Congress & USIP

USIP Activities Related to Congress

A key element of USIP's mission is to actively support U.S. policymakers by mobilizing the best talent from around the globe, through fellowships, grants, and in-house research, and to provide policymakers with creative options to prevent, manage, and resolve international conflicts. The Office of Congressional Relations coordinates outreach and other efforts to engage the U.S. Congress in USIP's work. In addition, USIP provides high school scholarships, doctoral scholarships, grants to non-governmental organizations and universities, and fellowships.

To find out if USIP is active in your state or congressional district, please contact Anne Hingeley, congressional relations specialist, in the Office of Congressional Relations.

Provided below are examples of the many ways in which USIP works with the U.S. Congress.

Sample USIP Activities

Educating America's Youth

USIP enriches the education of generations of young Americans by strengthening the ability of schools—from high school through graduate school—to teach about international conflict and conflict management. For over a decade, as a key part of USIP's National Peace Essay Contest, thousands of students have met with their members of Congress to learn first hand about the challenges of making American foreign policy.

Raising Public Awareness

USIP actively features leading thinkers on foreign and national security policy in its public events, publications, and web site to increase public understanding about the nature and means to prevent, manage, and resolve international conflicts. Over the years, USIP has featured several members of Congress and administration officials in its public events.

Supporting Policymakers

Through fellowships, grants, and in-house research, USIP mobilizes the best talent from around the globe to provide policymakers with creative options to prevent, manage, and resolve international conflicts. Working with the leading thinkers from government, academia, and nongovernmental organizations, USIP has gained a reputation for the quality of its independent research and policy assessments available to U.S. policymakers.

Bridging the Gap Between Research and Policymaking

Over the years USIP has organized numerous special conferences, workshops, and symposia to introduce policymakers to cutting-edge research on international conflict management. These occasions also provide opportunities to explore the vital current challenges to peace and global stability facing the international community. Bringing policymakers together with leading experts from academia and the private and non-profit sectors, events such as "9/11 a Year On" and "Passing the Baton" fulfill a key part of USIP's mandate.