Australian Development Scholarships (ADS) adalah program beasiswa yang dibiayai oleh pemerintah Australia melalui AusAID untuk program studi S2 dan S3 di universitas-universitas Australia. Tujuan utama dari beasiswa ADS adalah untuk bekerja sama dengan pemerintah Republik Indonesia menuju Indonesia yang makmur, demokratis dan aman melalui penyediaan program beasiswa S2 dan S3.

Pada periode 2012-2013, proses aplikasi Australian Development Scholarships (ADS) dan Australian Leadership Award Scholarships (ALAS) akan digabung. Pelamar ADS dapat memperoleh tambahan program Leadership Award sebagai bagian dari beasiswa ADS, dengan mengidentifikasikan keinginan untuk mendapatkan tambahan tersebut pada saat mendaftar.

Beasiswa ini terbuka bagi sektor pemerintah dan swasta. Prioritas diberikan untuk bidang-bidang studi yang menunjang tujuan peningkatan kemampuan sumber daya manusia Indonesia dan pembangunan yang akan mendukung:

• Pertumbuhan berkelanjutan dan manajemen ekonomi;

• Investasi untuk pembangunan manusia;

• Demokrasi, keadilan dan pemerintahan yang baik;

• Keamanan dan perdamaian.

Dari waktu ke waktu, pemerintah Indonesia dan Australia selalu meninjau kembali kriteria-kriteria dan menyesuaikan tujuan utama dari program beasiswa ini.

Kecakapan dan kesetaraan sangat diutamakan. Jumlah beasiswa yang sama diberikan untuk wanita dan pria. Untuk periode 2012-2013, 85% diberikan untuk level Master dan 15% untuk level PhD. Beasiswa ADS diprioritaskan bagi wanita dan penyadang disabilitas, juga dialokasikan ke propinsi-propinsi yang menjadi target Strategi Kerjasama Pembangunan Australia Indonesia 2008-2013. Untuk tahun 2012-2013 prioritas diberikan kepada geographic focus area, yaitu Papua, Papua Barat, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Nusa Tenggara Barat dan Aceh.

Source and More Information:

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The Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) of the U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce its ongoing competition for funding through MEPI’s Local Grants program. If you wish to apply for a local grant, please follow all instructions below carefully. Purpose of Local Grants: Local grants promote reform and civic activism at the local and national levels in countries of the Middle East and North Africa,build the institutional capacity of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and strengthen civil society.

Local grants are implemented by members of civil society, including NGOs, civic groups,reform networks, and academic institutionsthat are committed to supporting democratic values and the active participation of all individuals in social, political, and economic life. Local grants are typically awarded only to local, not international, organizations.Funding is available for projects that protect and advance civil libertiesespecially political and civic rights, empower women and youth, strengthen the rule of law, develop independent and pluralistic media, foster economic opportunity and economic reform, and promote an educated, active, and informed citizenry.

Local grant projects are intended to support quick impact activities. They generally are completed in one year and should be designed to carry out proposed activities and make an impact within that one-year period. Proposed local grant projects should involve activities in one or more of the following areas:
• Advocacy by civil society, NGOs, and professional associations, including grassroots level and community organizations, to promote legal or political reforms and raise public awareness of democratic values and processes.
• Development of networks, partnerships, and coalitions that could include local NGOs, civil society organizations, government officials, and/or the business community to promote reform.
• Expansion of opportunities for youth (ages 15-24), particularly those that to provide practical, hands-on experience in civic engagement, public service, and volunteerism, and that help to improve local communities.
• Expansion of women’s participation in public life at the local, regional, and national levels.
• Promotion of the rule of law, including rights education, education of legal professionals, and advocacy activities to expand civic rights and to ensure legal judicial systems protect the rights of all individuals.
• Promotion of legal frameworks and processes that expand citizen participation in politics and public life.
• Promotion of good governance, including anti-corruption efforts and initiatives to promote government transparency and integrity.
• Promotion of public awareness of current political issues and processes, including voter education.
• Development of media institutions that defend the public interest and provide credible and diverse sources of information.
• Promotion of economic reform that expands economic opportunity especially for youth, including promoting entrepreneurship and commercial and legal reforms, as well as workforce development training.
• Expansion of educational opportunities, including civic education activities that promote tolerance of different views, respect for democratic values and institutions, protection of ethnic and religious diversity, leadership development, and community service.

Eligible Countries and Territories:

Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, West Bank and Gaza, and Yemen.

Award Information:
1.Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement or Grant
2.Estimated Number of Awards: 100
3.Estimated Total Program Funding: $7,000,000
4.Estimated Ceiling (or Maximum) Award Amount: $150,000
5.Estimated Floor (or Minimum) Award Amount: $25,000

MEPI reserves the right to award less or more than the amounts described above in the absence of worthy applications or under such other circumstances as MEPI may deem to be in the best interest of the U.S. Government.

Source and More Information:

Illustrative examples of MEPI local grants can be found on our Regional Office websites: www.abudhabi.mepi.state.gov and www.medregion.mepi.state.gov. 

AGFUND International Prize for Pioneering Human Development Projects was established in 1999 by the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND), with the aim of inciting and encouraging innovation and creativity in the areas of human development. The idea of the Prize was stemmed from AGFUND’s approach to enhance development performance and support key development projects in order to achieve the goal of sustainability and investment in people.

In this sense, AGFUND Prize is considered to be the first initiative of its kind to identify successful development projects, reward them and disseminate their innovative ideas to best contribute to the improvement of development work. It is also an innovative approach and a strategic instrument to exchange successful experiences to strengthen the mechanisms of development cooperation and project funding with special emphasis on the most prominent factors that militate against development and affect the vulnerable groups, particularly women and children in developing countries. These include poverty, social exclusion, socio-economic marginalization, education and health.

First Category: Projects that are funded, designed and implemented by UN agencies or international and regional NGOs.
Second Category: Projects that are funded, designed and implemented by national NGOs.
Third Category: Projects that are funded, designed and implemented by government ministries and public agencies.
Fourth Category: Projects that are funded, designed and implemented by individuals.