Funding Wizard

The Office of Private Sector Exchange (BridgeUSA) of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces an open competition for the administration of the FY 2023 Ambassador Fund for Summer Work Travel (AFSWT). BridgeUSA plans to issue one cooperative agreement of approximately $465,000, pending the availability of FY 2022 recovery funds that are being carried over for obligation in FY 2023, to implement the BridgeUSA AFSWT program. U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to provide approximately 150 Summer Work Travel scholarships to foreign university students evenly distributed across Africa (AF), Europe and Eurasia (EUR), East Asia and Pacific (EAP), Near East and North Africa (NEA) and Western Hemisphere (WHA) regions. Please see the full announcement for details.

The Office of American Spaces of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), U.S. Department of State, announces an open competition to administer a new award in the field of digital and media literacy and countering disinformation, the FY 2023 American Spaces Digital Literacy and Training Program. The American Spaces Digital Literacy and Training Program is designed to support the work of American Spaces in the field through training of overseas Spaces target audiences and staff/coordinators; the curation, compilation and (as needed) creation of training materials and content; the organization and implementation of training activities and exchanges, locally, regionally and to the United States; and outreach and other activities. The program will provide training for overseas staff of American Spaces and for American Spaces audiences of media professionals, information specialists, librarians, educators, and other relevant professionals and citizens, aimed at increasing digital, information and media literacy, building trust, and strengthening understanding abroad of the role of a free and independent media as a pillar of democracy. The FY 2023 program will consist primarily of regionally focused efforts, to include curriculum development, training, and content delivery to promote U.S. values and digital and media literacy skills to counter Russian and other foreign disinformation efforts in selected regions of Europe and in Central Asia, for and at up to approximately 150 American Spaces in designated priority countries. The curriculum plan must include at least one asynchronous, self-guided and self-paced digital/online learning tool for public audiences in all priority countries. The program also includes support for global activities to bolster American Spaces programming and outreach, to include at least one training, mentoring, and cultural visit to the United States for select American Spaces staff affiliated with partner organizations, as well as social media message map development and implementation and deployment strategies. American Spaces are the U.S. government’s primary public cultural and information centers abroad. They serve as key public diplomacy platforms for U.S. missions to connect with local audiences. They provide free and open access to information and learning resources for communities worldwide, serving as harbors of freedom of expression and innovation, including within societies characterized by political oppression and censorship. American Spaces programming promotes U.S. foreign policy objectives and American values, including democratic institutions, the rule of law, open and free markets, and human rights, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors and program participants (virtual and in person) each year. Approximately 150 American Spaces are active in 33 priority countries in Europe and Central Asia (listed under Program Specific Guidelines below, that may be adjusted by ECA to reflect evolving priorities) where the region-specific program elements must be focused. Please see the full announcement for additional information.

The Office of Private Sector Exchange (BridgeUSA) of ECA will announce an open competition for the administration of the FY2023 BridgeUSA Africa Polytechnic Collaboration Initiative. U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) including organizations that represent consortia or other combinations of accredited U.S. community colleges/universities may submit only one proposal to cooperate with BridgeUSA under this competition to provide approximately 20 scholarships to scholars and professionals evenly distributed across participating countries from East Africa (AF) for the FY2023 BridgeUSA Africa Polytechnic Collaboration Initiative. The scholarship will cover BridgeUSA program fees, healthcare benefits coverage, visa fees, SEVIS fees, and airfare. The program should be implemented in a 36-month time frame. The BridgeUSA Africa Polytechnic Collaboration Initiative scholarships would further ECA’s goal of promoting mutual understanding and lasting partnerships between emerging leaders from foreign countries and the United States as well as provide opportunities for BridgeUSA exchange visitors to collaborate with U.S. counterparts and share ideas, approaches, and strategies to develop solutions to pressing local and global challenges and address foreign malign influence in higher education space in the region. This pilot will initially focus on East Africa including the islands along the east coast of Africa: Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Proposals should address the combination of at least five countries from the list above and the proposed eligible J-1 categories described under Section C.2.1 Eligible Countries and J-1 Categories. ECA program office will finalize participating countries with the regional bureau. Please see the full announcement for additional information.

