Applications Invited for Applied Research and Evaluation Innovation Fund: Round 1

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About the Organization:

The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor was created in 1977 to help advance individual liberty and democratic freedoms around the world.  They address the fundamental freedoms set forth in the founding documents of the United States and the complementary articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other global and regional commitments.  The Department uses a wide range of tools to advance freedom and democracy, including bilateral diplomacy, multilateral engagement, foreign assistance, reporting and public outreach, and economic sanctions.  The United States works with democratic partners, international and regional organizations, non-governmental organizations, and engaged citizens to support the aspirations of those seeking freedom.

Applied Research and Evaluation Innovation Fund: Round 1

The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) announces a Request for Statements of Interest (RSOI) from organizations interested in submitting Statements of Interest (SOI) for applied research and evaluation projects that support the following goal: Build a portfolio of evidence to further identify democracy and human rights program strategies that are effective in order to improve program relevance and impact.

Objectives

Projects should support the following objective:

• Promoting the use of sound evidence, and generating findings on what works, for whom, and why in democracy and human rights programming abroad.

Focal Areas

• Human Rights Advocacy and Action;
• Consolidating Democratic Change and Movements;
• Countering Democratic Backsliding;
• Partner-Led Locally-Owned Capacity Development;
• Inclusion and Equity.

Approaches / Activities

Applicants can propose any one of the following approaches in a concept note:

• Documentation of program evidence. How advocates and local organizations successfully implemented approaches to improve democracy and human rights outcomes in a given situation. Evidence should not be limited to one project, but a synthesis of programmatic findings
• Theories of change. Outlining theories of change, including relevant literature (e.g., peer-reviewed, academic, practitioner-generated); or
• Applied research. Conducting applied or evaluative research to explore, understand, or predict outcomes. Evidence should not be limited to one project, but include a synthesis across projects.

Eligibility

Organizations submitting SOIs must meet the following criteria:

• Be a U.S.- or foreign-based non-profit/non-governmental organization (NGO), or a public international organization; or
• Be a private, public, or state institution of higher education; or
• Be a for-profit organization or business (noting there are restrictions on payment of fees and/or profits under grants and cooperative agreements, including those outlined in 48 CFR 30, “Cost Accounting Standards Administration”, and 48 CFR 31, “Contract Cost Principles and Procedures”); and
• Have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with thematic or in-country partners, entities, and relevant stakeholders including private sector partner and NGOs; and
• Have demonstrable experience administering successful and preferably similar programs. DRL reserves the right to request additional background information on organizations that do not have previous experience administering federal awards. These applicants may be subject to limited funding on a pilot basis.

Funding:

• Award Ceiling:  $4, 50,000
• Award Floor: $75000

If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact: DRL-GP-ME@state.gov

Deadline: Dec 21, 2020

For more information please check the Link