Opportunity Information: Apply for SFOP0008549
The DRL FY2021 Security Force Engagement in Africa opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number SFOP0008549) was a discretionary grant competition run by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL). It was issued as an open competition for a research-focused project tied to DRL's broader effort to strengthen how democracy and human rights programming is designed, targeted, and evaluated. The opportunity was created on January 24, 2022, with an original closing date of March 25, 2022, and it was listed under CFDA/Assistance Listing 19.345.
At its core, this solicitation was about building practical, decision-useful evidence. DRL framed the goal as contributing to an expanding portfolio of evidence on which democracy and rights strategies actually work, with the intention of improving program relevance and real-world impact. Rather than funding direct service delivery or advocacy as the main output, the emphasis was on research that can inform DRL's future programming choices and help DRL understand which approaches are most effective in challenging environments.
The specific research objective focused on security force engagement in repressive settings in Africa, especially the question of how citizens can engender support from security forces. In other words, DRL was seeking proposals that could shed light on how civilian actors, movements, or communities might gain at least partial support, neutrality, or nonviolent cooperation from police, military, or other security institutions when governments are repressive and the political space is constrained. A key part of the objective was not only identifying strategies that might influence security forces, but also examining the external conditions that make such support more or less likely. Those external factors could include political incentives, command structures, levels of professionalization, social ties between forces and communities, international pressure or assistance, conflict dynamics, economic conditions, and the broader legal and institutional environment.
The award instrument type was a grant, with an award ceiling of $600,000. The listing showed "ExpectedAwards: 0," which can sometimes indicate uncertainty about the number of awards at the time of posting or that awards would depend on funding availability and the quality of applications received. The opportunity category was discretionary, and the funding activity category was listed as "Other," meaning the work did not fit neatly into a standard programmatic bucket and was instead defined by the narrative description of the research purpose.
Eligibility was listed broadly as "Others," with the details presumably clarified in the full notice under the additional eligibility information section. In practice for DRL opportunities, this often includes a range of entities such as nonprofits, NGOs, think tanks, research institutions, and sometimes universities or other qualified organizations capable of carrying out applied research in the democracy and human rights space.
Overall, the grant opportunity was essentially a call for rigorous, policy-relevant research to help DRL understand how to better support citizen efforts to shift security force behavior in repressive African contexts, while also mapping the contextual drivers that shape when and why such shifts can occur. The intended end product was evidence DRL could use to refine strategy, select interventions more effectively, and improve the impact of democracy and human rights programming where security forces play a decisive role in political repression or protection of rights.Apply for SFOP0008549
- The Department of State, Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "DRL FY2021 Security Force Engagement in Africa" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.345.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 24, 2022.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 25, 2022. (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 $600,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| DRL FY2021 Research and Evaluation Innovation Fund: Global Trends in Democratic Erosion and Autocracy Apply for SFOP0008552 Funding Number: SFOP0008552 Agency: Department of State, Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor Category: Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification) Funding Amount: $975,000 |
| Contact Theory in DRG Programs Apply for SFOP0008551 Funding Number: SFOP0008551 Agency: Department of State, Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor Category: Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification) Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| DRL: Youth Engaged in Democratic Processes for Community-Driven Change Apply for SFOP0008559 Funding Number: SFOP0008559 Agency: Department of State, Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor Category: Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification) Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Improving Structures in Local Organizations to Address Workplace Harassment Apply for SCAISB 22 AW 020 01262022 Funding Number: SCAISB 22 AW 020 01262022 Agency: Department of State, U.S. Mission to Pakistan Category: Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification) Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Child Friendly Family Visiting Spaces in Jails and Prisons Apply for 22JD15 Funding Number: 22JD15 Agency: Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections Category: Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification) Funding Amount: $100,000 |
| DRL FY21 IRF: Promoting Freedom of Religion or Belief in Burma Apply for SFOP0008558 Funding Number: SFOP0008558 Agency: Department of State, Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor Category: Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification) Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| DRL: Supporting Efforts to Promote Freedom of Expression in Morocco Apply for SFOP0008560 Funding Number: SFOP0008560 Agency: Department of State, Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor Category: Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification) Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Empowering Women Journalists in Pakistan Apply for SCAISB 22 AW 021 01272022 Funding Number: SCAISB 22 AW 021 01272022 Agency: Department of State, U.S. Mission to Pakistan Category: Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification) Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| BOLD ACTION WORKSHOPS ON CIVIC ENGAGEMENT Apply for 007 FY2022 Funding Number: 007 FY2022 Agency: Department of State, U.S. Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina Category: Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification) Funding Amount: $80,000 |
| BOLD ACTION WORKSHOPS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Apply for 006 FY2022 Funding Number: 006 FY2022 Agency: Department of State, U.S. Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina Category: Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification) Funding Amount: $80,000 |
| University Partnership Countering Climate Change in Sindh and Balochistan Apply for SCAISB 22 AW 022 01282022 Funding Number: SCAISB 22 AW 022 01282022 Agency: Department of State, U.S. Mission to Pakistan Category: Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification) Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Preventing and Responding to Staff Sexual Misconduct in Community Supervision Agencies Apply for 22CS02 Funding Number: 22CS02 Agency: Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections Category: Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification) Funding Amount: $130,000 |
| SDMF Implementation and Revision Project Apply for 22CS05 Funding Number: 22CS05 Agency: Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections Category: Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification) Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Organizational Programming and Capacity Assessment Apply for 22CS26 Funding Number: 22CS26 Agency: Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections Category: Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification) Funding Amount: $20,000 |
| U.S. Consulate Lagos Public Affairs Section (PAS) Apply for AFLAG 22 03 Funding Number: AFLAG 22 03 Agency: Department of State, U.S. Mission to Nigeria Category: Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification) Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| DRL Improving the Security of Technology for Ukrainian and Moldovan Anticorruption Efforts Apply for SFOP0008556 Funding Number: SFOP0008556 Agency: Department of State, Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor Category: Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification) Funding Amount: $900,000 |
| PDS Belgrade BOLD Academic Fellowships Apply for SRB10022FO007 Funding Number: SRB10022FO007 Agency: Department of State, U.S. Mission to Serbia Category: Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification) Funding Amount: $300,000 |
| PDS Belgrade BOLD Workshops Apply for SRB10022FO008 Funding Number: SRB10022FO008 Agency: Department of State, U.S. Mission to Serbia Category: Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification) Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| FY 2022 Request for Concept Notes Benefiting Afghan Refugees in Pakistan Apply for SFOP0008568 Funding Number: SFOP0008568 Agency: Department of State, Bureau of Population Refugees and Migration Category: Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification) Funding Amount: $1,250,000 |
| Public Diplomacy Small Grants Apply for AF DAR PAS 22 01 Funding Number: AF DAR PAS 22 01 Agency: Department of State, U.S. Mission to Tanzania Category: Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification) Funding Amount: $25,000 |
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