The Office of Private Sector Exchange (BridgeUSA) of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces an open competition for the administration of the FY 2023 BridgeUSA Global Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Scholarship Fund. The Office plans to issue one cooperative agreement of approximately $360,000, pending the availability of funds, to implement the BridgeUSA STEM Scholarship Fund in the academic and/or professional categories. U.S. accredited colleges/ universities, U.S. consortia of accredited colleges and universities including consortia of community colleges, or U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) who are interested in collaborating with ECA to promote STEM education and career STEM initiatives in the United States, may submit proposals to provide between 20 and 30 STEM scholarships to foreign university students, scholars, and professionals evenly distributed across eligible countries in Africa (AF), East Asia and Pacific (EAP), and Western Hemisphere (WHA) regions. Exchange visitors will be recruited from any of the following eligible academic and professional J-1 visa categories: College/University Students, Interns, Research Scholars, and Trainees. U.S. consortiums representing universities/colleges are encouraged to apply. Proposals must include a focus on climate change and should include U.S. partnership collaboration with institutions that focus on various STEM fields shared across continents, including improving understanding of climate systems, developing precision agricultural capabilities, enhancing risk assessment tools, and increasing societal resilience in the face of catastrophic natural or human induced disasters. Please see the full announcement for additional information.

The Office of Private Sector Exchange (BridgeUSA) of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces an open competition for the administration of the FY 2023 BridgeUSA STEM Scholarship Fund. The Office plans to issue one cooperative agreement of approximately $260,000, pending the availability of FY 2022 recovery funds that are being carried over for obligation in FY 2023, to implement the BridgeUSA STEM Scholarship Fund in the academic and professional categories. U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to provide approximately 50 STEM scholarships to foreign university students, scholars, and professionals evenly distributed across Africa (AF), East Asia and Pacific (EAP), and Western Hemisphere (WHA) regions. Proposals must include a focus on climate change and should include U.S. partnership collaboration with institutions that focus on various STEM fields shared across continents, including improving understanding of climate systems, developing precision agricultural capabilities, enhancing risk assessment tools, and increasing societal resilience in the face of catastrophic natural or human induced disasters. Please see the full announcement for additional information.

The Office of Private Sector Exchange (BridgeUSA) of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces an open competition for the administration of the BridgeUSA Ukraine Journalism Scholarship Program. The Office plans to issue one cooperative agreement of approximately $100,000, pending the availability of funds. Accredited U.S. colleges and universities including consortia of accredited U.S. colleges and universities and U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to provide 10 to 15 Ukrainian exchange visitors with scholarships to participate in journalism and media-related exchanges under the Specialist category of the Exchange Visitor Program. The program will be administered over 36 months from the date the award is made. The award recipient should recruit and select Ukrainian-speaking participants working in media environment that communicates or focuses on Ukrainian-speaking audiences from the following European countries: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine (see Section C.2. of the NOFO for full eligibility requirements). Priority should be given to exchange visitors residing in Ukraine, with at least half of selected exchange visitors coming from Ukraine, and the award recipient should be prepared to offer programs that can accommodate Ukrainian citizens of military age who may not be permitted to remain outside of Ukraine for extended periods of time. Scholarships will be used to cover exchange visitors’ program fees, including placement at a U.S.-based host organization, health benefits coverage, visa fees, SEVIS fees, and airfare. Please see the full announcement for additional information.

ECA’s Office of Private Sector Exchange (BridgeUSA) announces an open competition for the administration of the FY 2023 BridgeUSA Ukrainian Academic Fellows Program. Accredited U.S. colleges and universities (to include community colleges), U.S. consortia of accredited colleges and universities, or U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) are eligible to submit one proposal to cooperate with BridgeUSA to provide between 30 to 45 scholarships for academic participants from within Ukraine. The scholarship will cover BridgeUSA program fees, healthcare benefits coverage, visa fees, SEVIS fees, and airfare. The program will be implemented in a 36-month time frame. The BridgeUSA Ukrainian Academic Fellows Program will focus on Ukrainian academics living in Ukraine in any of the three eligible J-1 categories: Professor, Research Scholar, and Short-Term Scholar. Scholars may be selected from disciplines in any of the following eligible fields: Agricultural Technology, Conflict Resolution/Peace Studies, Engineering, Information Technology, Mental Health, Pedagogy, and Urban Planning (refer to Section C.2.1. for details on eligible J-1 categories and eligible fields). Competitive proposals will demonstrate the ability to place exchange visitors across a wide variety of eligible fields. To ensure maximum program flexibility and in recognition of the challenges created by long-term absences from Ukraine given Russia’s full-scale invasion, the award recipient may have the capability of the Out of Country functionality in SEVIS for eligible J-1 categories to allow for continued program participation from Ukraine.Please see the full announcement for additional information.

