Deadline: 16-Jun-23
The United States Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, through the Office of Public Diplomacy Section (PDS), is pleased to announce a Notice of Funding Opportunity to design and implement the Bold Academic Fellowships Program.
The Office of Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) invites proposal submissions from U.S. public and private non-profit organizations and accredited U.S. post-secondary educational institutions (community colleges, liberal arts colleges, public and private universities) meeting the provisions to design and implement one or two BOLD (Balkanski Omladinski Lideri, Balkan Young Leaders) Academic Fellowships for BiH Student Leaders, pending the availability of FY 2023 AEECA funds.
Applicants may propose to design and implement the following:
- Option A: The BOLD Academic Fellowship on civic engagement, which includes one Institute (exchange),
- Option B: The BOLD Academic Fellowship on economic development, which includes one Institute (exchange), or
- Option C: Two BOLD Academic Fellowships, either simultaneously or asynchronously. One on civic engagement and one on economic development
Themes
- The BOLD Academic Fellowship on Civic Engagement should introduce participants to the concept of civic engagement in the United States as a means of improving communities and the institutions and services of government and provide them with the skills to implement projects as civic leaders themselves. An understanding of civic engagement and its development in the United States should be accompanied by the opportunity to apply the U.S. experience to the BiH context. The academic program should define civic engagement, examine its development in the United States, and explore topics such as citizenship, community building, economic development, grassroots activism, political leadership, and volunteerism in the modern age. In order to define the content of the institute and enhance the academic experience, proposals may choose to emphasize a specific theme or sub-themes such as civil rights and protections, public health, education, entrepreneurship, ethics, leadership, or media. In addition to the community-based experiential learning component, academic sessions should be complemented with hands-on sessions or workshops designed to build skills in the topics mentioned above. The institutes should require participants to develop innovative and practical plans to become engaged citizens in their own communities and to implement an action plan to address a particular need, building upon the BOLD network to disseminate their plans and actions.
- The BOLD Academic Fellowship on Entrepreneurship, Youth Employment and Economic Development should provide participants with an overview of entrepreneurial approaches by introducing challenges and successes of U.S. entrepreneurial models, including social enterprises, business leadership and women’s economic empowerment. An understanding of U.S. entrepreneurial ecosystem should be accompanied by a strong focus on how to apply lessons learned in the BiH context. Topics may include, but are not limited to, organizational development and management, the basics of starting and running a small business, market research and risk analysis, innovation, strategic business planning, and corporate social responsibility. In addition to the community-based experiential learning component, academic sessions should be complemented with hands-on sessions or workshops designed to build skills in the topics mentioned above. The Institutes should require participants to develop their entrepreneurial ideas in the form of a business plan and a pitch, and a concrete action plan to implement toward starting a business, building upon the BOLD network to disseminate their plans and actions.
Components
- Each institute should be organized for at least 13 undergraduate students, aged 18-25, from communities in BiH to reflect the country’s diversity and administrative divisions, for a total minimum of 26 participants in two institutes.
- Each Institute should be approximately five weeks in duration, including an academic residency at an academic institution and a significant component of experiential learning in the community or in another location. Ideally, each institute should incorporate a homestay experience as part of the program.
- The academic program in the U.S. should include group discussions, experiential learning activities, and exercises that focus on the theme and include aspects of leadership, teambuilding, collective problem-solving skills, effective communication, appreciation of diversity, and management skills. Therefore, participants should gain both theoretical knowledge and practical skills.
- The experiential learning component should include substantive and participatory activities in a community that pertain directly to the theme of the institute and bolster the skills and experience for students to implement their follow-on projects. Particular focus should be given to the integration of not-for-profit organizations and businesses in the community and their impact.
- Institutes should ensure a balance of speakers and perspectives throughout the program schedule, representing diverse U.S. political viewpoints, as well as other aspects of diversity. Institutes should foster PDS’s mission to promote mutual understanding between citizens of other countries and citizens of the United States. Thus, the programs should include robust opportunities for participants to meet Americans from a variety of backgrounds, to interact with their U.S. peers, and to speak to appropriate student and civic groups about their experiences and life in their home countries.
- The programs should include requirements of continued follow-on engagement and project implementation that build on the five-week engagement once participants return home.
- In addition to developing participants’ leadership skills, the program should provide participants with an in-depth examination of one of the themes outlined above.
Funding Information
- Length of Performance Period: 16 months
- Number of Awards Anticipated: Up to 2 depending on amount of each award.
- Award Amounts: Awards may range from USD 125,000 to USD 250,000
- Anticipated Award Date: July 2023
Responsibilities
- Provide advice and assistance in the execution of all program components.
- Manage recruitment and selection of the participants.
- Arrange international travel of the participants to the United States.
- Facilitate interaction within the Department of State, to include ECA, the regional bureaus, and overseas post.
- Approve host family applications, publicity materials, and the calendar of exchange activities.
- Monitor and evaluating the program, through regular communication with the award recipient and possibly one or more site visits.
- Perform an annual performance evaluation/review. Satisfactory performance and the availability of funds is a condition of continued administration of the program and execution of all option years.
- Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification of the results of the application review from the PDS program office coordinating this competition.
- Provide advice for the creation of program branding and attribution, websites, social media, and press.
Eligibility Criteria
- U.S. public and private non-profit organizations and accredited postsecondary U.S. higher education institutions (community colleges, liberal arts colleges, public and private universities) meeting the eligibility requirements outlined in this section are eligible to apply. Applicants must demonstrate an ability to work in all parts of BiH, whether independently or in cooperation with a partner organization.
- Other eligibility requirements: In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number issued.
For more information, visit U.S. Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina.