Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) 2021

Full announcement

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Notification of Funding Opportunity
S-DR860-21-NOFO-005
U.S. EMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT INNOVATION FUND (AEIF) 2021
Announcement Type: Grant
Funding Opportunity Title: Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) 2021
Date Opened: May 20, 2021
Closing Date and Time for Submission of Application: June 20, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. (Santo
Domingo time). Received proposals will be reviewed and submitted to the Alumni Engagement
Innovation Fund 2020 global competition.
Eligibility Category: Teams with at least two alumni of U.S. Government sponsored exchange
programs
Award Ceiling: U.S. $50,000.00
Award Floor: U.S. $5,000.00
Electronic Requirement: Applications must be submitted by email to the email address listed
below
Federal Agency Contact: Grants Officer, Alex Titolo
Email: SantoDomingoDRAlumni@state.gov
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) is pleased to
announce the 2021 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF). AEIF 2021 supports teams of
alumni of U.S. government-sponsored international exchange programs with funding from US$
5,000 up to US$ 50,000 to support public service projects.
We seek proposals from teams of at least two alumni that meet all program eligibility requirements
below. Alumni interested in competing in AEIF 2021 should submit proposals via email
to SantoDomingoDRAlumni@state.gov by Sunday, June 20, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. (Santo
Domingo time)
A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

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AEIF projects promote shared values and innovative solutions to global challenges. Since its
inception in 2011, AEIF has funded nearly 500 alumni-led projects around the world through a
competitive global competition.
In 2021, AEIF will support the United States commitment to empower youth and strengthen
STEAM education in the Dominican Republic, through experiential learning projects that foster
the themes mentioned below.
The U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo will accept proposals for AEIF 2021 that consist of public
service projects proposed and managed by teams of at least two (2) alumni that address one or
more of the below listed priority areas to:
• Engage high school students from underserved communities in science, technology,
engineering, arts, and math (STEM) based programs.
• Engage high school students and/or youth (ages 15-25) on developing solutions to address
climate change, conservation and local environmental issues.
• Engage high school students and/or youth (ages 15-25) on developing solutions to address
current health challenges with innovative and sustainable community focused solutions.
The U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo will review submitted proposals and select ONE to
recommend to the Alumni Affairs Office in the Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs Office of the Department of State in Washington D.C
for funding consideration. Selection for consideration is not a guarantee of funding.
B. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION
• Applicants must be alumni of U.S. government-funded or sponsored exchange programs,
and form teams of at least two (2) alumni.
• Alumni who are U.S. citizens may not submit proposals, but U.S. citizen alumni may
participate as team members in a project.
• Alumni teams may be comprised of alumni from different exchange programs and different
countries, but at least one of the team leaders must reside in the Dominican Republic.
• Proposals must address the priority areas listed above. Proposals that do not address the
priorities as outlined in the program objectives will be deemed ineligible.
• All project activities must take place outside of the United States and its territories.
• Proposals must be submitted in English and using the official AEIF 2021 Forms by no later
than June 20, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. (Santo Domingo time).
Allowable Activities and Costs
All project activities and initiatives must take place outside of the United States. AEIF 2020
can support the following costs and activities:
• Intra-regional or in-country transportation.

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• Rental of venues for project activities.
• Trainer or speaker expenses.
• Reasonable equipment and materials.
• Meals or refreshments integral to the project goals (i.e. working lunch during a meeting).
• Communications and publicity materials, such as manuals or project advertisements.
Ineligible Activities and Unallowable Costs
AEIF 2020 does not support the following activities or costs, and the selection committee will
deem applications involving any of these activities or costs ineligible:
• Airfare to or from the United States and its territories.
• Activities that take place in the United States and its territories.
• Sustained staff salaries, office space, and overhead/operational expenses.
• Large items of durable equipment or construction programs.
• Alcohol, excessive meals, refreshments, or entertainment.
• Academic or scientific research.
• Charitable or development activities or the provision of direct social services to a
population.
• Support or opposition of partisan political activity or lobbying for specific legislation or
programs.
• Programs that support specific religious activities.
• Fund-raising campaigns.
• Programs intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the
organization.
• Venture capital, for-profit endeavors, or charging a fee for participation in the project.
• Individual scholarships.
• Personal development.
• Social travel/visits.
• Gifts or prizes.
• Programs that duplicate existing programs.
C. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
Alumni interested in competing in AEIF 2021 should submit proposals via email
to SantoDomingoDRAlumni@state.gov by Sunday, June 20th, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. (Santo
Domingo time)
The U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo will review all the received proposals that meet the
eligibility requirements and will present ONE proposal from the Dominican Republic for the AEIF
2021 global competition.

