Opportunity Information: Apply for C APS 23 001
PDS - Annual Program Statement 2023 (Funding Opportunity Number: C APS 23 001) is a discretionary grant competition announced by the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Mission to India, through the Public Diplomacy Section in Chennai (PD Chennai). The overall goal is to fund public diplomacy programs that strengthen bilateral U.S.-India ties and broader regional connections, especially across the Indo-Pacific. The opportunity is designed for projects that do more than deliver local programming: proposals are expected to explicitly incorporate and promote a clearer understanding of U.S. policy priorities and U.S. perspectives within the project design, content, and engagement strategy.
This grant supports a wide range of public-facing and exchange-oriented activities that connect people, institutions, and communities around shared challenges and opportunities. The funding instrument is a grant, with an award ceiling of $25,000, and the opportunity anticipates making one award. The original posting date was February 21, 2023, with an original application deadline of April 22, 2023. The eligible applicant pool includes U.S.-recognized nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions), as well as public or state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education. The activity categories listed are broad and reflect the public diplomacy nature of the program, spanning areas such as education, community development, consumer protection, disaster prevention and relief, energy and environment, health, law and justice, science and technology, and other research and development fields. The associated CFDA number is 19.040.
Programmatically, applicants are asked to anchor proposals in one or more of four priority themes. The first theme, Global Threats, focuses on issues that cross borders and require coordinated action. Within this theme, PD Chennai highlights Trafficking in Persons (TIP), encouraging programs that raise awareness among vulnerable populations and key stakeholders while sharing practical best practices for prevention, identification, and response. Climate Change is also emphasized, with interest in projects that convene and foster dialogue among stakeholders, including civil society, around preparedness and resilience to climate-related challenges.
The second theme, Economic Prosperity, supports initiatives that expand opportunity and strengthen the enabling environment for growth. Under Entrepreneurship, the announcement prioritizes projects that promote and support start-up hubs, incubators, business associations, and similar initiatives that encourage innovation and expand cooperation in business, science, and technology, particularly benefiting emerging business leaders. It also specifically calls for efforts that increase womens participation, advancement, and retention in the labor force and help women move into leadership roles. Under Education, PD Chennai seeks projects that expand access to education and economic opportunity for underserved communities and programs that promote STEM education. STEM efforts are especially encouraged when they involve institutional partnerships and place particular focus on women and girls and underserved groups.
The third theme, Regional Security, centers on the Indo-Pacific and the U.S.-India partnership as a stabilizing and cooperative force in the region. PD Chennai is interested in programs that promote U.S.-India collaboration and shared goals related to Indo-Pacific development. It also seeks projects addressing regional security concerns such as cybersecurity, critical and emerging engineering technologies, and countering violent extremism. A notable component of this theme is the preference for exchanges or collaborative formats that promote multilateral cooperation and contribute to stability across the Indo-Pacific. In addition, proposals may focus on building social and intellectual connections among Indo-Pacific countries, creating bridges of understanding by giving participants structured opportunities to identify shared values and appreciate common ground.
The fourth theme, Shared Democratic Values, targets programs that strengthen democratic norms, inclusion, and rights-respecting societies. Priorities include efforts that increase the effectiveness of individuals, organizations, and coalitions working to advance human rights, along with programs that build awareness and sensitization around gender-based violence (GBV). PD Chennai also encourages capacity-building initiatives for local organizations focused on social and economic inclusion of marginalized communities, explicitly including LGBTQ communities, with an emphasis on creating durable, self-sustaining relationships within and across communities and institutions. Another priority area is press freedom and related programming that improves investigative journalism quality, enhances transparency, reinforces professional standards, and counters disinformation. Finally, the theme includes programs that promote pluralism, religious freedom, and broader social inclusion.
Taken together, this opportunity is structured as a small, targeted public diplomacy grant meant to catalyze practical programming and partnerships in and around Chennai and the broader mission space, while clearly advancing mutual understanding and highlighting U.S. policy perspectives on major global and regional issues. Competitive proposals, based on the stated priorities, would likely be those that define a clear target audience, propose concrete activities and measurable outcomes, demonstrate credible partnerships and implementation capacity, and show how the program will build sustained networks or continued engagement beyond the grant period, all while aligning tightly with at least one of the four themes.Apply for C APS 23 001
- The Department of State, U.S. Mission to India in the business and commerce, community development, consumer protection, disaster prevention and relief, education, energy, environment, food and nutrition, health, humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda), law, justice and legal services, natural resources, regional development, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "PDS - Annual Program Statement 2023" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 21, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 22, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $25,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the PDS - Annual Program Statement 2023 opportunity?
PDS - Annual Program Statement 2023 (Funding Opportunity Number: C APS 23 001) is a discretionary grant competition announced by the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Mission to India, through the Public Diplomacy Section in Chennai (PD Chennai). It supports public diplomacy programs intended to strengthen U.S.-India ties and broader regional connections, particularly across the Indo-Pacific.
What is the main goal of this grant program?
The overall goal is to fund public diplomacy programs that strengthen bilateral U.S.-India ties and broader regional connections, especially across the Indo-Pacific, through public-facing and exchange-oriented activities that connect people, institutions, and communities.
What makes this opportunity different from purely local programming grants?
Proposals are expected to do more than deliver local programming. Projects should explicitly incorporate and promote a clearer understanding of U.S. policy priorities and U.S. perspectives within the project design, content, and engagement strategy.
