12 to 24 months

Number of awards anticipated

One (1) award

Award amounts

Awards may range from a minimum of $5,000.00 U.S. dollars to a maximum of $35,000.00 U.S. dollars

Total available funding

$35,000.00 pending availability of funds

Type of Funding

FY26 Smith Mundt Public Diplomacy Funds

Anticipated project start date

November 2026

 

Funding Instrument Type: Grant or fixed amount award (FAA).

 

Project Performance Period: Proposed projects should be completed in two years or less.

Optional: The Department of State will entertain applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the initial budget period on a non-competitive basis subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S. Department of State.

This notice is subject to availability of funding. The Public Diplomacy Section reserves the right to award less or more than the funds described under circumstances deemed to be in the best interest of the U.S. government, pending the availability of funds and approval of the designated grants officer.

 

2.  Executive SummaryThe U.S. Department of State’s Embassy in Santo Domingo announces an open competition to implement a program to promote U.S. leadership in higher education, strengthen partnerships between U.S. and Dominican universities, and engage U.S. and Dominican exchange alumni as drivers of innovation and collaboration. This funding opportunity will support a project that introduces U.S.-based educational models, teaching practices, and research approaches, while fostering sustained institutional linkages between higher education institutions in both countries. Activities may include faculty collaboration, student training, joint research, mentorship, and opportunities that increase awareness of study and exchange opportunities in the United States. The target audience includes university students, faculty, and administrators in the Dominican Republic, as well as U.S. partners and exchange alumni. Eligible applicants are teams led by U.S. government exchange alumni, in partnership with Dominican and/or U.S. academic institutions. This program advances U.S. foreign policy priorities by strengthening people-to-people ties, promoting U.S. educational excellence, supporting workforce development, and building long-term institutional partnerships that contribute to shared prosperity and mutual understanding between the United States and the Dominican Republic.

 

B.   ELIGIBILITY 

1.  Eligible ApplicantsThe following organizations are eligible to apply:

·        Dominican not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations

●      Dominican public and private educational institutions

 

2.  Cost Sharing or MatchingCost sharing or matching is encouraged, but not required for this funding opportunity. 

 

3.  Other Eligibility RequirementsAll organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) issued via SAM.gov as well as a valid registration in SAM.gov. Please see Section E.3 for more information. Individuals are not required to have a UEI or be registered in SAM.gov.

 

4.     This opportunity will not support:

●      Projects relating to partisan political activity;

●      Charitable or development activities; including direct social services such as medical, psychological, and/or humanitarian support

●      Construction projects;

●      Projects that support specific religious activities;

●      Fund-raising campaigns;

●      Lobbying for specific legislation or programs

●      Scientific research or surveys;

●      Commercial projects;

●      Projects intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization;

●      Projects that duplicate existing projects;

●      Illegal activities

 

C.  PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 

1.  Project Background, Goals, and Objectives[1] 

 

The U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo, through the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) 2026, seeks to promote U.S. leadership in higher education, strengthen partnerships between U.S. and Dominican universities, and engage U.S. and Dominican exchange alumni as drivers of innovation and collaboration. This program will support projects that introduce U.S. higher education models and best practices, including experiential learning, research mentorship, and student-centered pedagogy, while fostering meaningful partnerships between U.S. and Dominican institutions. Projects are expected to engage alumni as leaders, trainers, and connectors who apply knowledge gained through U.S. exchanges to address local and regional challenges.

The Embassy has previously supported programming such as faculty exchanges, EducationUSA advising, study abroad promotion, and higher education networking initiatives. Successful approaches have included hands-on training paired with mentorship, partnerships with U.S. faculty, and public-facing events that amplify impact. Lessons learned show that one-off workshops without follow-up or institutional buy-in have limited sustainability, while projects that integrate applied practice, mentorship, and institutional partnerships yield stronger, longer-term results.

The goal of this NOFO is to generate high-impact, alumni-led projects that demonstrate U.S. leadership in higher education, strengthen durable U.S.–Dominican university partnerships, and expand opportunities for students and faculty engagement. Success will be measured by the number and quality of institutional collaborations formed, participants trained, and tangible outputs produced (e.g., research projects, curricula, exchanges), as well as the sustainability and scalability of these efforts beyond the grant period.

 

Project Audience(s):

Primary beneficiaries are:

 

·        Dominican University Students (Undergraduate and Graduate), age 18 years old and older and enrolled in Dominican universities. These participants should be eligible to benefit from exposure to U.S. higher education models, experiential learning opportunities, research training, and increased awareness of study and exchange opportunities in the United States.

·        Dominican University Faculty and Administrators working in Dominican universities.

·        U.S. University Faculty and Academic Leaders: Professors, researchers, academic coordinators, and institutional leaders. This group should engage in capacity-building activities, collaborative teaching and research, and the development of sustained institutional partnerships with U.S. counterparts.

·        Dominican and U.S. Exchange Alumni who will serve as project leaders, mentors, and facilitators, applying their U.S. exchange experience to drive local impact and strengthen bilateral ties.

 

Secondary beneficiaries may include local communities, partner institutions, and broader academic networks that benefit from increased collaboration, knowledge transfer, and public-facing project outcomes.

 

 

Project Goal:  Advance U.S. foreign policy objectives by increasing the influence of U.S. higher education models, deepening bilateral academic partnerships, and fostering alumni-led initiatives that support economic growth and people-to-people ties in the Dominican Republic.

 

Project Objectives:

●      Objective 1: Promote and showcase U.S. higher education models and best practices by training a minimum of 50 Dominican university students and 15 faculty members through workshops, mentorship, or applied learning activities, resulting in at least 75 percent of participants demonstrating the ability to apply at least one U.S.-based methodology for example, experiential learning, research methods, or student-centered pedagogy, within three months after program completion.

●      Objective 2: Strengthen institutional collaboration by establishing or expanding at least one formal partnership or collaborative initiatives between a U.S. and a Dominican higher education institution, such as joint research projects, co-developed curricula, or exchange programs, with documented follow-on activity or continued engagement within six months of project completion.

●      Objective 3: Enhance alumni leadership and engagement by supporting a team of at least three exchange alumni to lead, mentor, or implement project activities, resulting in at-least three alumni-led outputs including (but not limited to) training, mentorship sessions, or collaborative events.

●      Objective 4: Increase awareness and understanding of U.S. higher education opportunities by engaging a minimum of 50 students and 15 faculty members in EducationUSA-supported activities and programming, resulting in at least 70 percent of participants demonstrating increased knowledge of U.S. study opportunities, application processes, or exchange programs, as measured through pre- and post-engagement assessments.