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1. Content and Form of Application Submission
Proposals must be submitted in English and in U.S. dollars, using the
official applications forms “AEIF 2021 Application Form” and “AEIF 2021 Budget”.
These are available on the U.S. Embassy website at www.do.usembassy.gov
Please follow the instructions listed below. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of
this announcement or that do not meet the established requirements will not be eligible.
Please ensure that:
• The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of AEIF 2021.
• The proposal answers all questions on the official forms for the proposal and the
budget of AEIF 2021.
• All documents are in English.
• The budget is in U.S. dollars and is presented using the official AEIF budget form.
2. Guide to complete the Application Form
AEIF projects demonstrate innovation by tackling a new issue, using a unique approach,
working with a different group of people, or performing the project in a different location
than other projects. The strategies and questions below are designed to help you create a
strong proposal.
Purpose and Summary, Description, and Implementation Plan: Explain what your
project is about. When developing the purpose, summary, description, and implementation
plan, you should make all descriptions clear, concise, and compelling.
To write your narrative, consider the following questions:
• What is your project and why is it important?
• What change will your project create?
• Who is your target audience (are you trying to reach youth; a specific professional
sector; disadvantage communities, etc.?)
• How many people will be impacted by your project?
• Are you carrying out an awareness campaign, training, mentoring program, etc.?
• What impact or changes will you see because of the project?
• Who are your partners? What responsibilities will each team member and partner
have?
• What major steps and activities will you undertake to make your project happen?
Relevance of the project to strengthening STEAM education and empowering youth
in the Dominican Republic: Throughout your proposal, you will need to demonstrate
how your project will serve to promote STEAM education, health and/or environmental
challenges.
Degree of alumni involvement: Projects must include at least two (2) alumni team
leaders. More than two alumni may comprise the team, however, the minimum is two. As
the team leaders, the alumni must be closely involved in project planning, implementation,

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etc. You should ensure that the proposal includes the following information for each alumni
team member: first name, last name, e-mail address, exchange program, and country of
citizenship. In the proposal, you’ll need to explain the roles and responsibilities of each
member of the alumni team. Remember, alumni who are U.S. citizens may not submit an
application, but they may be part of a team.
Participation and support from local partners: Buy-in and support from the community
is important for the success of a project! The involvement of local partners is a strong sign
that there is community support and that you are engaging a broad array of experts. List
and describe non-alumni partners and the role, resources, or services they will provide to
your project (i.e. subject matter experts, community centers, academic institutions,
businesses, local/national government, non-governmental organizations, American
Spaces). If you don’t have an existing relationship with the partner(s), explain how you
will establish the partnership.
Monitoring and Evaluation: Proposals must include a plan to monitor and evaluate the
project’s success, both as the activities take place and at the end of the project. Overall, the
quality of your monitoring and evaluation plan will be judged on how well it 1) specifies
the intended outcomes and what you plan to achieve with the project, 2) gives clear
descriptions of how each outcome will be measures, 3) identifies when the outcomes will
be measured, and 4) explains how outcomes will be collected (such as surveys, interviews,
or focus groups). Successful monitoring and evaluation depend heavily on setting clear
goals and outcomes.
Sustainability: AEIF funds can only take your project so far. If implementation is
successful, what are ways that your project will continue to make a positive impact? How
do you plan to continue this project beyond this initial funding year?
Communication, media, and outreach plan: How will you promote your project to the
public and beneficiaries? Include social media, websites, print news, or other forms of
media you will use to share information about your project. Interim and final reporting is
required for winning AEIF projects. Please be prepared to develop a reporting plan to share
information about the success/impact of your project.
3. Guide to complete the Budget Form
All budgets must be submitted using only the AEIF 2021 budget form, available
through the U.S. Embassy website at www.do.usembassy.gov Other budget formats will
not be accepted, and the project will be deemed ineligible.
Alumni are allowed to request between US $5,000 to US $50,000. Consider carefully the
amount of funds you will need to implement your project. There is no need to go for the
full US $50,000 if that is not necessary to achieve the impact you are seeking. Smaller
projects that require less funding are as worthy as larger projects. You might also want to
consider running a small-scale pilot project before fully rolling out a larger project.

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Please note that items valued at US $200 or more must be itemized. Related costs should
not be lumped together. For example, travel, accommodations, and meals for a speaker
should be three separate line items. The table below provides guidance on filling out the
budget form:
Reasonable costs based on local environment for
renting space for project-related activities. Look for
donated space first (American space and academic
institutions often donate or discount venues).
Venue Cost
Consider negotiating deals to include coffee breaks,
lunch, presentation equipment, or modest supplies,
and include this information in the budget
justification.
Promotional items that you will use to amplify the
project. Break down promotion and advertising,
clearly indicating what you will get in return for costs
incurred (i.e. number of ads, on which platforms, and
Promotional Items and Advertising
at which times). Consider cost share or free online
tools for graphic design work. Funding used for the
creation of websites will need to be strongly justified.
Reasonable requests for snacks, non-alcoholic
beverages, and meals if essential to the program (i.e.
a working lunch is acceptable, but a cocktail
Meals & Beverages
reception is not). Break down meals by the cost per
person per meal per day.
Speaker: Maximum of US$200 per day for a full day
of programming. Trainer: Maximum US$200 per full
day or $25 per hour. Preparation and follow-up costs
Speaker Honorarium or Trainer are acceptable and should be itemized at the same rate.
Fees Consider asking your fellow alumni to provide their
expertise as in-kind support for the project (i.e. cost
share).
In-country and intraregional airfare, meals, lodging,
and local travel (i.e. taxi, bus, train). Indicate if
Lodging and per diem lodging is single or dual occupancy and the duration
of stay and one-way or roundtrip fares.
In-country and intraregional air fare or local travel
costs (via car, bus, train, etc.). Please specify the mode
of transportation, who will travel, the
destination/arrival points, and if the cost covers round-
Travel
trip or one-way travel. Travel to the U.S. will not be
covered as all projects must take place outside of the
U.S.

