CALL FOR PROPOSALS
The U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan in partnership with implementing NGO National Alumni Network (NAN) announces the Alumni Grants Program (AGP) for 2022-2023.
- Did you study or participate in a U.S. sponsored educational or professional exchange program?
- Do you have a project you would like to undertake that would benefit your community, strengthen the relationship between American and Kazakhstani citizens, or increase knowledge of one community about other?
The Alumni Grants Program supports innovative and sustainable projects developed and implemented by Kazakhstani citizens who are alumni of a U.S. government or U.S. Embassy educational or professional exchange program.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
With AGP 2022-2023, NAN provides alumni of U.S. sponsored exchange programs with funding and resources to expand on the skills and knowledge gained during their exchange programs to design and implement effective and sustainable solutions to current challenges facing their local communities in Kazakhstan. Proposals should focus on strengthening communities and capacity building.
Competitive proposals will address one of the following:
- Support youth and civil society in the regions (outside of Nur-Sultan and Almaty) to advocate for their needs and work with government to:
- Promote youth civic engagement (including increased soft skills and awareness of rights and advocacy).
- Build the capacity of civil society organizations to seek and manage funds as well as effectively engage the government and communities.
- Educate citizens on their rights and protections, contributing to a culture of respect for rule of law and reduced corruption and in addressing accountability, transparency, and inclusive governance processes.
- Strengthen Higher Education:
- Share U.S. best practices to support faculty and administrators to advance academic freedom. This could include efforts to improve university management, course offerings, teaching methodology, promoting academic integrity, peer to peer training, or student services, among other areas.
- Strengthen student body development by integrating best practices from U.S. universities – supporting student groups to develop capacity in overall soft skills, community service, communicating with university leadership, and sharing other best practices from U.S. exchange experiences.
GENERAL GUIDELINES
To apply for the AGP, applicants need to carefully read the announcement and the guidelines in this file and follow the step described below:
Applications should be submitted via registration form in the following 5 simple steps:
- Register as Alumni by the link
- Download 3 documents: Application Guidelines, Application Form and Budget Form here
- Fill out Application Form and Budget Form with your project proposal
- All Application Form and Budget Form should be submitted by October 7th, 17 PM (Nur-Sultan time) via email alumnikazakhstan@gmail.com
- Decision regarding your Application will be communicated to you via emails by October 30, 2022
Application Selection Process
A Selection Committee composed of the National Alumni Network with Public Affairs Sections in the U.S. Embassy and Consulate will use the following criteria to evaluate all applications.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
- Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea
- Project Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives
- Evaluation and Sustainability of the Project
- Communication, Media and Outreach Plan
- Budget Justification
FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION
Announcement posted: September 6, 2022
Closing date for applications: October 7, 2022
Funding type: Grant
Decision date: no later than October 30, 2022
Expected size of individual awards: Between $3,000 to $7,000
Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed before February 1, 2023.
ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
Applicants must be Kazakhstani alumni of a U.S. Department of State-funded exchange program (https://alumni.state.gov/list-exchange-programs), or a U.S. government-sponsored exchange program (https://j1visa.state.gov/).
- Alumni who are U.S. citizens may not submit proposals, but U.S. citizen alumni may participate as team members in a project.
- Applications must be submitted by individual and exchange alumni. Not-for-profit, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, and academic institutions are not eligible to apply in the name of the organization but can serve as partners for implementing project activities.
COST SHARING
Inclusion of cost share is not a requirement of this opportunity.
CONTACT US
If you have any questions about the process, we encourage you to contact the NAN team by email at: alumnikazakhstan@gmail.com.
Please contact the NAN team first to inquire about AGP 2022-2023 as they will have specific information about the competition. Only if you are unable to contact the NAN team, you may contact the U.S. Mission’s Alumni Coordinators at kazakhstanalumni@state.gov.