Slots: 1
Deadlines
Internal Deadline: Friday, August 1st, 2025, 5pm PT Contact RII.
LOI: N/A
External Deadline: September 8, 2025
Award Information
Award Type: Cooperative Agreement
Estimated Number of Awards: 4
Anticipated Award Amount: from $613,448 to $1,155,332
Link to Award: https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/359957
Process for Limited Submissions
PIs must submit their application as a Limited Submission through the Research Initiatives and Infrastructure (RII) Application Portal: https://rii.usc.edu/oor-portal/. Use the template provided here: RII Limited Submission Applicant Template
Materials to submit include:
- (1) Two-Page Proposal Summary (1” margins; single-spaced; standard font type, e.g. Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, or Georgia typeface; font size: 11 pt). Page limit includes references and illustrations. Pages that exceed the 2-page limit will be excluded from review. You must use the template linked above.
- (2) CV – (5 pages maximum)
Note: The portal requires information about the PIs in addition to department and contact information, including the 10-digit USC ID#. Please have this material prepared before beginning this application.
Purpose
The United States Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ Office of International Visitors (ECA/PE/V) announces an open competition for up to four cooperative agreements to support the staff expenses and overhead costs of the FY 2026 International Visitor Leadership Program’s (IVLP) National Program Agencies (NPAs). Launched in 1940, the IVLP is the Department of State’s foundational professional exchange program. The IVLP advances U.S. national security priorities and builds long-term relationships between Americans and international leaders in government, business, academia, and other fields. Recipients design and implement customized short-term visits to the United States for current and emerging leaders from around the world. These visits support U.S. foreign policy goals and reflect the participants’ professional interests. Eligible recipients will have expertise in foreign policy, experience in professional exchange programming, and the ability to provide tailored projects for participants from all countries.
As the U.S. Department of State’s foundational professional exchange program, the IVLP advances U.S. foreign policy goals through professional exchanges that highlight American excellence. Through carefully designed projects, the IVLP provides current and emerging foreign leaders with firsthand knowledge of U.S. society, history, and culture. In turn, the IVLP strengthens American communities by providing valuable opportunities to engage directly with foreign leaders and to foster lasting relationships. IVLP participants are leaders in government, politics, media, education, science, non-government organizations, the arts, and other disciplines. They are nominated by officers at U.S. embassies overseas, approved by ECA/PE/V staff in Washington, DC, and generally have little or no prior exposure to the United States. Since the IVLP s inception in 1940, more than 230,000 foreign leaders have participated in the program.
Program Specific Guidelines.
All award recipients will develop professionally substantive and highly customized projects that offer participants a well-balanced, well-paced, and comprehensive experience in the United States.
A project is defined as a short-term (2-21 days) visit for emerging leaders to the United States on varied themes based on U.S. foreign policy goals. International participants are nominated and selected by U.S. Missions and approved by ECA/PE/V. Participant numbers vary based on the type of project; for more information on project types, reference the chart in the Appendix.
Projects may take place in person, virtually, or in a hybrid format as determined by ECA/PE/V.
ECA/PE/V expects to implement IVLP projects for up to approximately 4,000 participants each year, pending funds availability.
Each project focuses on a substantive theme. Some typical IVLP project themes are: agriculture;
border security; economic and business development; international crime; cybersecurity; science and technology; space diplomacy; U.S. foreign policy; and U.S. government. Themes may change based on changes in U.S. foreign policy priorities during the award’s period of performance. The goals and objectives for each specific IVLP project will be shared with the award recipients as they are assigned.
Award recipients will work closely with the responsible ECA/PE/V Project Officer throughout the development, implementation, and evaluation of each assigned IVLP project.
Projects must contain applicable meetings with subject matter experts which focus on foreign policy goals and project objectives. Meetings, site visits, and other activities should promote dialogue between participants and their U.S. professional counterparts. Projects should feature a variety of viewpoints on the thematic topic.
Most projects will begin in Washington, DC, with a program opening designed to provide an overview of the issue and a central examination of federal policies regarding the issue. Well-paced itineraries for each project usually include visits to three to five additional communities across the United States.
Projects should provide opportunities for participants to experience American society and culture and to meet a wide variety of Americans in different environments. The projects should include occasions to share a meal or similar experience (home hospitality) in the homes of Americans and to address student, civic and professional groups in relaxed and informal settings.
Participants should have appropriate opportunities for site visits and hands-on experiences that are relevant to project themes. The award recipient may propose professional “shadowing” experiences with U.S. professional colleagues for some projects (a typical shadowing experience means spending a half- or full workday with a professional counterpart).
Projects should also allow time for participants to reflect on their experiences and share observations with project colleagues.
Visit our Institutionally Limited Submission webpage for more updates and other announcements.