Embassy Belgrade PAS - University Partnership

ACADEMIC EXCHANGE: A university partnership between Serbian and U.S. institutions of higher learning could involve in-person and/or virtual exchanges involving students, faculty, and/or administrators.

The main goal(s) of an academic exchange could be to provide Serbian students and their professors: 

o American academic perspectives on shared areas of interest and lessons learned from the American experience in the focus subject(s); 

o insights into current research and academic debates in the U.S. on the focus subject(s); 

o the chance to engage in discussions and debate with their American counterparts; and/or

o the opportunity to experience and assess teaching methodologies used in American university classrooms.

On the flip side, the American participants would obviously have the opportunity to learn a great deal from their Serbian counterparts. This partnership program will broaden their perspectives. provide them with new insights, and allow them to learn firsthand from Serbian academics about their research projects. This academic exchange would greatly enrich U.S. universities as well.

Some academic fields that fit within the parameters of the U.S. Embassy’s objectives include:

• Social Sciences:

o International Affairs

o Security Studies

o Mediation, Peace, and Conflict Resolution Studies 

o Regional or Area Studies: European Studies, Russia Area Studies, Asian Studies

o American Studies / African American Studies / Latino American Studies / Asian American Studies / etc.

o U.S. History

o U.S. Government and Politics

o Law and Human Rights

o Holocaust Studies

• Journalism

• Education:

o Civics Education / Teaching of Social Studies

o Holocaust and Tolerance Education

o Special Education (for students with physical and/or learning disabilities)

o Educational Technology (incl. distance learning)

• Economics / Business, specifically:

o Agro-business and Agricultural Development

o Technology & Innovation

o e-Commerce, e-Business

o Renewable & Sustainable Energy Studies

o Tourism Management

Note: If your institution is interested in developing a partnership focused on other academic fields besides the ones listed above, please contact PAS early in the application process to see if that field would be acceptable within the above framework.

OTHER POTENTIAL ACTIVITIES: A university partnership project could also include one or more of the following activities: curriculum development; needs assessments; joint online courses; joint research projects; development of a joint degree program; development of a study abroad program; sharing of best teaching practices and instructional methods; support for participation in academic conferences or student competitions (e.g., moot court, Model U.S. Congress, Model United Nations); establishing an American Studies course or academic program; and/or setting up a center focused on American Studies.

ADDITIONAL OBJECTIVES. 

No matter which menu of activities are in the proposal, the university partnership ideally would further strengthen Serbian academic institutions and methods of instruction. 

 Directly or indirectly, PAS hopes that this project will assist thoughtful academics at Serbian universities to better prepare their students for further study, for future employment, and to take up the responsibility to be well-informed citizens.

Participants and Audiences:

Participants will be Serbian and American students, professors/academics, and/or administrators.

Length of performance period: 6 to 24 months.

Cost sharing is welcome but not required. The review panel will not use cost-sharing in the evaluation process.  

Application Package Accessibility:  All application forms are available at: https://rs.usembassy.gov/university-partnership-notice-of-funding-opportunity-2020/

Submission Dates and Times: Applications are due no later than midnight on July 20, 2020.

Please submit proposals to the Public Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy in Belgrade, electronically via email to BelgradePASUniv@state.gov.

Content and Form of Application: Applicants must follow the instructions and conditions contained herein and supply all information required.

Applicants must provide full, accurate, and complete information as required by this Notice of Funding Opportunity.

The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do.  Please feel free to use the PAS Belgrade Grant Application Form on the website. (Please type in “University Partnership” in the “Program” box. You can ignore the character limits throughout the form.) You may instead use your own proposal format, but it must include all the items below.  

The proposal must include the following:

Mandatory application forms: (You can find these on the U.S. Embassy website at https://rs.usembassy.gov/university-partnership-notice-of-funding-opportunity-2020/)

o   SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations). 

o  SF424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs).

o  SF424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs).

o  PAS Belgrade Grant Application Form -- unless applicant uses own form. (See note under “c. Full Proposal” in the full NOFO text).

o  Detailed Budget (Excel spreadsheet). (See note under “d. Detailed Budget, with Justification Narrative” in the full NOFO text.)

Applications are due no later than midnight on July 20, 2020.

If you have any questions about the grant application process or the requirements of this solicitation, please contact: BelgradePASUniv@state.gov.