About
Stand Together Trust is pleased to launch this request for proposals for grants to support research and other activities on important foreign policy issues confronting the United States today.
Given the changing nature of the world around us, the United States needs a foreign policy that prioritizes our national interests and productive engagement with other countries. We are proud to support research that challenges status quo thinking and inspires fresh perspectives in the foreign policy debate.
Grant Info
Grant Details
In 2019, Congress invoked the War Powers Resolution for the first time since its passage in 1973. This bipartisan, bicameral vote occurred amid increased debate over the current relevance of the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) and the very existence of the 2002 AUMF. As the underlying legal authorities for American activities in Yemen, Syria, and elsewhere attract increasing scrutiny, policymakers must appreciate the need for appropriate oversight and accountability over the power to commence, fund, and finish hostilities. To that end, we are actively soliciting proposals for projects that:
- Study the defacto constitutional responsibilities of Congress and the President and how they changed over time and how those responsibilities are either emphasized, enforced, or neglected.
- Examine the components of and evaluate the use of AUMFs to either enable or constrain warfighting in pursuit of American national interests.
- Examine tools the legislative branch can use to increase oversight of defense and foreign policy.
- Study the constitutionality of the War Powers Resolution.
- Evaluate “Iron Triangles” of shared interests in the defense industry, Pentagon, and Capitol Hill, including the politics of the “revolving door” and defense acquisitions.
- Evaluate the evolution of National Defense Authorization Acts, comparing trends and salient points between different pieces of legislation.
- Examine ways Congress can reestablish its prerogatives over trade policy without inducing the problematic dynamics of past congressional protectionism.
- Explore means to improve legislative oversight of intelligence agencies in order to respond to growing surveillance and other challenges of intelligence collection in a free society.
We are open to other research proposals that fit these general themes.
Grant Criteria
- A one-to-two-page abstract of the project on behalf of your university, college, think tank, or other 501(c)(3) organization. The abstract should provide sufficient detail for reviewers to assess the nature and feasibility of the idea.*
- A CV or résumé.*
- A brief, itemized budget.*
- Final projects should be original and meet the highest standards of their field, and must not have been previously published.
*Items are required in application.
Funding
Funding levels are commensurate with the requirements of the research and the potential for the research to advance an understanding of critical issues. Accepted proposals may also receive support to disseminate the research findings.