USIP Local Funding for Peace in Pakistan

The U.S. Institute of Peace supports programs and research that contribute to the mission of promoting enduring peace in South Asia. The institute provides analysis, capacity development and resources to individuals and institutions working to prevent, mitigate, and resolve violent conflict. In Pakistan, USIP awards funding in three categories, ranging from projects that test new, experimental ideas to supporting local and international organizations on policy relevant research.

This application portal is intended for organizations registered in Pakistan that want to apply for USIP funding. For more information about USIP and our work please visit our main website at www.usip.org

Funding Categories

USIP has three types of awards for promoting peace in Pakistan. These are:

  1. Peace Innovation Fund
  2. Peacebuilding Practitioners’ Fund
  3. Peace and Conflict Research Fund

Peace Innovation Fund (PIF)

The Peace Innovation Fund (PIF) supports new, experimental ideas that test creative approaches to peacebuilding in Pakistan. This is a micro-award fund that seeds innovations that are cost effective with a potential to scale.

PIF is especially welcoming towards social entrepreneurs and small organizations. Typical awardees under PIF are grassroots activists, reformers, and social enterprises whose work or ideas can be sustained through local support and recognition.

Themes supported under PIF:

  • Reclaiming public space for peaceful expression
  • Increasing tolerance for diversity

The best PIF projects have some of the following characteristics:

  1. Local support
  2. Program can be sustained when USIP funding ends
  3. Cost effective and scalable
  4. Experimental and innovative
  5. Generates learning and builds capacity for the field of peacebuilding

 

Peacebuilding Practitioners’ Fund (PPF)

The Peacebuilding Practitioners’ Fund (PPF) seeks to support established civil society institutions working to prevent, mitigate and resolve violent conflict in Pakistan.  The fund is designed to: a) promote tolerance of diversity among the country’s political, ethnic and religious communities; and b) build the capacity of state and civil society institutions to prevent, mitigate and resolve violent conflict.

PPF works with both for-profit and non-profit organizations that are legally registered in Pakistan. Typical awardees under PPF are civil society organizations or educational institutions with prior experience in peacebuilding and/or conflict resolution. They have strong local networks and have capacity to manage international donor funding. Projects under the PPF must have robust design including an M&E plan and a sustainability strategy.

Themes supported under PPF:

  • Promoting messages for peace and against political, religious, ethnic or criminal violence through media, art and technology
  • Supporting peace education initiatives in public and private schools, madrassas and institutions of higher education
  • Supporting locally relevant ideas for facilitating and mediating inter-faith and intra-faith dialogue
  • Amplifying the voice and role of women in peacebuilding and conflict resolution efforts
  • Developing guidelines and advocating for change that enhances the performance of the police and criminal justice system

The best PPF projects have some of the following characteristics:

  1. Likelihood of impact and an effective plan to measure results
  2. Cost-effective and scalable
  3. Program can be sustained when USIP funding ends
  4. Generates learning and builds capacity for the field of peacebuilding

 

Peace and Conflict Research Fund (PCRF)

The Peace and Conflict Research Fund (PCRF) supports the work of local and international partners conducting policy-relevant research and writing on issues related to peace and conflict in Pakistan and the surrounding region. Studies carried out under the fund are intended to inform audiences in Washington, Islamabad, and around the world about the most critical factors contributing to violent conflict in Pakistan and the most important priorities to help mitigate or resolve those conflicts.

PCRF-supported studies are sometimes published through the auspices of the partner organization, or under one of three standard USIP publication formats – PeaceWorks (major 20,000-word studies of enduring relevance), Special Reports (standard 10,000 word issue studies), or PeaceBriefs (short 2,000-word policy memos). Book proposals are generally not supported at this time.

Typical awardees under the PCRF are practitioners or academics with an established record of concise, analytic writing for public policy audiences, but junior scholars and analysts are also encouraged to apply. Both desk-based research and field studies are supported by the PCRF.

Themes supported under PCRF:

  • Conflict drivers: analysis focused on structural / political economy factors that can contribute to violent conflict in particular geographic regions or the country at large
  • Regional conflict dynamics: analysis focused on Pakistan’s political, security, economic, and environmental relations with its regional neighbors and international partners, and the impact on Pakistan’s internal and external security.
  • Radicalization and violent extremism: analysis focused specifically on understanding factors that drive individuals or groups to participate in violent conflict
    • Specific issue priorities: youth education and radicalization; sectarian conflict
  • State security policy: analysis focused specifically on the state response to internal and external security threats – how policy is made, assessing policies, and recommendations
    • Specific issue priorities: counter-terrorism policy; policing, civil-military relations
  • Governance and public policy: analysis focused on Pakistan’s political dynamics and public policy issues, and how they impact conflict or external relations
    • Specific issue priorities: elections, political participation, and election violence; natural resources extraction, water and energy service delivery, and associated conflict management practices

The best PCRF projects have some of the following characteristics:

  1. Rigorous analysis of factors contributing to peace or conflict in Pakistan
  2. Lessons from field observation or practice (including comparative experience from other countries and contexts applied to Pakistan)
  3. Clear and concise guidance for policymakers