Deadline: 7-Apr-22
The Study of the U.S. Branch (ECA/A/E/USS), Office of Academic Exchange Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), invites proposal submissions from accredited U.S. post-secondary education institutions (community colleges, liberal arts colleges, public and private universities) and other U.S. public and private non-profit organizations for the design and implementation of five Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSIs) for Global Student Leaders.
The SUSIs for Global Student Leaders provide multinational groups of undergraduate students with a deeper understanding of U.S. society, culture, and institutions Each of the five Institutes focuses on a theme or topics in U.S. studies and will be five weeks in duration, including an approximately four-week academic residency at a U.S. academic institution and an approximately one-week integrated educational study tour.
Purpose: Study of the U.S. Institutes for Student Leaders are intensive academic programs that provide groups of foreign undergraduate students with a deeper understanding of U.S. society, culture, and institutions. Institutes include academic sessions; an integrated study tour; leadership and skills development; community service activities; and opportunities to interact with a wide range of Americans. The primary goal is to provide foreign student leaders with an in-depth examination of a specific field of study while developing leadership skills and improving participants’ understanding of the United States.
Themes
All Institutes should enhance participants’ knowledge of U.S. history, government, institutions, society, and culture, while developing their leadership capacity and skills. The Institutes should incorporate a focus on U.S. historical events as well as contemporary American life, including current political, social, and economic debates in a pluralistic society. The overall themes and topics for these programs reflect global U.S. foreign policy priorities. The themes for the selected Institutes are:
- Civic Engagement: Topics may include, but are not limited to, responsibilities of citizens in a democracy; civil rights movements; social justice; gender equity; community-building; grassroots and youth activism; strengthening democracy and defending against authoritarianism; addressing and fighting corruption; promoting respect for human rights; media literacy and countering disinformation; and the role of the voluntary sector.
- Economic Empowerment: Topics may include, but are not limited to, an overview of the U.S. economic system and structures; economic prosperity and opportunity; building sustainable economies; inequities within economies; financial access and inclusion; entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial ecosystems; social entrepreneurship; social capital development; financial literacy; organizational development and management; and adapting to the future of work.
- Climate Change and the Environment: Topics may include, but are not limited to, climate change impacts and mitigation; sustainable development; clean energy; conservation; environmental justice; ocean protection; pollution; economic impact; public health; and the impact of climate change on underserved, youth, and minority populations and communities, including indigenous peoples.
- Religious Diversity and Democracy: Topics may include, but are not limited to, the intersection of religious diversity and pluralism with American democracy; the First Amendment and separation of church and state; early religious traditions and the current religious landscape of the United States; conflict resolution and interfaith dialogue in a democracy; and the engagement of faith groups in civil society and the voluntary sector.
Funding Information
- Approximate Total Funding: $5,250,000
- Approximate Average Award: $1,750,000
- Anticipated Award Date: August 1, 2022, pending the availability of FY 2022 funds.
- Anticipated Project Completion Date: September 30, 2026.
Participants: Participants in the SUSIs for Student Leaders will be highly motivated undergraduate students from around the world. All participants will be proficient in English. Each Institute will host approximately 20 student leaders for a total of 100 participants in all five Institutes.
Eligibility Criteria
- U.S. public and private academic and cultural institutions, exchangeof-persons, and other not-for-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit applications for this competition.
- Applicants must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of application.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=337876