Purdue Policy Research Institute considering Diplomacy Lab project bids in collaboration with U.S. Department of State

The Purdue Policy Research Institute (PPRI) is inviting Spring 2023 project bids for Diplomacy Lab, a U.S. Department of State initiative partnering with Purdue to explore policymaking solutions.

The partnership will see teams of Purdue students supervised and led by a faculty member conducting research in areas of interest relevant to the State Department’s affairs. Topics cover a wide array of international issues and challenges, including climate change, sustainable development, human rights, economic policy, global health, energy security, and conflict and stabilization. 

Coordinated by PPRI, the project bidding process is currently open to faculty at all Purdue campuses. Project bids are to be submitted either in a Word document or directly via email to ppri@purdue.edu by 11:59 p.m. ET Oct. 17. The project bid must state the project of interest, detail how the chosen project will be conducted (i.e., as a course, capstone, standalone project, etc.), explain the proposed approach(es), and note whether the student team will be composed of undergraduates, graduates or a combination of both. Proposals are not to exceed 200 words. Purdue will submit up to six bids for projects.

State Department officials will review submissions from the first round of bidding and respond with decisions shortly after Oct. 21. Round 2 of project bidding for all remaining projects is anticipated to begin at the end of October.

The menu of projects available for the Spring semester is available in a PDF. General queries regarding the Diplomacy Lab initiative or the bidding process should be directed to Krista Kelley, senior operations manager at PPRI, at kokelley@purdue.edu. To learn more about Purdue’s partnership with the Diplomacy Lab program, watch this PPRI-led Info Session. For more information pertaining to faculty applicants and students, visit PPRI’s Diplomacy Lab webpage.

Launched by the Department of State in 2013, Diplomacy Lab enables the department to “course-source” research related to foreign policy challenges by harnessing the efforts of students and faculty experts at colleges and universities across the United States. Diplomacy Lab underscores the department’s commitment to engage the American people in the work of the State Department and the need to broaden its research base in response to a proliferation of complex global challenges. 

The Purdue Policy Research Institute (PPRI) catalyzes and leverages extant policy-relevant transdisciplinary research among members of the Purdue research community, facilitates enduring connections among local and global actors, and generates impact on policymaking and beyond. The institute is guided by the principle that policy development must consider the interdependencies among technological, economic, ethical and social factors. Together with collaborators in academia and the public and private sectors, PPRI inspires the development of nonpartisan policies that solve pressing global challenges.