U.S. Speaker and Specialist Grants Program (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

This program supports NGO and academic institution efforts to connect U.S. experts (U.S. citizens only) with audiences and institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to organize visits to BiH focused on topics related to the rule of law, anti-corruption, promoting citizen political participation, promoting civil society, modernizing education, entrepreneurship, investigative journalism, countering disinformation, media literacy, countering gender-based violence, supporting vulnerable populations, and countering violent extremism.

The U.S. Speaker and Specialist Grants Program will bring American experts to Bosnia and Herzegovina to engage audiences through lectures, workshops, and seminars; through appearances in foreign media; and in a consultancy capacity. The U.S. Speaker and Specialist Grants Program will promote an understanding of U.S. strategic priorities, policies, and institutions, and build linkages between experts and institutions in the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Project Themes

• Rule of law
• Anti-corruption
• Promoting political participation
• Promoting civil society
• Modernizing education (e.g., curriculum and teaching methodology development)
• Entrepreneurship
• Investigative journalism
• Countering disinformation
• Promoting media literacy
• Countering gender-based violence
• Supporting vulnerable populations
• Countering violent extremism
• Euro-Atlantic integration (i.e., EU accession process, benefits of EU membership, partnership with NATO)
• Cultural heritage preservation

Objectives

• This program aims to support the travel of U.S. subject matter experts (SME) to Bosnia and Herzegovina for up to a week, for speaking engagements including conferences, symposia, seminars, media interviews, or other large-scale or wide-ranging speaking opportunities.
• Local organizations registered in Bosnia and Herzegovina may apply for grant funding for the visit of a SME from the United States, or a U.S.-based speaker may apply for funding to attend one or more conferences or events in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• U.S. speakers who apply for funding must demonstrate a connection to one or more institutions or organizations in BiH. For example, a U.S. SME may apply for funding to present at a conference in BiH but should also partner with a local organization or institution – this might be a university with whom they partner to provide special lectures, an NGO that can help the U.S. speaker to conduct additional outreach to relevant audiences, or other partnership as makes sense.
• A U.S. speaker who applies for funding only to attend a conference or symposium with no other related engagement or activities will not be considered a competitive applicant.
• Preference will be given for those applications that demonstrate multiple engagements of the U.S. speaker, that demonstrate an existing relationship between the speaker and the organization(s) and/or institution(s) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, or which explain how such a visit will build such a relationship, creating opportunities for future cooperation.

Funding Information

• Total Available Funding: USD 50,000
• Number of Awards Anticipated: Up to 10
• Award Amounts: Awards may range from USD 1,000 to USD 8,000
• Total Available Funding: USD 50,000
• Length of Performance Period: 12 months

Ineligible Funding

• Grant funds may not be used for the following:
  • Printing or promotion of books or manuscripts
  • Ongoing salary costs
  • Office equipment
  • Paying to complete activities begun with other funds
  • Projects that are inherently political in nature or that contain the appearance of partisanship/support to individual or single-party electoral campaigns.
  • Partisan political activity. (Note: non-partisan election education and public information activities are allowable.)
  • Fundraising campaigns
  • Commercial or trade activities
  • Citizen exchange programs
  • Funding of charitable activity and humanitarian aid, commercial projects, or fundraising campaigns.

Participants and Audiences

• Universities, NGOs, civil society organizations, academics, subject matter experts. They especially encourage universities, NGOs, and civil society organizations from smaller and remote communities in BiH to apply for this program.

Who can apply? 

• Non-governmental, non-profit organizations (including think tanks, civil society organizations), academic institutions, and independent media organizations that are based and legally registered in Bosnia and Herzegovina are eligible to apply. American individuals are also eligible to apply. U.S.-based organizations are eligible to apply, but please note that there is a strong preference to grant to BiH-based organizations. Organizations and individuals may only submit one proposal per program.

For information, visit Grants.gov.