IIE’s USAID-funded Democracy Fellows and Grants (DFG) Program is pleased to announce the release of a new grant solicitation: the 2013 Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance Research and Innovation Grants Annual Program Statement (APS). The APS will support innovative research that will enhance both a deep theoretical and an applied understanding of the dynamics of democracy, human rights, and governance. 

This APS supports USAID’s Center of Excellence for Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance (DRG Center) and will generate findings that can inform USAID’s foreign assistance projects, approaches, frameworks, or strategic planning in democracy, human rights, and governance. For this year, the APS also supports USAID’s Bureau for Africa; Office of Sustainable Development; Conflict, Peacebuilding, and Governance Division (CPG). CPG will be looking for applications that combine a theoretical focus on democracy, human rights, or governance with an empirical focus on sub-Saharan Africa, but applicants need not propose an African focus to receive a grant under this APS.

The APS will be open from October 18, 2013 – October 17, 2014. Interested researchers are encouraged to apply by the first deadline. Any questions on the APS should be emailed to dem.grants@iie.org. 

Applicant profile: Universities or research institutions, US or worldwide 

Applications due: rolling basis; deadline for first review of applications is November 22, 2013, at 11:59 PM EST

Grant size: $10,000 – $100,000 

Grant length: 12 months

Research focus: Enhances theoretical or applied understanding of democracy, human rights, or governance. Generates findings that can inform USAID foreign assistance in democracy, human rights, or governance.

IIE’s DFG grant program is designed to strengthen the DRG Center’s work by integrating the knowledge and skills of the academic community. IIE will publish several research grant opportunities during the five years of the DFG program (September 2012 – September 2017). Interested scholars are encouraged to join the DFG Mailing List to receive email alerts when new grant opportunities are published.