7200AA22RFA00016: Strengthening Transparency and Accountability through Investigative Reporting (STAIR) Program
Closed
This grant is closed. Who won this program's grants before is below, and similar open grants are at the end of the page. It is in our archive of Agency for International Development notices from 2022.
Agency for International Development offered grants of up to $20.0 million to any type of organization. It expected to make one award. Applications closed on May 18, 2022.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed April 8, 2022. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award ceiling$20.0 million
- Expected awards1
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeCooperative Agreement
Key dates
| Posted | April 8, 2022 |
|---|---|
| Deadline | May 18, 2022 |
| Archived by Grants.gov | June 17, 2022 |
Who can apply
This opportunity was open to any type of organization.
- Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility"
Eligibility for this RFA is not restricted. USAID welcomes applications from organizations that have not previously received financial assistance from USAID.Faith-based organizations are eligible to apply for federal financial assistance on the same basis as any other organization and are subject to the protections and requirements of Federal law.
Is this a realistic fit?
- Past USAID Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas awards averaged $8.7 million; this notice allows up to $20.0 million per award.
- Most of the program's money (54% over five years) went to nonprofits.
- No cost sharing or match is required.
What the grant funds
The USAID/Europe & Eurasia (EE) Bureau seeks to partner with relevant stakeholders to strengthen the investigative journalism sector in the Europe & Eurasia region. The Strengthening Transparency and Accountability through Investigative Reporting (STAIR) program will advance key USAID/EE priorities, as noted in the Department of State and USAID’s Joint Regional Strategy for Europe and Eurasia (https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/JRS_EUR-EE_UNCLASS_508_CMC.pdf), the Interim National Security Strategy (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NSC-1v2.pdf), and the U.S. Strategy on Countering Corruption (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/United-States-Strategy-on-Countering-Corruption.pdf). These include addressing malign influence; revitalizing support for democracy, human rights, and inclusive development; and fighting corruption as an entry point for malign influence, a barrier to U.S. investment, and a corrosive societal force. Under this award and subject to the availability of funds, USAID intends to provide up to $20 million for the total estimated award amount for five years. The program will seek to support the role of investigative journalism in promoting greater government accountability and transparency in Europe and Eurasia, including building resilience against authoritarian influence, and to improve the sustainability of the investigative journalism sector. Building on USAID’s support to investigative reporting in the region since 2007, STAIR will operate in Europe and Eurasia, including, but not limited to, the following countries: Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Hungary, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Slovakia, and Ukraine (the final set of countries in which STAIR will work will be confirmed when the award is made). STAIR has the following objectives: Objective 1: Collaborative Journalism. Support collaborative investigative journalism networks, including the next generation of investigative reporters and editors, to expose crime, corruption, and corrosive capital across Europe & Eurasia; Objective 2: Capacity. Foster investigative outlets’ organizational and financial viability; and Objective 3: Security. Develop and advance proactive, holistic approaches to safety and security support for investigative journalists. Please see the "Related Documents" tab of this posting for the full RFA.
Who has won USAID Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, USAID Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas (98.001) awarded $37 billion across 4,233 grant awards, an average of $8.7 million per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Foreign Awardees | District of Columbia | 489 | $6.9 billion |
| Family Health International | North Carolina | 91 | $2.1 billion |
| Catholic Relief Services - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops | Maryland | 128 | $1.2 billion |
| Save the Children Federation, Inc. | Connecticut | 100 | $814 million |
| Research Triangle Institute | North Carolina | 33 | $756 million |
Applying now
This notice no longer takes applications. Agencies often post the same opportunity again under a new number, so check the program's notices on Grants.gov and the similar open grants below.
The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.
Questions people ask
Is 7200AA22RFA00016 still open?
No. It closed on May 18, 2022.
Who can apply for Strengthening Transparency and Accountability through Investigative Reporting (STAIR) Program?
Agency for International Development accepted applications from any type of organization. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.
What is the deadline for Strengthening Transparency and Accountability through Investigative Reporting (STAIR) Program?
Closed May 18, 2022. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.
How much funding is available?
Awards of up to $20.0 million each.
Who has won USAID Foreign Assistance for Programs Overseas grants before?
The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Miscellaneous Foreign Awardees, Family Health International, Catholic Relief Services - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The program made 4,233 awards worth $37 billion in that time.