FY 2023 U.S. Speaker Program

Background
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) is announcing an open competition to support the Office of U.S. Speaker Program. The program aims to engage U.S. citizen experts in in-person and virtual exchanges with foreign audiences worldwide, contributing to economic and educational opportunities in the United States and around the world.

Grant Details
The U.S. Speaker Program recruits dynamic American experts for in-person and/or virtual exchanges, engaging in approximately 700 programs annually worldwide. The program includes impactful traveling programs ranging from three days to three weeks in length and virtual programs, which can take place on a single specified date and time and may be part of a continuing series.

Programmatic formats include lectures, workshops, seminars, and training series. The recipient organization is responsible for managing logistical aspects of the program, including booking and issuance of airline tickets, provision of visas (and passports, as necessary), disbursing participant program funding, monitoring/reporting on actions taken and results achieved, conducting speaker evaluations, providing travel information on vaccination and COVID-19 test requirements for traveling programs as required by U.S. Speaker destination country, developing social media content, managing the U.S. Speaker Program social media, referring potential U.S. Speaker candidates, particularly those from underrepresented areas of the United States and minority serving institutions.

Eligibility Requirements
U.S. public and private academic and cultural institutions, exchange-of-persons, and other not-for-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.

Period of Performance
The anticipated project completion date is September 1, 2026.

Grant Value
$3,809,000 FY 2023 – base year funding amount; $3,809,000 FY 2024 – NCC year-one funding amount; $3,809,000 FY 2025 – NCC year-two funding amount. The total approximate funding is $11,427,000.

Place of Performance
The program will engage all regions of the world.