Trilateral Women in Security | PD SEOUL FY24 06

Opportunity Information: Apply for PD SEOUL FY24 06

The Trilateral Women in Security (TWIS) grant is a U.S. Embassy Seoul funding opportunity (PD-SEOUL-FY24-06) designed to strengthen U.S.-Korea-Japan security cooperation by elevating the role of women experts in regional security and foreign policy conversations. It is framed around the idea that gender equity is not just a social goal, but a practical requirement for stronger peace and security outcomes in the Indo-Pacific. Through this program, the Embassy aims to build sustained professional links among female-identifying security specialists in South Korea and Japan and to generate practical policy ideas that can feed into broader trilateral cooperation.

The award is offered as a cooperative agreement, meaning the selected organization will not operate independently, but will work closely with the U.S. Embassy in Seoul and the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo on program design, participant selection, scheduling, and implementation. The total funding available is up to USD 180,000, with the expectation of making one award, and it is noted that the notice depends on the availability of funds. The application deadline is August 12, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. GMT+9. The CFDA/assistance listing number associated with the opportunity is 19.040.

The core activity is a year-long, two-way exchange program that brings together ten opinion leaders total: five female-identifying experts from South Korea and five from Japan. The program is intended to combine regular virtual engagement with in-person exchange components in both countries. Participants are expected to meet online about once per month for topic-based discussions aimed at developing a forward-looking agenda for trilateral cooperation, and then deepen those discussions through on-the-ground activities such as site visits and structured meetings with relevant institutions.

While TWIS is in its second year, this iteration is more thematically targeted than the previous cycle. Applicants are encouraged to shape programming around three priority areas tied to trilateral U.S.-ROK-Japan security cooperation: maritime security; critical and emerging technologies (with emphasis on responsible and secure use in areas like cyber and space); and the challenges posed by AI and disinformation, including foreign information manipulation and the weaponization of artificial intelligence as a national security threat. The program is meant to cultivate shared analysis and practical recommendations in these areas, rather than staying at a purely high-level networking or dialogue format.

Deliverables are a major part of the design. Beyond convenings and exchanges, the grant expects visible outputs that extend the impact to secondary audiences, especially security and foreign policy communities in both South Korea and Japan. By the end of the program, participants are expected to translate discussions into public-facing and policy-relevant products, such as advisory or policy papers, articles, newspaper columns, press interviews, and/or public outreach events. The grantee is also responsible for facilitating publication or dissemination of key outcomes so the lessons learned do not remain internal to the cohort.

Eligible applicants are primarily not-for-profit organizations, and the Public Diplomacy Section signals a preference for Korea-based organizations or projects implemented in partnership with a Korea-based organization. Think tanks, research institutions, and academic associations are specifically encouraged, along with non-profit or governmental educational institutions. Because the program includes coordination across Korea and Japan and engagement with high-level stakeholders, the opportunity strongly implies that applicants should already have credible networks and working relationships in both countries to manage recruitment, logistics, and substantive programming effectively.

Applications must be submitted by email to SeoulPDGrants@state.gov. Optional proposal and budget templates are available for applicants to use, though they are not mandatory. Overall, the grant is best understood as a structured, embassy-coordinated leadership and policy exchange that aims to produce concrete trilateral security ideas while building a durable community of women specialists who can shape the broader U.S.-ROK-Japan security conversation over time.

• The U.S. Mission to South Korea in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Trilateral Women in Security" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-07-10.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-08-12. (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 $180,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for PD SEOUL FY24 06

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: