Opportunity Information: Apply for SCAISB 21 AW 004 01252021
The Empowering Girls through STEM grant is a U.S. Department of State (U.S. Mission to Pakistan) funding opportunity designed to tackle a persistent skills and opportunity gap for Pakistani girls in technology and other STEM fields. The core problem the program is responding to is that many young girls do not get early, practical exposure to modern technological skills, which later limits their access to emerging education pathways and employment in fast-growing tech sectors. The opportunity is framed within a broader regional gender imbalance in STEM, citing UNESCO reporting that women make up only 18.5 percent of workers in research and development roles in South and West Asia, and it positions early engagement, confidence-building, and career awareness as key levers for change.
The Embassy is seeking one implementing partner (a grantee) to design and deliver a year-long series of hands-on STEM learning programs for middle- to high-school-aged girls, working through Pakistan's network of Lincoln Corners. Lincoln Corners are collaborative spaces hosted inside universities, public libraries, and cultural centers that function as multimedia resource hubs where visitors can access learning resources, strengthen English skills, and engage with U.S.-related educational content and programming. Several Lincoln Corners already have basic makerspace-style equipment such as a limited number of 3D printers and kits for robotics or virtual reality, and they have experience hosting youth-focused tech activities. At the same time, the grant does not restrict applicants to a fixed set of tools or platforms; instead, it explicitly invites experienced organizations to recommend which technologies are most relevant and impactful for the target participants and local context.
Programmatically, the grant emphasizes active, experience-based learning rather than lecture-style instruction. The intended learning outcomes go beyond technical exposure and are centered on transferable skills that support long-term success in STEM: critical thinking, creative problem-solving, collaboration, and design thinking. The activities are expected to help participants explore real STEM career options by doing practical projects, with examples including maker or do-it-yourself camps and coding workshops. In other words, the spirit of the program is to make STEM feel accessible and personally relevant, while also giving girls the confidence that they can build, test, and improve technology-based solutions.
Deliverables are clearly defined. The selected grantee must develop a curriculum and organize a total of 20 foundational, technology-based programs delivered across five Lincoln Corners located in Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Rawalpindi, and Muzaffarabad. Each site is expected to serve 40 girls, meaning the workshops are designed for structured cohorts with manageable group sizes and consistent participation. In addition to these Corner-based workshops, the grantee must run two in-person summer events, such as maker camps or hackathons, drawing up to 100 students from the earlier workshops. These summer events must include a juried competition that selects and recognizes the top three winning technology-based projects or products, which could take forms like a website, application, game, or other software-based output. This competitive element signals that participants should have a chance to synthesize what they learned, build something tangible, and present it for evaluation, reinforcing both technical practice and communication skills.
From a management and coordination standpoint, the project is structured as a 12-month calendar of activities beginning in October 2021, and the grantee is responsible for providing a detailed schedule for each participating Lincoln Corner across that year. The Embassy retains an active oversight and quality-control role: in consultation with the implementing partner, it will set participant selection criteria, approve the final participant list, and review and approve each program curriculum. This suggests the partner must be comfortable with collaborative planning, iterative approvals, and compliance with Embassy requirements for participant selection and content.
In terms of the grant mechanics, this is a discretionary award administered as a grant (not a contract) under Funding Opportunity Number SCAISB 21 AW 004 01252021 and CFDA 19.501. The opportunity was posted January 25, 2021, with an original closing date of March 26, 2021. The program anticipates making one award, with an award ceiling of $50,000, meaning the proposal must be scoped realistically to deliver multi-site programming, curriculum development, and two larger events within that funding cap. Overall, the opportunity is aimed at partners that can combine youth programming experience, practical STEM facilitation, curriculum design capability, and the logistical capacity to coordinate across multiple cities and community-based learning spaces.Apply for SCAISB 21 AW 004 01252021
- The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Pakistan in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Empowering Girls through STEM" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.501.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 25, 2021.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 26, 2021. (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 $50,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Empowering Girls through STEM Grant (U.S. Mission to Pakistan) - FAQs
What is the Empowering Girls through STEM grant?
It is a U.S. Department of State (U.S. Mission to Pakistan) funding opportunity intended to reduce the skills and opportunity gap for Pakistani girls in technology and other STEM fields by providing early, practical exposure to modern tech skills and STEM career pathways.
What problem is this grant trying to address?
The program responds to the lack of early hands-on technology exposure for many young girls, which can limit later access to emerging education pathways and jobs in fast-growing tech sectors. It is framed within a broader regional gender imbalance in STEM, referencing UNESCO reporting that women represent 18.5% of workers in research and development roles in South and West Asia.
Who is running and funding this opportunity?
The opportunity is run and funded by the U.S. Department of State through the U.S. Mission to Pakistan (the Embassy).
Is this award a grant or a contract?
This is administered as a grant (not a contract) and is described as a discretionary award.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) and CFDA number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is SCAISB 21 AW 004 01252021 and the CFDA number is 19.501.
How many awards will be made?
The program anticipates making one award to a single implementing partner (one grantee).
What is the maximum funding amount available?
The award ceiling is $50,000, so proposals must be designed to deliver the required activities within that cap.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
It was posted on January 25, 2021, with an original closing date of March 26, 2021.
What is the project period and when does it start?
The project is structured as a 12-month calendar of activities beginning in October 2021.
Where will the program be delivered?
The programming is delivered through Pakistan's network of Lincoln Corners, specifically across five Lincoln Corners located in Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Rawalpindi, and Muzaffarabad.
What are Lincoln Corners?
Lincoln Corners are collaborative spaces hosted inside universities, public libraries, and cultural centers. They function as multimedia resource hubs where visitors can access learning resources, strengthen English skills, and engage with U.S.-related educational content and programming.
Do Lincoln Corners already have technology equipment for STEM activities?
Several Lincoln Corners have basic makerspace-style equipment, such as a limited number of 3D printers and kits for robotics or virtual reality, and have experience hosting youth-focused tech activities.
Is the grantee required to use specific tools, platforms, or technologies?
No. The grant does not restrict applicants to a fixed set of tools or platforms. It explicitly invites experienced organizations to recommend which technologies are most relevant and impactful for the target participants and local context.
Who are the intended participants?
The target group is middle- to high-school-aged girls in Pakistan.
What type of teaching approach does the grant emphasize?
The grant emphasizes active, experience-based learning rather than lecture-style instruction. The intent is to make STEM feel accessible and personally relevant through hands-on projects and practical experimentation.
What learning outcomes does the program prioritize?
Beyond technical exposure, the program centers on transferable skills that support long-term success in STEM, including critical thinking, creative problem-solving, collaboration, and design thinking, along with increased confidence and career awareness.
What kinds of activities are expected under this grant?
Activities are expected to help participants explore real STEM career options by doing practical projects. Examples mentioned include maker or do-it-yourself camps and coding workshops.
What are the required core deliverables?
The selected grantee must (1) develop a curriculum and (2) organize and deliver 20 foundational, technology-based programs across five Lincoln Corners, plus (3) run two in-person summer events (such as maker camps or hackathons) for up to 100 students drawn from the earlier workshops.
How many workshops/programs must be delivered and across how many sites?
A total of 20 foundational, technology-based programs must be delivered across five Lincoln Corners.
Which five cities/locations are included?
The five Lincoln Corner locations are Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Rawalpindi, and Muzaffarabad.
How many girls are expected to be served at each Lincoln Corner?
Each site is expected to serve 40 girls through the Corner-based workshops.
Are the workshops intended to be cohort-based?
Yes. The workshops are described as structured cohorts with manageable group sizes and consistent participation.
What are the summer events and who can attend them?
The grantee must run two in-person summer events (for example, maker camps or hackathons) drawing up to 100 students from the earlier workshops.
Do the summer events need to include a competition?
Yes. The summer events must include a juried competition that selects and recognizes the top three winning technology-based projects or products.
What kinds of projects can be submitted to the juried competition?
Winning outputs could take forms such as a website, application, game, or other software-based product.
What is meant by "juried competition" in this grant context?
It means projects are evaluated by a jury (review panel), and the top three projects are selected and recognized as winners based on the evaluation.
What planning and scheduling responsibilities does the grantee have?
The grantee is responsible for providing a detailed schedule for each participating Lincoln Corner across the 12-month activity period.
How involved is the Embassy in oversight and approvals?
The Embassy keeps an active oversight and quality-control role. In consultation with the implementing partner, it will set participant selection criteria, approve the final participant list, and review and approve each program curriculum.
Who sets the participant selection criteria?
The Embassy, in consultation with the implementing partner, will set the participant selection criteria.
Who approves the final list of participants?
The Embassy approves the final participant list.
Who approves the curriculum?
The Embassy reviews and approves each program curriculum.
Does the grant focus only on technical skills?
No. While the program includes technical exposure, it also emphasizes confidence-building, career awareness, and transferable skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, creative problem-solving, and design thinking.
Does the opportunity specify that programs must be lecture-based or classroom-based?
No. It explicitly emphasizes hands-on, experience-based learning rather than lecture-style instruction.
Does this program require work across multiple cities?
Yes. The required programming spans five Lincoln Corner locations in different cities, and the grantee must coordinate curriculum and delivery across all sites.
What should an implementing partner be prepared to do to be successful?
Based on the description, the partner should be able to combine youth programming experience, practical STEM facilitation, curriculum design capability, and the logistical capacity to coordinate multi-site activities, while also working through collaborative planning and iterative approvals with the Embassy.
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