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General office supplies, software, fuel, small
equipment such as laptops, projector, etc., and
expendable material (i.e. paint or paper). When
possible, rent rather than purchase equipment.
Indicate what you will do with purchased
Supplies, Materials,
equipment after the project concludes. Please
and Equipment
consider including health and safety needs such
as testing kits, sanitation items, social distancing
and prevention supplies.
List any items that do not apply to the categories
above. Be specific! Commonly cited items are
administrative costs and monitoring and evaluation,
which require details and cost breakdown. It is
allowable to include indirect costs incurred for the
Other
benefit of the project such as administrative and
overhead costs. This amount should not exceed 10%
of the total proposed budget and should not include
salaries for team members.
Budget Justification: Budgets should be accompanied by a narrative description known
as a budget justification. In the narrative, you will explain what the numbers in the budget
form represent, how you calculated them, and why you need to incur them for your project.
Be sure to explain any unusual circumstances or requests. This information will help the
reviewer understand your costs to determine if they are reasonable.
Cost Share: Your budget justification is also an opportunity to explain financial support
from other sources (“cost share”). Examples of cost shared items are in-kind support
(services, labor, supplies/equipment, or volunteers), a business contributing food for your
event, an organization offering a venue at a discount or free of charge, an NGO sponsoring
an activity, an expert donating time to facilitate a seminar, etc. Proposals with cost shared
items will be considered more competitive.
D. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS
The Public Affairs Section at the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo will use the following criteria
to evaluate all applications. After this initial review, the Public Affairs Section will submit the top
proposal from the Dominican Republic to the global AEIF 2021 competition. The proposals will
be reviewed by a Selection Committee made up of regional and exchange program experts located
at the Department of State in Washington, DC. Panelists will use the criteria below to review and
evaluate applications. The strongest proposals will be recommended for funding.

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Criteria Maximum Points
Purpose and Summary, Description, and Implementation Plan 20 points
Relevance of the project to women, peace, and security 10 points
Degree of alumni involvement 10 points
Participation and support from local partners 10 points
Evaluation and impact of the project 10 points
Sustainability 10 points
Communication, media and outreach Plan 10 points
Budget and budget narrative 20 points
Total possible points 100
Review and selection timeline
Dates Phase of the selection process
May 20-June 20, 2021 The call is open for proposals.
PAS Santo Domingo will evaluate and select ONE proposal to
June 21-25, 2021 recommend to the Alumni Affairs Office in Washington D.C. for
funding consideration.
Alumni who submitted a proposal will be notified if they are moving
June 25, 2021
forward with the process.
June 28, 2021 Finalist must submitted final proposal to PAS Santo Domingo.
Final proposal is submitted to Alumni Affairs Office in the Bureau of
June 30, 2021 Educational and Cultural Affairs Office of the Department of State in
Washington D.C for funding consideration.
E. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION
Once the AEIF 2021 Selection Committee has determined the projects that are recommended for
funding, the Public Affairs Section at the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo will contact those
teams to finalize any programmatic and budget details and issue the grant. To be eligible to
receive your funding, all organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
number from Dun & Bradstreet, as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Individuals are
not required to have a DUNS number or be registered in SAM.gov.
The grant award will be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the Grants Officer. The
assistance award agreement is the authorizing document and it will be provided to the recipient
for review and signature by email. The recipient may only start incurring program expenses
beginning on the start date shown on the grant award document signed by the Grants Officer.
If a proposal is selected for funding, the Department of State has no obligation to provide any
additional future funding. Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of
performance is at the discretion of the Department of State.

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Issuance of this notice of funding opportunity does not constitute an award commitment on the
part of the U.S. government, nor does it commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in
the preparation and submission of proposals. Furthermore, the U.S. government reserves the right
to reject any or all proposals received.
Payment Method: Electronic Fund Transfers. These funds are not delivered in part or total in
cash or checks.
Reporting Requirements: AEIF 2021 beneficiaries must submit financial and program reports.
The grant agreement will specify the frequency of submission of reports.
F. CONTACT INFORMATION
For questions about the AEIF 2021 application process, please contact us via email
at SantoDomingoDRAlumni@state.gov.