Deadline: 22-Nov-22
The Public Diplomacy Sections of the U.S. Embassy in Madrid and the U.S. Consulate General in Barcelona (referred to collectively as “PD Spain”) announce an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out the process to select 5 rank-ordered candidates from Spain to participate in the Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSI) for Student Leaders for Environmental Issues.
The State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) has established Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSIs) for Student Leaders as intensive short-term academic programs whose purpose is to provide groups of undergraduate student leaders with a deeper understanding of the United States while simultaneously enhancing their leadership skills. Each Institute has 20 participants. The Institutes consist of a four-week academic residency with a balanced series of seminar discussions, readings, group presentations, and lectures. Site visits, leadership development, cultural activities, and community service complement the coursework and academic sessions. If conditions allow, the Institutes will include a one-week integrated regional study tour in the United States. Note that if the program must take place virtually, participants will engage in similar activities, but online from their home countries.
Objectives
- The ideal organization will have contacts from all over Spain, with the capability to reach a wide and diverse pool of qualified youth, with special attention paid to reaching audiences of excellent potential candidates from outside Madrid and Barcelona.
- The organization should have an extensive, demonstrated commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) values that it will embody throughout the campaign and selection process.
Funding Information
- Award Ceiling: $3,000 USD.
Participants
SUSI participants are expected to be highly motivated first through third year undergraduate students from colleges, universities, and other institutions of higher education, who demonstrate leadership through academic work, community involvement, and extracurricular activities. Their fields of study will be varied and may include the sciences, social sciences, humanities, education, business, and other professional fields. Emphasis should be made on recruiting participants from historically underserved groups, including women, minority communities, and individuals with disabilities, and who have little or no international experience. When possible, the SUSI team requests that posts/Fulbright commissions nominate candidates from a diverse group of universities and higher education institutions. These students are considered by PD Spain to be “Emerging Voices” leaders who can use experiences such as the SUSI to bring awareness to salient, pressing, world-wide issues.
- Candidates nominated for this program should:
- Demonstrate English language proficiency (speaking, reading, writing, listening);
- Have an interest in the Institute topic;
- Be between 18 and 25 years of age;
- Have at least one semester left of their undergraduate studies, and be committed to returning to their home universities following completion of the program;
- Demonstrate strong leadership qualities and potential in their university and community activities;
- Indicate a serious interest in learning about the United States;
- Have sustained high level of academic achievement, as indicated by grades, awards, and teacher recommendations;
- Demonstrate commitment to community service and extracurricular university activities;
- Have little or no prior study or travel experience in the United States or elsewhere outside of Europe;
- Be mature, responsible, independent, confident, open-minded, tolerant, thoughtful, and inquisitive;
- Be willing and able to fully participate in an intensive academic program, community service, and educational travel; and be comfortable with campus life, prepared to share living accommodations, and able to adjust to cultural and social practices different from those of their home country.
Responsibilities of the Awardee
- The awardee will be responsible for the following:
- The design, publication, and promotion of the call for applications through traditional and/or social media platforms and organizational networks that will maximize the number of qualified applicants .
- Collect and review all applications (in English) keeping in mind DEIA values.
- Carry out preliminary interviews (in English).
- Provide a rank-ordered top 5 candidates and video recordings of their interviews to PD Spain .
- Collect necessary biodata indicated by PD Spain from the final selected nominees.
- Prepare a final report including data and demographics on all applicants and a justification of the selection of the top 5 candidates.
Eligibility Criteria
- The following organizations registered in Spain are eligible to apply:
- Registered public or private non-profit organizations, such as business associations, foundations, and civil society/non-governmental organizations with programming experience.
- Non-profit or governmental educational institutions; and
- Governmental institutions.
- For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible to apply.
- U.S. or third-country organizations are not eligible for a grant under this program unless in partnership with a Spanish or Andorran entity.
- Applicants must have organizational representation (i.e. an existing office) in Spain .
- Organizations with extensive experience working with students and/or program recruitment, and with an established network of contacts in Spain will have priority among applicants.
For more information, visit https://es.usembassy.gov/notice-of-funding-opportunity-susi-environmental-issues-2023/