Documenting Violence Against Women and Children

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, is offering the Documenting Violence Against Women and Children funding opportunity, number DFOP0019701, as an open global competition for data collection and research concerning sexual violence and other abuses, particularly those affecting women and girls. The program is supported with FY25 Democracy Fund funding and has total available funding of $1,973,359, subject to availability of funds. The Department anticipates making one to two grants, depending on award amounts, with individual awards ranging from $1,000,000 to $1,973,359. Proposed projects must have a performance period of at least 18 months and no more than 24 months, with an anticipated project start date of September 30, 2026. The program is intended to examine drivers of human rights violations globally, including sexual assault, human trafficking, violence against children, and forced displacement, and to strengthen law enforcement, accountability, victim protection, and assistance mechanisms. Its first objective is thorough reporting on patterns, trends, and root causes of sexual violence against women and girls for use by government bodies. Activities may include research into drivers of sexual exploitation and violence, analysis of the effects of humanitarian crises and mass migration, collection of data from law enforcement, health services, victim support organizations and judicial systems, trauma-informed survivor interviews, and literature reviews. The second objective is to identify gaps and barriers in accountability pathways for perpetrators, including weaknesses in legal frameworks and attrition throughout the criminal justice process. The third objective focuses on improving accountability, victim protection, and support services through guidance, workshops, recommendations, technical assistance, training materials, and related measures. Projects must apply a Do No Harm approach to documentation to reduce over-documentation, repetition, witness and survivor fatigue, re-traumatization, and other potential harms. Applicants must provide tailored communication and informed consent for survivors and families and regularly engage DRL concerning the programmatic approach. Key Personnel must include a Conflict Sensitivity Advisor with at least 15 years of experience. The budget must also include a Psychosocial Support Specialist consultant to develop and facilitate appropriate psychosocial support referral pathways for survivors participating in Objective One data collection. Recipients must submit a workplan for DRL approval and review and update Do No Harm approaches, risk assessments, and contingency planning every six months. Award funds cannot be used for alcohol or payments or transfers to UNRWA, and the notice establishes additional restrictions concerning activities related to mass-migration caravans toward the United States southwest border and United States asylum legal counseling and referrals. Eligible applicants include U.S.-based and international not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society and non-governmental organizations, public and private educational institutions, for-profit organizations, individuals, public international organizations, and governmental institutions. Cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not required and does not improve an application's competitive ranking. Organizations must generally possess a Unique Entity Identifier and maintain an active SAM.gov registration, while individuals are exempt from those registration requirements. The notice provides for case-by-case exemptions from UEI and SAM.gov requirements under applicable regulations, with exemption requests due to the listed point of contact at least two weeks before the application deadline. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov or MyGrants. Required application materials include the SF-424, SF-424A, and SF-424B; a proposal narrative of no more than 15 pages; a separate budget justification narrative; a line-item budget; key personnel position descriptions or selection criteria; letters of support from program partners; the latest NICRA when applicable; and official permission letters when required for proposed activities. The proposal narrative must address the proposal summary, applicant background and previous government grants, problem statement, goals and measurable objectives, activities, methods and design, schedule and timeline, key personnel, partners and sub-awardees, monitoring and evaluation, and future funding or sustainability. An optional summary page may also be provided. Documents must be in English, budgets must be in U.S. dollars, pages must be numbered, and specified formatting requirements apply. Eligible applications will be reviewed by a review committee. Evaluation considers the quality and feasibility of the program idea, organizational capacity and previous grant record, program planning and ability to achieve objectives, the reasonableness and completeness of the budget, monitoring and evaluation, and sustainability. The Department also conducts a pre-award risk review addressing financial stability, management systems and standards, performance history, audit findings, and ability to implement requirements. If applications receive equivalent scores, the applicant with the lower indirect cost rate receives preference as a tie-breaking mechanism. Applications are due August 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Questions concerning the application process may be directed to DRL-PRUSolicitation@state.gov. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified by email, while successful recipients receive an award agreement administered by the Grants Officer and may incur project expenses only beginning on the start date stated in the signed award document.

Develop a detailed and feasible program with a reasonable implementation timeline and measurable objectives. Demonstrate relevant expertise, internal controls, financial management capacity, and subaward management experience when applicable. Provide a detailed and realistic budget tied to activities and anticipated results. Include output and outcome indicators, measurement methods, and milestones. Demonstrate sustainability beyond the award period. Address the required Do No Harm approach, Conflict Sensitivity Advisor with at least 15 years of experience, and budgeted Psychosocial Support Specialist consultant.