006.
Web Site Address
Examples of Funded Projects
1) A grant to support a critical analysis of arms control in Western diplomacy from the 19th century to the present. 2) A grant to support research on the psychological and spiritual roots of nationalism and its potential for constructive and destructive ends. 3) A grant to support a conference and workshop on state-of-the-art techniques promoting dialogue across ideological barriers. 4) A grant to support research on the determinants of international conflict, examining the role of population, resources, and technology in shaping state behavior. 5) A grant to add to the permanent curriculum of a university, one multidisciplinary and five departmental courses on international peace and conflict resolution and conduct a trial workshop on secondary school teaching of peace and conflict resolution and conduct a trial workshop on secondary school teaching of peace and conflict resolution.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
In evaluating grant applications, central concerns will include: 1) the significance of the project to the Institute's mandate and the subject areas of special interest identified by the Institute; 2) evidence that the project will not simply duplicate existing knowledge or programs; 3) the likelihood that the project will make a significant contribution to the field in scholarship and knowledge; 4) the usefulness of the proposed product in fulfilling the Institute's mandate. The Institute is particularly interested in proposals that envision a specific product of enduring value.
