Deadline: 11 May 2020
The Professional Fellows Division in the Office of Citizen Exchanges at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) invites proposal submissions for the FY 2020 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Professional Fellows Program.
The YSEALI Professional Fellows Program is a two-way exchange program designed to promote mutual understanding, enhance leadership and professional skills, and build lasting and sustainable partnerships between emerging leaders in Southeast Asia and the United States.
The U.S.-based exchange program will be five to six weeks in duration and consist of:
- Professional Fellowship Institutes (“Institute”) in each of the program themes, featuring individually tailored fellowship placements at relevant U.S. non-profit, public, or private sector organizations;
- A program closing conference called the YSEALI Fellow Forum in Washington, DC. Upon the conclusion of the U.S.-based exchange program, at least 50 select American participants will travel overseas for minimum one-week reciprocal exchanges to assist the non-U.S. participants in implementing Action Plans in their local communities, and help contribute to lasting, substantive partnerships between U.S. and Southeast Asian professionals. The YSEALI Professional Fellows Program will also include follow-on alumni engagement activities.
The YSEALI Professional Fellows Program supports the following broad goals:
- Promote mutual understanding and lasting partnerships between emerging leaders from the 10 ASEAN member countries (Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam), Timor Leste, and the United States;
- Provide opportunities for participants ages 25-35 to collaborate, and share ideas, approaches, and strategies to develop solutions to pressing local and global challenges;
- Increase Americans’ global competitiveness through new and expanded partnerships with professionals from Southeast Asia;
- Create resilient communities and address disinformation by supporting civil society, open transparent institutions, and human rights; Build a global network of like-minded professionals committed to creating positive change in their workplaces and communities.
Funding Information
- Approximate Total Funding: $4,200,000
- Approximate Average Award: $4,200,000
- Floor of Award Range: $4,200,000
- Ceiling of Award Range: $4,200,000
- Anticipated Award Date: August 1, 2020
- Anticipated Project Completion Date: December 31, 2022
Eligibility Criteria
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit applications for this competition.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=325358