Who is offering the funding?
The funding is offered by the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Mission to India, through the Public Diplomacy Section in Chennai (PD Chennai).
What type of funding instrument is used?
The funding instrument is a grant.
What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling is $25,000.
How many awards does the opportunity expect to make?
The opportunity anticipates making one award.
What was the original posting date?
The original posting date was February 21, 2023.
What was the original application deadline?
The original application deadline was April 22, 2023.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The associated CFDA number is 19.040.
Who is eligible to apply?
The eligible applicant pool includes:
- U.S.-recognized nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions)
- Public or state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
Are higher education institutions eligible?
Yes, public or state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are eligible. However, nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status are eligible only if they are not higher education institutions.
What kinds of activities can be supported under this grant?
This grant supports public-facing and exchange-oriented activities that connect people, institutions, and communities around shared challenges and opportunities. The activity categories listed are broad and include areas such as education, community development, consumer protection, disaster prevention and relief, energy and environment, health, law and justice, science and technology, and other research and development fields.
What are the program priority themes for proposals?
Applicants are asked to anchor proposals in one or more of four priority themes:
- Global Threats
- Economic Prosperity
- Regional Security
- Shared Democratic Values
What does the Global Threats theme focus on?
Global Threats focuses on issues that cross borders and require coordinated action. PD Chennai highlights Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and Climate Change within this theme.
What kinds of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) activities are encouraged?
Programs that raise awareness among vulnerable populations and key stakeholders, and that share practical best practices for prevention, identification, and response to trafficking in persons, are encouraged.
What types of Climate Change activities are emphasized?
PD Chennai is interested in projects that convene and foster dialogue among stakeholders, including civil society, around preparedness and resilience to climate-related challenges.
What does the Economic Prosperity theme focus on?
Economic Prosperity supports initiatives that expand opportunity and strengthen the enabling environment for growth, with emphasis areas including Entrepreneurship and Education (including STEM).
What entrepreneurship-related projects are prioritized?
Projects that promote and support start-up hubs, incubators, business associations, and similar initiatives that encourage innovation and expand cooperation in business, science, and technology are prioritized, particularly when they benefit emerging business leaders.
Is there an emphasis on women in the Economic Prosperity theme?
Yes. The opportunity specifically calls for efforts that increase womens participation, advancement, and retention in the labor force and help women move into leadership roles.
What education-related projects are encouraged?
PD Chennai seeks projects that expand access to education and economic opportunity for underserved communities and programs that promote STEM education.
What kinds of STEM projects are especially encouraged?
STEM efforts are especially encouraged when they involve institutional partnerships and place particular focus on women and girls and underserved groups.
What does the Regional Security theme focus on?
Regional Security centers on the Indo-Pacific and the U.S.-India partnership as a stabilizing and cooperative force in the region. It includes interest in programs that promote U.S.-India collaboration and shared goals related to Indo-Pacific development.
What security-related topics are mentioned under Regional Security?
PD Chennai seeks projects addressing concerns such as cybersecurity, critical and emerging engineering technologies, and countering violent extremism.
Are exchanges or multilateral collaborations preferred under Regional Security?
Yes. The announcement notes a preference for exchanges or collaborative formats that promote multilateral cooperation and contribute to stability across the Indo-Pacific.
Can projects focus on building connections among Indo-Pacific countries?
Yes. Proposals may focus on building social and intellectual connections among Indo-Pacific countries, creating bridges of understanding by providing structured opportunities for participants to identify shared values and appreciate common ground.
What does the Shared Democratic Values theme focus on?
Shared Democratic Values targets programs that strengthen democratic norms, inclusion, and rights-respecting societies. It includes priorities related to human rights, gender-based violence (GBV) awareness, inclusion of marginalized communities (including LGBTQ communities), press freedom, and efforts to counter disinformation.
What types of human rights activities are prioritized?
Priorities include efforts that increase the effectiveness of individuals, organizations, and coalitions working to advance human rights.
What kinds of gender-based violence (GBV) activities are encouraged?
Programs that build awareness and sensitization around gender-based violence (GBV) are encouraged.
Does the opportunity support work on inclusion of marginalized communities, including LGBTQ communities?
Yes. PD Chennai encourages capacity-building initiatives for local organizations focused on social and economic inclusion of marginalized communities, explicitly including LGBTQ communities, with an emphasis on creating durable, self-sustaining relationships within and across communities and institutions.
What press freedom activities are included under Shared Democratic Values?
The theme includes press freedom and related programming that improves investigative journalism quality, enhances transparency, reinforces professional standards, and counters disinformation.
Does the opportunity include programming related to pluralism and religious freedom?
Yes. The Shared Democratic Values theme includes programs that promote pluralism, religious freedom, and broader social inclusion.
Where is the program intended to have impact?
Based on the opportunity description, it is intended to catalyze practical programming and partnerships in and around Chennai and the broader mission space, while strengthening U.S.-India ties and broader Indo-Pacific connections.
What should competitive proposals emphasize, based on the stated priorities?
Competitive proposals would likely be those that:
- Align tightly with at least one of the four priority themes
- Define a clear target audience
- Propose concrete activities and measurable outcomes
- Demonstrate credible partnerships and implementation capacity
- Show how the program will build sustained networks or continued engagement beyond the grant period
- Clearly advance mutual understanding and highlight U.S. policy perspectives on major global and regional issues
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