Deadline: 1 June 2016
The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is seeking proposals for FY 2016 Ngwang Choephel Fellows Program that promotes activities that preserve cultural traditions, enhance sustainable development, expand economic opportunities, and support environmental conservation within Tibetan communities in China.
Focusing on the theme of Economic Empowerment, the FY 2016 Ngwang Choephel Fellows Program offers Tibetans living in the Tibet Autonomous Region or other Tibetan areas of China opportunities to enhance their professional business and managerial skills, generate new business ventures, and provide increased employment opportunities within their communities.
The Economic Empowerment theme will focus on owners of small and/or family businesses, business professionals, social entrepreneurs, community leaders, pastoral nomads and/or farmers, and educators interested in the practical application of business and management theory.
Funding Information: ECA anticipates issuing two grants, each for approximately $287,500 to support program and administrative costs required to implement this exchange program.
Proposals Priorities
- Proposals should provide participants opportunities to learn best practices in creating, managing, and growing successful small businesses, incorporating technology into their business strategy, and utilizing economic tools to enhance their immediate communities.
- Proposals should focus on conditions that allow for and promote economic growth and increased participation in the global economy as well as promote sustainable and inclusive community economic development.
- Proposed projects must be two-way exchanges involving both U.S. and foreign participants and should take place over a two-year period.
- Economic Empowerment proposals could, for example, include economic activity related to cultural preservation, eco-tourism, traditional medicine, land management, or community-based training programs.
- Special attention should be paid to concrete outcomes such as job creation, market readiness, small business growth, enhanced professional skills, etc.
- Proposals should incorporate alternate plans into their narrative in anticipation of any difficulties related to participant travel to or from the Tibetan Autonomous Region or the Tibetan areas of China.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applications may be submitted by U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3).
- Bureau grant guidelines require that organizations with less than four years of experience in conducting international exchanges be limited to $130,000 in Bureau funding.
How to Apply
Interested applicants can download the application packages via given website.
Eligible Country: United States
For more information, please visit Ngwang Choephel Fellows Program.