University-led Networks for Innovation, Technology, and Expertise (UNITE)
The U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia will fund a single U.S. academic implementing partner to manage a small portfolio of university-industry project teams that develop U.S.-linked curricula, technical roadmaps, standards briefs, or similar deliverables for Saudi workforce and development needs in strategic sectors.
RESTRICTED TO: NONPROFITS · STATE LOCAL GOV
⚑ Cooperative agreement; Mission KSA will award to a single U.S. academic implementing partner. · Project teams are expected to include university-industry partnerships with U.S. universities, U.S. companies or technical partners, and Saudi institutions. · Each participating project team must provide 1:1 cost share/match. · Funding is for approximately 4-5 seed awards of up to $25,000 each within a managed portfolio, not large stand-alone research grants.
This is primarily an international workforce-development and university-industry partnership program in AI, cybersecurity, and Saudi economic development. IPPRA’s team is centered on public opinion, risk communication, education policy evaluation, and hazard/energy/social-behavioral research, so this would be outside their core PI lines rather than a natural fit.
JUDGED AGAINST THE ROSTER'S PUBLICATION DOSSIER · GPT-5.4-MINI · 2026-08-19
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| IPPRA | 54 partial | peripheral portfolio topic: cybersecurity; signature methods: policy analysis, community engaged; social/behavioral work is substantial; funds training education, not research (capped); capped at 54 (non-research funding) |
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 50 partial | technical depth: substantial; funds training education (capped) |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 25 weak | prototyping/demonstration stage; deep-tech content |
Description
The U.S. Embassy Riyadh Public Diplomacy Section is accepting applications for a cooperative agreement to run the University-led Networks for Innovation, Technology, and Expertise (UNITE) program. UNITE will support approximately four to five applied project teams — university-industry partnerships between U.S. universities, U.S. companies or technical partners, and Saudi institutions — through project seed awards of up to $25,000 each to solve specific Saudi workforce and development gaps in high-demand strategic sectors, including Artificial Intelligence, critical minerals, cybersecurity, emerging technologies, and workforce development. Each project team will produce a U.S.-linked deliverable — such as a curriculum, module, technical roadmap, or standards briefs — that creates durable pathways for Saudi investment in American academic, workforce, and industry collaboration. Mission KSA will award a cooperative agreement to a single U.S. academic implementing partner to manage the portfolio. Each participating project team must provide a 1:1 cost-share match to ensure genuine institutional commitment and long-term viability.
Eligibility
• Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations • Public and private educational institutions (with preference for U.S. higher education institutions or entities with robust academic networks); • Public International Organizations and Governmental institutions
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: Abdulelah Alawi Grantor <Riyadhgrants@state.gov>
Proposal brief SEE AN EXAMPLE →
A one-page internal memo: fit assessment, submission requirements, document scaffold, and next steps dated back from the deadline — tailored to your project idea if you add one.
Proposal shell · Federal (generic) conventions SEE A FEDERAL EXAMPLE →
Funder-faithful document skeletons — Federal (generic)'s document set with section headings, page limits, reviewer guidance, and writing prompts; add a project idea to get [DRAFT] starter bullets. Download as .md for Word or Overleaf.