The State Department created the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) in 2011 to support alumni initiatives that promote shared values and innovative solutions to global challenges. The competition provides small grants to teams of past and current participants of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs to carry out public service projects utilizing the skills and knowledge they gained during their exchange experiences.
Since its inception, AEIF has supported more than 300 alumni-led initiatives around the world and reached millions of people both directly and indirectly through trainings, awareness campaigns, and leadership and empowerment initiatives. In 2016, 61 grants of up $25,000 were awarded to alumni teams worldwide to support their public service projects.
Requirements:
- Alumni must be verified members of the International Exchange Alumni (IEA) global online community and form teams of at least three (3) IEA community members (this number includes the team leader).
- Alumni who are U.S. citizens may not submit proposals, however, they may participate as team members in a project.
- All project activities and initiatives must take place outside of the United States.
- Proposed projects must address one of the five AEIF themes below.
The following themes were selected for AEIF 2017:
- Business Development and Economic Opportunity
- Civic Participation: Building Resilient Communities
- Cooperation in Science, Technology, Health and Energy
- Education and Inclusion: Pathways to Success
- Empowerment of Women and Girls
Timeline:
- Thursday, March 2: The AEIF competition begins at 12:00 pm noon ET (U.S. Eastern Time). Alumni may start submitting proposals and budgets.
- Thursday, March 30: Deadline for AEIF Proposals and Budget Forms is 12:00 pm noon ET (U.S. Eastern Time). This is the final and only deadline, so make sure you get your three team members and submit your final projects in before the deadline, no exceptions.
- July: AEIF 2017 Winning Projects Announced!
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the US State Department Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) 2017