Deadline: 15 July 2019
The U.S. Consulate General. Public Affairs Section in Kolkata has announced its funding program entitled “Widening the Support Circle: Women in STEM.
Objectives
Project objectives include:
- To create a strong and sustainable support system for women in the STEM workforce to help boost confidence and achieve professional goals;
- To equip female Indian university students with resources to face the challenges of gender bias and the “glass ceiling” in the workplace and academia;
- To build mental resilience and coping mechanisms for women to sustain their careers in the traditionally male-dominated fields of STEM; and
- To share U.S.-best practices on women in STEM overcoming obstacles.
PAS Kolkata proposes biweekly mentoring workshops in Guwahati for 30 women between the ages of 20-25 pursuing undergraduate studies in STEM fields in Guwahati who have little to no exposure to the U.S and the American higher education system. The workshops will be conducted by experts/mentors, preferably female alumni of USG programs, who have built successful careers. Alumni from the Kolkata chapter of the previous PAS project Women for Women: Supporting Each Other to Build Sustainable Careers will be invited from time to time to mentor and share their experience. In addition, the women will participate in virtual exchange sessions with current STEM students studying in a U.S. university, preferably EducationUSA alumni or STEM Fulbright Fellows. The findings from the virtual exchanges will be incorporated into the workshop to achieve a global perspective of working women professionals.
The objectives of these workshops and virtual exchange are:
- To initiate a dialogue and create awareness of the obstacles women face in the workplace, specifically in the context of gender;
- To build confidence to encourage women to compete for leadership positions;
- To provide a platform to young women to exchange ideas and create cross-cultural awareness on stereotypes associated with women in STEM;
- To introduce Indian students to the U.S. university system and promote higher studies in the United States; and
- To identify potential nominees for State Department exchange programs.
Self-assessment surveys completed by participants at the beginning and end of the project will evaluate the program’s impact, along with a presentation and knowledge sharing by the participants upon completion. Alumni from the Kolkata chapter will be encouraged to attend and participate in the final workshop. Participants will set up Women for Women Circles with assistance from the Kolkata alumni. Women for Women Circles are peer support groups where workshop participants encourage fellow students to achieve their professional goals.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $30,000
- Award Ceiling: $30,000
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility is open to all non-profit, non-governmental organizations. Individuals are not eligible for an award under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Organizations may sub-contract with other entities, but only one, non-profit, non-governmental entity can be the prime recipient of the award. When sub-contracting with other entities, the responsibilities of each entity must be clearly defined in the proposal.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted via given website.
For more information, please visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=316933