About USIP

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the U.S. Institute of Peace?

The United States Institute of Peace is an independent nonpartisan national institution established and funded by Congress. Our mission is to help prevent, manage, and resolve violent international conflicts by empowering others with knowledge, skills, and resources, as well as by directly engaging in peacebuilding efforts around the world.

Established in 1984, USIP fulfills it mission through a unique combination of nonpartisan research, innovative program development, and hands-on support. Specifically, we:

• Provide on-the-ground operational support in zones of conflict around the world
• Perform cutting edge research on the dynamics of conflict and on policy-and-practitioner-relevant subjects.
• Identify best practices and develop innovative programs focused on the prevention, management, and resolution of violent conflict, and on the stabilization and transformation of societies emerging from conflict.
• Provide professional/practitioner training on conflict management and negotiating techniques to government and military personnel, civil society leaders, and the staff of non-governmental and international organizations.
• Educate emerging generations about conflict management by strengthening related secondary school, college, and university curricula, and by building the capabilities of future practitioners to make peace.
• Support policymakers in the administration and Congress, as well as in the international community, by providing analyses, policy options, and advice.
• Inform academia, the media, and the public about the nature of current international and intrastate conflicts and on approaches to their prevention, management, and resolution, through a wide range of materials, publications, and events.

Who does the above work?

USIP draws on a variety of resources in fulfilling its mandate, including USIP staff, grantees, fellows, and a broad set of governmental and non-governmental partners.

• USIP Specialists. USIP employs over seventy specialists with both geographic and subject-matter expertise. These experts are leaders in their field. They have considerable and wide-ranging experience in government, military, NGOs, academia, and the private sector.
• Grants. Through its two principal grantmaking components—annual unsolicited and solicited grant competitions—USIP has invested $58 million dollars since 1986 in some 1,700 grants for research and peacebuilding projects in 76 countries around the world.
• Jennings Randolph Fellows. The Jennings Randolph Fellowship program awards Senior Fellowships (in residence) to outstanding scholars, policymakers, practitioners, journalists, and other professionals. Since the program’s inception, senior fellows have produced over 125 books and special reports. The Jennings Randolph Program also awards non-resident Peace Scholar Dissertation Fellowships to students at U.S. universities researching and writing doctoral dissertations related to the USIP's mandate.

Approximately 67 percent of USIP’s budget is for in-house operations, 25 percent for grants, and 8 percent for fellows.

How is USIP different from government agencies and non-governmental organizations that work in the international arena?

USIP is a unique national asset in several important ways:

• USIP is the only official foreign affairs community member with a specific mandate to work on the issues of peace and conflict.
• We are one of the few organizations that look at conflicts holistically. We “think, act, teach, and train” While think tanks conduct research on conflict; government agencies, NGOs, and some international organizations operate in the field; and universities teach about conflict, few organizations do all three. This discontinuity often leads to diffuse impact. Our capacity to look holistically at conflicts allows us to develop more strategic, comprehensive, and action-oriented approaches to peacebuilding. For example, our Rule of Law program started with basic research and moved through a phase of best practice identification and program development. It was then tested in the field and will eventually be the basis of a training program.
• Our capacity to look holistically at conflicts also drives us to successfully bridge divides and convene parties who don’t traditionally coordinate as much as they should (e.g., within the U.S. government (USG), between the USG and academia, between NGOs and the USG).
• USIP also has a unique track record of developing innovative and effective peacebuilding programs. In addition to our Rule of Law program, our Muslim World Initiative, Religion and Peacemaking program, and our Education and Training Center program are just several examples.
• Because of our unique status as an independent organization, we are more agile and flexible than our USG partners, and in many ways can take on a wider mandate, making us a powerful tool in an ever-changing national security environment. For instance, conflicts in the world today often involve non-state actors who act autonomously from recognized governments. Our independence allows us to work effectively on issues related to non-state actors—e.g., rebel groups, irregular armed groups, insurgents, dissident armed forces, guerillas, liberation movements, freedom fighters, and de facto territorial governing bodies.
• Because of our unique status as a bipartisan organization, our work is often more objective than that of organizations affiliated with a party or an administration. We are oriented toward evenhanded assessments and problem-solving. We are also able to operate in ways the USG sometimes can’t. By fostering bipartisan energy around important issues (e.g., the work of our UN Task Force); taking on risks that the USG can’t (e.g., our work with Bosnian political parties and the Bosnian Constitution); and convening Track II dialogues with parties who may not trust the USG. For example, USIP, in close collaboration with the State Department, is providing critical operational and Track II support to facilitate a political settlement to the decades-long Muslim separatist rebellion in the southern Philippines — the base of the Abu Sayaf terrorist group and the Jemaah Islamia, organizations that are both linked to al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.
• Finally, we are different from many of the organizations cited in the question, because of our “leverage.” For instance, for every dollar we invest in a grant, a matching dollar is invested by other organizations. And through our training and education programs, we increase the knowledge and capacity of thousands of others, in the USG and the larger peacebuilding community.

