U.S. Embassy Athens, Greece, Annual Program Statement

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION The U.S. Embassy Athens Public Diplomacy Section (PDS Athens) of the U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce funding is available through our Public Diplomacy Grants Program in fiscal year 2024. This is an Annual Program Statement, outlining our funding priorities, the strategic themes we focus on, and the procedures for submitting requests for funding. Please carefully follow all instructions below. The deadline for grant applications is April 18, 2024. Funding decisions will be made on these applications on a rolling basis after this deadline, with a goal of informing all applicants of the final funding decision by June 20, 2024. Applicants may apply for funding between $5,000 and $50,000. Please use the grant application documents and budget template found on the sidebar of our website. Purpose of Grants program: PDS Athens invites proposals for projects that strengthen ties between the United States and Greece through concrete demonstrations of cooperation between our two peoples. All grant proposals must convey an element of American history, culture, or shared values. Competitive proposals should support a priority program area (see below). They should also include a connection with American expert/s, organization/s, or institution/s that will promote increased cooperation between the people of the United States and Greece even after the program has finished. Priority Program Areas: The Public Diplomacy Section is focused on bilateral priorities in the form of programs, exchanges, and media opportunities that: Build resilience to climate change through marine conservation in Greece (and the Eastern Mediterranean, where applicable) and/or natural disaster mitigation. Proposals should engage young adults (ages 18-35) and/or raise awareness among youth (ages 6-18). Promote inclusive education* in early childhood and primary school education. Proposals may include but are not limited to: o Building early intervention capacity o Improving parent and caregiver access to resources, information, and training o Improving professional development opportunities for individuals working in early intervention and/or educational services o Expanding awareness of and improving access to assistive technologies in school settings *Inclusive education refers to: Instruction and services that are specially designed to meet the unique needs of children with disabilities in the least restrictive environment (LRE). Based on the principle that separate does not mean equal, the LRE ensures that students with disabilities are educated, as much as possible, in general education classrooms alongside their non-disabled peers.