Opportunity Information: Apply for SFOP0008552
The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) opened a discretionary funding opportunity called the DRL FY2021 Research and Evaluation Innovation Fund: Global Trends in Democratic Erosion and Autocracy (Funding Opportunity Number SFOP0008552). The award instrument is a cooperative agreement, meaning the Department of State expects to have substantial involvement in shaping or guiding the work as it is carried out, rather than simply issuing a grant and stepping back. The opportunity was posted on January 24, 2022, with an original application deadline of March 25, 2022. The maximum potential award amount listed is $975,000. The posting lists an expected awards count of 0, which can reflect internal planning or administrative factors and does not necessarily describe applicant interest, but it does signal that the agency may be structuring the competition in a way that does not guarantee an award.
At its core, the competition seeks research proposals that help DRL build a stronger evidence base for what actually works in democracy and human rights programming. The stated goal is to contribute to a portfolio of evidence that identifies effective strategies for democracy and rights programs. The corresponding objective is to cultivate the use of sound evidence and to generate findings and recommendations that can help counter global trends of democratic erosion and the rise or entrenchment of autocratic governance. In practical terms, DRL is emphasizing research and evaluation that can move beyond broad theories and deliver actionable lessons, including what interventions are most effective, under what political and social conditions they work best, and how they can be sustained over time.
A major feature of the opportunity is DRL's interest in partnering with a consortium. That implies the Department is looking for a coordinated group of organizations, such as universities, think tanks, research institutes, or implementing partners, that can collectively provide rigorous research support. The intended audience for the research is broad and includes students, scholars, funders, and practitioners. This suggests deliverables are expected to be useful both for academic understanding of democratic backsliding and for real-world decision-making by those designing, funding, or implementing democracy and human rights programs.
The subject matter focus is explicitly global trends in democracy, democratic erosion, and autocracy. The project is framed as helping the Department of State and DRL better understand these trends and, importantly, translate that understanding into effective program and policy recommendations. The description signals that DRL wants evidence-driven recommendations that can inform approaches to countering democratic backsliding, strengthening democratic institutions and norms, and improving resilience against authoritarian influence or tactics. Even though the announcement does not list specific research questions in the excerpt provided, it clearly ties the work to broader Department of State-wide and DRL-specific learning agendas, indicating the research should align with established priority questions about effectiveness, sustainability, and outcomes of foreign assistance.
Eligibility is listed in a non-specific way as "Others" with additional details referenced elsewhere, which generally means applicants should consult the full notice for exact eligibility requirements. The assistance listing includes CFDA number 19.345, which is associated with State Department assistance programs. The funding activity category is labeled as "Other," with an instruction to see the opportunity text for clarification, reinforcing that this is a specialized research and evaluation effort rather than a standard service delivery or direct program implementation award.
Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a targeted investment in high-quality research and evaluation designed to strengthen the evidence behind democracy and human rights assistance. DRL is looking for a consortium capable of producing credible, useful findings that help explain how democratic erosion and autocracy are unfolding globally and, just as importantly, what tools, strategies, and program models have demonstrated effectiveness in countering those trends and improving the durability of foreign assistance outcomes.Apply for SFOP0008552
- 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 Research and Evaluation Innovation Fund: Global Trends in Democratic Erosion and Autocracy" 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 $975,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled DRL FY2021 Research and Evaluation Innovation Fund: Global Trends in Democratic Erosion and Autocracy.
Which agency is offering this opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is SFOP0008552.
What type of award instrument will be used?
The award instrument is a cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?
A cooperative agreement indicates the Department of State expects to have substantial involvement in the project as it is carried out. In other words, DRL anticipates helping shape or guide the work during implementation rather than simply issuing funding and stepping back.
When was the opportunity posted?
The posting date listed is January 24, 2022.
What was the original application deadline?
The original application deadline listed is March 25, 2022.
What is the maximum potential award amount?
The maximum potential award amount listed is $975,000.
How many awards does the posting say are expected?
The posting lists an expected awards count of 0.
Does an expected awards count of 0 mean no one will be funded?
Not necessarily. The listing notes that an expected awards count of 0 can reflect internal planning or administrative factors and does not necessarily describe applicant interest. However, it does signal that the agency may be structuring the competition in a way that does not guarantee an award.
What is the core purpose of this opportunity?
The competition seeks research proposals that help DRL build a stronger evidence base for what works in democracy and human rights programming.
What is the stated goal of the competition?
The stated goal is to contribute to a portfolio of evidence that identifies effective strategies for democracy and rights programs.
What is the corresponding objective?
The objective is to cultivate the use of sound evidence and generate findings and recommendations that can help counter global trends of democratic erosion and the rise or entrenchment of autocratic governance.
What kinds of research outputs does DRL seem to want?
Based on the description provided, DRL is emphasizing research and evaluation that can move beyond broad theory and deliver actionable lessons, such as:
- Which interventions are most effective
- The political and social conditions under which they work best
- How interventions can be sustained over time
Is this opportunity focused on program implementation or on research and evaluation?
The opportunity is framed as a specialized research and evaluation effort designed to strengthen the evidence behind democracy and human rights assistance, rather than a standard direct service delivery or program implementation award.
What topic areas should proposals focus on?
The subject matter focus is global trends in democracy, democratic erosion, and autocracy, including how these trends unfold and how to translate that understanding into effective program and policy recommendations.
What kinds of recommendations is DRL looking for?
The description signals an interest in evidence-driven recommendations that can inform approaches to:
- Countering democratic backsliding
- Strengthening democratic institutions and norms
- Improving resilience against authoritarian influence or tactics
Are specific research questions listed?
No specific research questions are included in the excerpt provided. However, the work is clearly tied to broader Department of State-wide and DRL-specific learning agendas and should align with priority questions about effectiveness, sustainability, and outcomes of foreign assistance.
Does DRL express interest in a consortium approach?
Yes. A major feature is DRL's interest in partnering with a consortium, implying a coordinated group of organizations working together to provide rigorous research support.
What types of organizations might be part of a consortium for this work?
The description suggests examples such as universities, think tanks, research institutes, or implementing partners that can collectively support rigorous research and evaluation.
Who is the intended audience for the research findings?
The intended audience includes students, scholars, funders, and practitioners, suggesting deliverables should be useful for both academic understanding and real-world decision-making.
How is eligibility described in the posting excerpt?
Eligibility is listed in a non-specific way as "Others", with additional details referenced elsewhere. This indicates applicants would need to consult the full notice for exact eligibility requirements.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The assistance listing includes CFDA 19.345, which is associated with State Department assistance programs.
What is the funding activity category?
The funding activity category is labeled as "Other", with an instruction to see the opportunity text for clarification, reinforcing that the effort is specialized and research/evaluation-oriented.
How should applicants interpret DRL's emphasis on evidence?
The opportunity description emphasizes producing credible, useful findings that help explain democratic erosion and autocracy globally and identify which tools, strategies, and program models have demonstrated effectiveness, including what works, when it works, and why it works.
What is DRL ultimately trying to improve through this funding?
DRL is aiming to strengthen the evidence behind democracy and human rights assistance so that programming and policy recommendations are more effective and durable in the face of democratic backsliding and autocratic pressure.
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