Does USIP have an overseas presence?

Yes. We have staff deployed overseas and who travel abroad. We also have grantees who are often partners located in conflict areas. In addition, we have a small mission in Baghdad, and we maintain an intermittent employee in Hong Kong dedicated to the Philippines peace process.

Does USIP partner with other organizations?

Historically, over 60 percent of our in-house projects are conducted in collaboration with the USG such as the U.S. Department of State, the Department of Defense, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Almost 90 percent of our projects (including grants projects) are in partnership with the USG, non-governmental organizations, academia, and in collaboration with local partners on the ground in conflict areas.

Who runs USIP?

The president of the USIP supervises its day-to-day operations. He reports to the Board of Directors.

Who selects members of the Board of Directors?

The Board of Directors is comprised of twelve members from outside federal service appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate, in addition to the secretary of state, secretary of defense, and the president of the National Defense University, who serve as ex-officio members. (Ex-officio members may designate non-Senate-confirmed officials from their agencies to serve in their place.) The president of USIP serves on the board as a nonvoting member. The Board of Directors is prohibited by law from having more than eight voting members of the same political party.

What are the responsibilities of the Board of Directors?

The Board of Directors oversees the activities of the USIP — setting long-term goals and priorities, as well as monitoring the USIP's financial, administrative, and personnel policies. The Board approves major new initiatives and makes final decisions in the selection of USIP grantees, fellows, and winners of the USIP's National Peace Essay Contest for high school students. To accomplish these tasks, the board meets five times each year in regular meetings, with special meetings of board subgroups convened as necessary.

Is the president of USIP a political appointee?

No. In keeping with USIP's congressional mandate as an independent and non-partisan federal institution, the president, executive vice president, and other officers of the USIP are selected by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. In September 1993, Richard H. Solomon became the third president of the United States Institute of Peace, succeeding Samuel W. Lewis. Robert F. Tuner was the first president of USIP.

Is USIP a nonprofit organization or a federal agency?

Congress created USIP as an "independent nonpartisan national institution." It is chartered as an independent nonprofit corporation governed by a bipartisan Board of Directors who are appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate.

How is USIP funded?

Funding for USIP operations, activities, and programs comes from the USIP's annual appropriation from Congress. USIP may, however, receive gifts and contributions from private agencies, organizations, corporations, or other legal entities for use in program hospitality and for the purchase, construction, furnishing, and maintenance of its permanent headquarters building, now being constructed.

How large is USIP's staff?

USIP has approximately 70 permanent full-time staff. In addition, each year 10 to 15 senior fellows and guest scholars work at USIP, along with their part-time research assistants. Current employment opportunities at USIP are available online.

Do you offer internships or volunteer opportunities?

At this time USIP does not offer opportunities for Interns. Our authorizing legislation precludes the acceptance of services on a donated or volunteered basis, and other considerations have precluded the establishment of a compensated intern program or a qualifying educational program that would fulfill our legal requirements. We hope that some form of an intern program will be available in the future.

Does USIP advocate specific policies?

No, in keeping with USIP's founding legislation, USIP does not advocate specific policies or take policy positions.

How do I get in touch with USIP specialists?

You may get in touch with USIP specialists by contacting the Office of Public Affairs and Communications. For an online list, check our Guide to Specialists, which includes permanent staff members and senior fellows, and gives areas of specialization (geographic and functional) and biographical information.

Does USIP offer funding to the public?

Yes, there are several programs that offer funding:

• Senior Fellowships support practitioners and scholars who conduct projects in Washington for up to a year.
• Peace Scholar Dissertation Fellowships are awarded to outstanding doctoral students at U.S. universities for dissertation research and writing.
• Research Assistantships for graduate students studying in the Washington area are available through the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan area.
• Grant support for research, educational activities, training, and the dissemination of information is available through the Solicited and Unsolicited Grant programs.

Does USIP provide financial support or scholarship for college?

The Education program holds an annual National Peace Essay Contest for high school students. State winners are invited to Washington for a week of activities related to international conflict resolution. National winners receive scholarships for college study worth $10,000, $5000, and $2500 for first, second, and third places respectively.

How do I find out more about the National Peace Essay Contest?

Complete information on the contest, including the guidebook and registration forms, is available on our Web site.

Where is USIP located?

By statute, USIP's headquarters must be located in Washington, D.C. It currently resides in the heart of downtown Washington within a short walk from the White House, Brookings Institution, National Geographic Society, and Washington's Embassy Row. In 1996, in recognition of USIP's accomplishments, Congress transferred a three-acre site at the northwest corner of the National Mall for a permanent home for USIP. Located at 23rd Street and Constitution Ave NW, the site is a short distance from the U.S. State Department, the Organization of American States, and the nation's most important war memorials.