Opportunity Information: Apply for SFOP0007471
The FY2021 Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students (IDEAS) Program is a U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) grant opportunity designed to strengthen and broaden U.S. student participation in study abroad. Run through the U.S. Study Abroad Branch (ECA/A/S/Q) in the Office of Global Educational Programs, the program (formerly called the Capacity Building Program for U.S. Study Abroad) focuses on building the institutional capacity of accredited U.S. colleges and universities so they can expand and diversify education abroad in ways that also support U.S. foreign policy goals and the broader ECA mission of promoting mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries.
At its core, IDEAS defines "diversifying" study abroad in a practical, outcomes-focused way. This includes helping institutions develop programs in less common or emerging overseas destinations rather than concentrating mobility in the same set of traditional host countries. It also emphasizes increasing participation among student groups that have historically been underrepresented in study abroad, such as first-generation college students, students from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds, students with disabilities, and students from academic fields that do not typically send large numbers abroad. A third diversification priority is institutional: growing the number and types of U.S. institutions that offer study abroad opportunities, including community colleges, Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), and institutions located in states where study abroad participation has traditionally been lower.
The award is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning the recipient is expected to work closely with ECA throughout implementation rather than operating entirely independently. ECA anticipates making one award, with a ceiling of $1,500,000, under CFDA 19.009. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement). The funding opportunity number is SFOP0007471, originally posted December 9, 2020, with an original closing date of March 5, 2021.
The program has two main components that the selected recipient organization would be responsible for delivering. The first component is the administration of a national small grants competition. The recipient must run one competition and make no fewer than 20 sub-awards to accredited U.S. higher education institutions. Each sub-award must be $35,000 or less and is intended to help institutions create, expand, and/or diversify their study abroad programs, primarily for undergraduate students. The recipient is expected to design selection criteria that clearly align with the IDEAS goals described above, provide hands-on programmatic guidance to applicants and grantees, and oversee both fiscal compliance and program performance for each sub-award. Oversight responsibilities include tracking implementation progress, identifying and documenting outcomes and impact, submitting semi-annual results reports to ECA, and flagging any obstacles that could prevent successful completion so ECA and the recipient can address issues early. A formal evaluation of activities is also required as described in the full notice of funding opportunity.
The second component is a broader set of capacity-building initiatives aimed at the wider U.S. study abroad field, beyond the institutions that receive small sub-awards. Under this element, the recipient designs and delivers trainings and knowledge-sharing opportunities that help education abroad professionals expand participation and improve program design. The announcement allows flexibility in the format of these initiatives, including virtual or in-person workshops, seminars, trainings, and other creative mechanisms that strengthen skills, institutional know-how, and peer learning among staff and faculty. Applicants are expected to propose at least six total activities. If in-person convenings are proposed, the budget should include support to ensure broad and diverse participation, including for representatives who need financial assistance to attend, and the proposal must clearly justify why meeting in person is important to achieving the activity goals. Funding proposed for this capacity-building initiative component is capped at $150,000.
Overall, this opportunity is less about directly funding students and more about building the systems that make study abroad possible and equitable at scale: institutional planning, program development, partnerships abroad, strategies to recruit and support underrepresented students, and professional development for the staff and faculty who run these programs. The single selected recipient acts as a national administrator and field-builder by both distributing small grants to campuses and delivering training and convening activities that raise capacity across the U.S. higher education community.Apply for SFOP0007471
- The Department of State, Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY2021 Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students (IDEAS) Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.009.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 09, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 05, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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