Campus Safety has just learned that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is offering grants to counter violent extremism (CVE). According to Dr. Gus Frias, who is the education sector chief for InfraGard Los Angeles, DHS expects to fund 60 grants totaling $10 million and ranging from $20,000to $1.5 million each.
There is no matching requirement, and these grants can be used to strengthen local CVE education, training and outreach. Grant applications are due September 6, 2016.
Here’s more information on the grant program:
The Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Grant Program seeks to develop and expand efforts at the community level to counter violent extremist recruitment and radicalization to violence. The Program provides funding for activities that enhance the resilience of communities being targeted by violent extremists, provide alternatives to individuals who have started down a road to violent extremism, and create or amplify alternative messages to terrorist/violent extremist recruitment and radicalization efforts. It also seeks to develop and support efforts that counter violent extremists’ online recruitment efforts.
As appropriated by Section 543 of the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act 2016, (Pub. L. 114-113) and authorized by the same and Section 102(b)(2) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as amended (Pub. L. No. 107-296), the Fiscal Year 2016 Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Grant Program provides resources to support programs, projects, and activities that prevent recruitment or radicalization to violence by interrupting those efforts, building community-level resilience, identifying the early signs of radicalization to violence, and providing appropriate interventions through civic organizations, law enforcement or other entities.
Countering violent extremism (CVE) is a key element of DHS’ strategic vision. The 2014 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review reflected the importance of CVE by identifying CVE as a “Priority Area of Emphasis” within DHS’ Mission 1: Prevent Terrorism and Enhance Security.
Focus Areas
The FY 2016 CVE Grant Program organizes eligible activities into five focus areas that current research has shown are likely to be most effective in countering violent extremism:
- Developing resilience
- Training and engaging with community members
- Managing intervention activities
- Challenging the narrative
- Building capacity of community-level non-profit organizations active in CVE
For more information on this grant, visit https://www.dhs.gov/news/2016/07/06/fy-2016-countering-violent-extremism-cve-grants.
