The U.S. Embassy in Ankara is Offering Grants to Strengthen U.S.-Turkey Bilateral Cooperation and Values

The U.S. Embassy in Ankara announces its country-wide Grants Program. Funding is available to support projects that address one or more of the following key bilateral themes below. For each project, we encourage applicants to consider developing programs for Turkish participants from any or all age groups, to include educational audiences, such as teachers and students, from elementary school through university and vocational programs.

·        Support Shared Security: Projects for consideration in this category should support and advance cooperation between the United States and Turkey in bilateral counterterrorism efforts and transnational crime as well as in NATO and other multilateral security organizations.

·        Strengthen Economic Prosperity: Promoting Innovation, Fostering Entrepreneurship, and Strengthening the Digital Economy – Depending on the level of entrepreneurial opportunity and ability in the targeted region(s) for the activity, proposals here could include: training to introduce the concept and principles of entrepreneurship; providing small-and-medium enterprise (SME) planning, such as crafting a business plan or attracting financing; teaching marketing and outreach techniques; fostering research and development/innovation; and advancing awareness of and adherence to labor rights and laws, etc. Proposals to strengthen an open and dynamic digital economy are also welcome, which could include the utilization of cloud-based technology to meet local needs, training on the importance of the free flow of data, and improving the data literacy of citizens to take advantage of publicly-available information. 

·        Reinforce Democratic Values: Media – should support journalists, citizen journalism, and critical media literacy. Trainings or activities can address, investigative journalism, principles of journalistic integrity, social media/internet publishing, media literacy, outlet sustainability, research and fact-checking, documentary filmmaking, visual or other storytelling, etc.

·        Reinforce Democratic Values: Freedom of Expression and Public Discourse – Proposals should focus on activities promoting public discourse and freedom of opinion, including but not limited to arts, culture or other innovative forms of creative expression, reaching and teaching underserved audiences (e.g., ethnic or religious minorities, LGBTI, youth, or women – or promoting awareness of their issues), and encouraging respect of cultural and social diversity, pluralism and equity in cultural life and policy.

Foster Turkish and U.S. Ties: Proposals for programs developing English language teaching/learning, cross-cultural awareness and understanding, STE(A)M education among Turkish youth, and which encourage study in the United States will be considered under this category.