Twice per year, State Department officers from around the world propose a series of research projects related to foreign policy. Please review the Fall 2025 project menu below. Faculty at partner universities "bid" on a project they'd like to lead a student team in researching the following semester. Research can be conducted as part of an existing course or developed into an independent course.
Projects must be undertaken by a team of students - not individually. Students may be at the undergraduate or graduate level (as specified in each project description).
Diplomacy Lab projects address a range of international issues and challenges, including climate change, democracy and human rights, global health, energy security, gender equality, economic policy, trafficking in persons, food security, and conflict and stabilization. The State Department encourages bids from faculty in a wide range of disciplines.
Once a bid has been accepted, faculty are committed to carry through these research projects with their students. Students will engage directly with officials throughout the semester in a series of three teleconferences, including a presentation of their findings at the completion of the project to the ambassador, deputy chief of mission, and other high ranking colleagues at the site submitting the project.
Bids for the Fall 2025 Round 2 menu will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Submit bids by sending the following required information to UVA's Director of Global Initiatives, Tina Mangieri:
- Project ID # (from Project Menu)
- Faculty Advisor name
- Faculty Advisor email
- Bid Description (max 300 words)
- Academic Level that will undertake the project
- Undergraduate
- Graduate
- Hybrid
Please only bid on projects you can undertake if selected. There are two rounds of bidding for each semester cycle. The Round 2 Menu includes only projects that remain unclaimed at this point. Read more about Diplomacy Lab here.
Contact Tina Mangieri with questions or comments.
