Deadline: 7-Jun-21
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 three Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSIs) for Student Leaders from Europe to take place over the course of five weeks in summer 2022.
The Study of the U.S. Institutes for Student Leaders from Europe provide multinational groups of undergraduate students with a deeper understanding of U.S. society, culture, values, and institutions. Each Institute should be five weeks in duration, including an approximately four-week academic residency at a U.S. academic institution and approximately one-week integrated educational study tour. The academic residency should take place on a U.S. university or college campus and should include academic coursework as well as weekly community service activities, weekly leadership development sessions, and opportunities for interaction with diverse American speakers and peers.
Purpose
Study of the U.S. Institutes for Student Leaders is 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 training, community service activities, and opportunities to interact with a wide range of Americans. The ultimate goal is to provide foreign student leaders with an in-depth examination of a specific field of study, while also developing their leadership skills and heightening their awareness of the history and evolution of U.S. society, culture, values, and institutions, broadly defined.
Themes
The themes selected for these Institutes are:
- Civic Engagement: topics may include, but are not limited to, active citizenship and responsibilities of citizens in a democracy, civil rights and protections, voting, racial equity, gender equity, community building and economic development, public policy, grassroots activism, political leadership, student and youth activism, and volunteerism. One Institute.
- Environmental Issues: topics may include, but are not limited to, climate change, 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. One Institute.
- Journalism and Media: topics may include, but are not limited to, First Amendment rights, media literacy, the role of a free press in a democracy, combatting the spread of disinformation, technology’s impact on journalism, editorial independence, journalistic ethics, legal considerations, citizen journalism including student and youth journalism, economic models for journalism, privacy issues, digital and social media, and journalistic tradecraft. One Institute
Funding Information
- Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2021 base year, up to $1,050,000 pending availability of funds
- Approximate Total Funding: $3,150,000.
- Approximate Number of Awards: One.
- Approximate Average Award: $1,050,000, pending the availability of funds.
- Floor of Award Range: None.
- Ceiling of Award Range: $1,050,000, pending the availability of funds
Participants
Participants in the Study of the U.S. Institute for Student Leaders from Europe will be highly motivated undergraduate students from countries in Europe. All participants will be proficient in English. Each Institute will host approximately 20 participants for a total of 60 participants in all three Institutes. The recipient will NOT participate in the selection of participants. The U.S. embassy and consulates in each participating country will nominate candidates and ECA will make the final participant selections. Every effort will be made to select a gender-balanced group. A final list of participants will be sent to the award recipient in the spring prior to each summer Institute for timely processing of DS-2019 forms.
Eligibility Criteria
- 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. Applicants must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of application.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=332706
