This funding opportunity seeks to support effective coalitions that will bolster and leverage U.S.-India collaboration across a range of fields to fight COVID-19, in India and globally. Potential grantees should be able to implement a small-grants program to promote innovation in addressing COVID-19, encourage partnerships between U.S. and Indian institutions and organizations in combating COVID-19, and facilitate joint action that makes a difference against the disease. The grant will provide resources for a grantee to manage and administer small grants to stakeholders from government organizations, non-profits, think tanks, academic institutions, incubators and accelerators, in close coordination with the U.S. Mission to India. The grantee will be required to solicit proposals that contribute to and/or build upon initiatives that counter the impact of COVID-19 on Indian society, U.S.-India cooperation, and wider communities across the Indo-Pacific region. Projects may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Support accurate and authentic public messaging on COVID-19 topics to combat misinformation, such as official CDC/HHS information that can be shared by civil society/NGOs in English, Hindi, and other vernacular languages.
- Help and build capacity of local NGOs to engage communities in virtual/online conversations, given current public gathering restrictions (e.g. virtual speaker program on how NGOs can support community resilience and recovery in the aftermath of a pandemic).
- Encourage academic and R&D institutions, business associations, and NGOs to either forge new partnerships with U.S. institutions and organizations, or further strengthen and expand existing ones, for intensive collaboration in innovation, entrepreneurship, business development, and public-private partnership in order to advance new public health solutions.
- Organize capacity-building workshops, mentoring programs, and webinars for startups and innovators working in the field of COVID-19 to maintain strong operations during this challenging time, enhance competitiveness, and better prepare the startup network in India to successfully engage with partners, investors and governments to develop effective public health solutions. Bring into the effort U.S. institutions, mentors and expertise, to help lead capacity-building exercises.
- Other project ideas that promote U.S.-India cooperation in combating COVID-19.
Eligible Applicants:
Private institutions of higher education
Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education