Sustainable U.S. and Palestinian Higher Education Partnerships | PAUPDFY20006

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the name of this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is called the Sustainable U.S. and Palestinian Higher Education Partnerships program.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is PAUPDFY20006.

Who is running and administering this grant competition?

This is a discretionary grant competition run by the Public Diplomacy Section of the Palestinian Affairs Unit (PAU-PD) under the U.S. Department of State, and it is administered through the U.S. Mission to Jerusalem.

When was the opportunity created?

The notice was created on June 26, 2020.

What was the original application deadline?

The original application deadline listed in the notice was August 10, 2020.

What category and CFDA number does this program fall under?

The program is in the education category and is associated with CFDA 19.021.

What type of funding instrument is used?

The opportunity uses a standard grant instrument.

What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling is $200,000.

How many awards are expected?

The notice references expected awards, but the provided source information does not specify a number of awards.

What is the main purpose of this grant?

The grant is designed to fund jointly developed and jointly implemented partnerships between U.S. and Palestinian higher education actors, with an emphasis on building sustainable institutional relationships rather than running only a short-term exchange.

What kinds of partnerships is the program looking for?

The program is looking for projects that connect universities and education-focused organizations in the U.S. and the Palestinian context in ways that strengthen academic programs, professional networks, and cross-cultural understanding, while producing lasting structures or practices that continue after the grant ends.

Does the program focus on short-term exchanges?

Not primarily. The notice indicates the intent is not simply to run a short-term exchange, but to build sustainable institutional relationships that remain in place beyond the grant period.

What does "sustainable" mean in the context of this opportunity?

Based on the notice description, "sustainable" points to partnerships that create lasting institutional relationships and ongoing structures or practices that continue after the grant ends, rather than one-off activities.

What does the notice mean by helping institutions "internationalize"?

In practical terms, the program aims to help participating institutions internationalize in ways that strengthen academic programs and professional networks and better prepare students to function as globally capable, civically engaged graduates.

What student outcomes is this program trying to support?

The program aims to better prepare students to be globally capable and civically engaged, supported by stronger academic programs, professional networks, and cross-cultural understanding developed through the partnership.

How is this opportunity tied to public diplomacy?

The opportunity is explicitly tied to the PAU-PD public diplomacy mission and is framed around advancing peace and supporting the development of a prosperous, stable, and transparent Palestinian society, economy, and system of governance through substantive engagement with American people, institutions, ideas, and ideals.

Are projects expected to do more than educational or technical activities?

Yes. The notice indicates projects should do more than deliver technical educational outputs; they are expected to contribute to stronger American-Palestinian relationships and create conditions for mutually beneficial cooperation.

What broader outcomes should proposals be able to explain?

Proposals should be able to explain how activities reinforce community resilience, constructive civic participation, institutional integrity, and other governance-adjacent outcomes through education and partnerships, consistent with the public diplomacy framing described in the notice.

Who can apply as the primary applicant?

Eligible primary applicants are limited to not-for-profit entities. The lead applicant may be (1) a U.S. not-for-profit higher education institution, (2) a U.S. not-for-profit organization that develops and manages higher education programs, and/or (3) a Palestinian not-for-profit university.

Does the program expect joint project design and joint implementation?

Yes. The notice emphasizes jointly developed and jointly implemented partnerships, and the eligibility language signals the funder expects real joint design and implementation rather than a one-sided arrangement.

What would a competitive partnership structure look like based on the notice?

Based on the notice description, competitive proposals would typically show meaningful shared roles across U.S. and Palestinian partners (shared planning and delivery), rather than one institution simply hosting or subcontracting the other.

What kinds of institutions are intended to participate?

The opportunity is aimed at higher education actors, including U.S. and Palestinian higher education institutions and education-focused not-for-profit organizations that develop and manage higher education programs.

How should a project align with American values according to the notice?

The notice emphasizes support for elements of Palestinian civil society working to strengthen communities in line with American values, meaning proposals should clearly connect educational partnership activities to community-strengthening impacts such as resilience, constructive civic participation, and institutional integrity.

What is the best one-sentence way to describe this grant?

It is a public-diplomacy-driven higher education partnership program that funds collaborative U.S.-Palestinian projects to strengthen institutional internationalization and student global readiness while also advancing PAU-PD goals related to peacebuilding, societal development, and improved American-Palestinian relations through sustained engagement.