The Office of Global Educational Programs of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announces an open competition to administer the FY 2023 Community College Administrator Program (CCAP). Accredited U.S. colleges and universities and other U.S. public or private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to design, administer and implement one, approximately five to six-week intensive exchange program including a virtual component and a minimum of three weeks of programming in the United States. The program is designed for foreign participants, including institutional administrators and government officials, with significant responsibilities related to post-secondary vocational and technical education in selected countries. The program will examine the key tenets of community college administration and cutting-edge programs at U.S. community colleges that address local educational and workforce development needs. In support of U.S. foreign policy, the program will build participant skills in community college administration in key areas including, but not limited to, workforce development, leadership, governance, student affairs and student services, program assessment, finance and fundraising, private sector partnerships, community engagement, and distance learning. The successful applicant will provide responsive and flexible programming and exhibit an ability to tailor activities to selected countries’ priorities for vocational and technical education and workforce development that leads to measurable institutional and broader positive change in the sector. ECA, in consultation with the Department’s regional bureaus, embassies/consulates and/or Fulbright Commissions, will select the final participating country or countries to reflect current foreign policy priorities.

The Office of Citizen Exchanges in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs invites proposal submissions for the FY 2023 Community Engagement Exchange Program (CEE) in Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Eurasia, the Middle East and North Africa, South and Central Asia, and the Western Hemisphere. U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to conduct this international civic leadership exchange program. Initiated in 2020, the CEE Program is a bold new global initiative to support approximately 115-120 passionate emerging leaders, ages 21-27, from over 100 countries around the world working at the nexus of public, private, and non-profit sectors to address public concerns and improve the quality of community. These CEE Fellows undertake a professional practicum with placements in public institutions, government offices, social incubators, businesses, or non-profit organizations. At their practicums, Fellows work with professional American counterparts and seasoned civil society and community leaders, called CEE Host Supervisors, on pre-defined substantive issues of mutual interest. In addition to the professional practicum, Fellows engage in robust leadership training, service-learning, and opportunities to transform ideas into actionable community projects in their home countries. The program also supports overseas travel for approximately 25-30 American participants from U.S. host organizations and approximately 20 global leadership professionals known as CEE Specialists, including alumni of U.S. government programs, to work with CEE Fellows on community engagement projects of mutual interest in the United States and overseas. In particular, the CEE Specialists provide mentorship and guidance to Fellows related to their program theme, geographic region, and acclimation to USG programming. CEE promotes a global civil society eco-system by building a network of emerging and seasoned civil society and community leaders in the United States and around the world through international exchanges, civic leadership education, innovative community initiatives, and civil society projects that maximize the program’s reach and amplify local, regional, and global impact. Only one proposal will be considered by ECA from each applicant organization. In cases where more than one submission from an applicant appears in grants.gov, ECA will only consider the submission made closest in time to the NOFO deadline; that submission would constitute the one and only proposal ECA would review from that applicant. Please see the full announcement for additional information.

The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs invites proposal submissions for the FY 2023 Community Solutions Program (CSP) in Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Eurasia, the Middle East and North Africa, South and Central Asia, and the Western Hemisphere. U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to conduct this international leadership program. Created in 2010, Community Solutions is a global initiative that supports engaged community leaders, ages 26-39, working to address economic, environmental, political, and social challenges confronting their local communities. Community Solutions Fellows will undertake a four- to six-month U.S.-based fellowship program in public institutions, government offices, state legislatures, social incubators, businesses, or non-profit organizations, working with seasoned community leaders on pre-defined substantive issues of mutual interest. The program will include a robust on-line and blended leadership training component and assist participants in the design and implementation of post-fellowship projects in their home countries. The program will also support overseas travel for approximately eight to 10 American hosts and program alumni to work with Community Solutions participants on community engagement projects. Only one proposal will be considered by ECA from each applicant organization. In cases where more than one submission from an applicant appears in grants.gov, ECA will only consider the submission made closest in time to the NOFO deadline; that submission would constitute the one and only proposal ECA would review from that applicant. Please see the full announcement for additional information.