FY 2026 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Academic Fellows Program

ECA Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) (DOCX)

# Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP)

Instructions:

The Monitoring Data for ECA (MODE) Framework provides standard indicators and corresponding survey questions to ensure consistent measures across all ECA programs. The Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) in this document includes ALL MODE objectives and indicators that were created to collect data from program participants. While ECA recommends the applicant use the format provided, this is not a requirement. However, any performance monitoring reference document the applicant submits should include the information in the column headers (Indicator Name, Definition, Target, Survey Question, etc.) in the table below at a minimum.

To provide a PMP that will meet the solicitation review criteria, the applicant should take the following steps:

• Fill out the Applicant Name, FY and Program Title and Funding Opportunity # fields highlighted above

• Carefully review the solicitation document to identify the MODE indicators that were listed

• Review the additional (those not listed in the solicitation document) MODE Framework indicators listed in the table below to determine if they are relevant (meaning the applicant proposes that data should be collected for those indicators as part of this program)

• Those indicators that were NOT selected in steps 2 and 3 above can be deleted from the table below (to do this, click your mouse somewhere within the row you would like to delete, right-click, select “Delete Cells”, then “Delete Entire Row”. Repeat this process until the only MODE Framework indicators that remain are those identified during steps 1 and 2)

• Applicants may also design custom objectives and/or indicators that are specific to the proposed program and the proposed MODE Framework indicators are insufficient to cover all aspects of the program. Applicants should limit the number of these custom indicators, bearing in mind collection and reporting capacity, and prioritize additional measures identified in the solicitation.

For all indicators in the PMP that remain after steps 2-5 above, insert the target into the appropriate column. A target specifies a feasible and appropriate level of an output or outcome that is hoped for, expected, or intended.

Resources

More resources and guidance documents on the MODE Framework and PMP are available online (https://eca.state.gov/impact/eca-monitoring-evaluation-learning-and-innovation-meli-unit/mode-framework-eca-applicants-and). PMP-specific resources include:

• MODE Framework Indicator Book (https://app.box.com/s/9gvvxzxlm6bmvzqengqu8uad40yz2doe ):

MODE Performance Indicator Reference Sheets (https://app.box.com/s/r6x4elenw9pnicdtjyqv6rbyoczhp62t )

• PMP Creation Webinar (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBHC1oLNZvI )

Definitions of PMP Columns

• Performance Indicator: An observable or measurable characteristic that indicates the extent to which a program objective is being achieved.

• Definition: Clarifies all terms necessary and provides details on how to calculate the data collected to measure the change expected.

• Disaggregation (“Disagg”): Lists how the data will be broken down into subgroups (such as: sex, age, state, country, etc.)

• Target: Specific, planned level of result to be achieved within an explicit timeframe

• Data Source and Required Survey Question: Specifies how the data will be obtained (such as a survey, observation, interview, etc.) and the mandatory question linked to the data source. Note that all MODE Framework survey questions are required (i.e. should be forced response); please see the Consent Language in the MODE Framework Indicator Book for an example of how to convey this to participants/survey respondents.

• When to Collect: Specifies when the indicator will be measured, for example: post-program, end of award, etc.

A post-program collection should occur no later than 6 weeks after the participant has completed the program

Award recipients are responsible for collecting indicator data on participant outputs and outcomes during the period of performance of the program itself. Note: The Bureau will measure outcomes of ECA participants at one, three, five, and 10 years after the program has ended to capture the long-term impact of ECA programming unless otherwise specified in the solicitation for which you are applying. In this instance, the recipient will be responsible for coordinating with ECA on any alumni surveys to de-duplicate questions and minimize potential survey fatigue.

Definitions of Key Terms

Each indicator in the table below includes a list of relevant terms in the indicator column. While terms vary across indicators, there are a few key terms that apply to a high number of indicators. Those terms are listed below to save space in the table:

Participant or Exchange Visitor - A person who has directly participated in an ECA-facilitated program (either ECA-funded or BridgeUSA) and been exposed to at least 10 hours of content or otherwise meets the requirements for entry into the Alumni Contact Engagement System (ACES). Participants do not include audiences who may watch, listen to, or otherwise interact with ECA program participants.

Participants of American Spaces programming include any individual who attends a program conducted by an American Space, whether that program is located at an American Space or an outside location. Individuals who attend virtual (online) or blended (partially online, partially in-person) programs are also considered participants.

“Exchange Visitors” on ECA’s Office of Private Sector Exchange (ECA/EC) programs are considered program participants.

• Host community - A community that sponsors, supports, or provides services for exchange programs and/or their participants. Host communities and institutions do not necessarily directly participate in a program. Benefits to this group most often occur through interaction with the participants and/or alumni during or after the program. Host community members comprise two groups:

• Host families who welcomed exchange visitors into their homes;

• Host institutions or businesses who provided professional or academic experiences to exchange visitors.

Virtual exchange - A sustained, multi-way interaction, that is 100% online, used to build networks and shared knowledge around policy priorities. For a program to be considered a virtual exchange, participants must engage with all content virtually. A series of virtual components can be considered an exchange if they are (1) originated as a unit with a collective start and end date and (2) are organized around a unifying theme. Examples of virtual elements include online skill-building workshops, virtual professional placements (internships), and virtual mentorships. A series of massive open online courses (MOOCs) would be considered an exchange if they are offered as a set (of say six classes) and are centered on a specific topic (for example, media literacy). Offering MOOCs as an online resource is not considered a virtual exchange program.

Virtual element - Single, stand-alone components offered as either add-on enrichment to an in-person program or as general outreach by ECA. Examples of virtual elements include online skill-building workshops, virtual professional placements (internships), and virtual mentorships. Offering single MOOCs to the general public or virtual pre-departure orientation webinars are both considered virtual elements. Additionally, online spaces for participants to communicate (such as a program Facebook page) are considered virtual elements.

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ECA Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) (PDF)

PERFORMANCE MONITORING PLAN (PMP)
Applicant Name: Example Organization
Fiscal Year and Program Title: FY## Example Program
Funding Opportunity #: SFOP000XXXX
Instructions:
The Monitoring Data for ECA (MODE) Framework provides standard indicators and corresponding survey questions to ensure consistent
measures across all ECA programs. The Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) in this document includes ALL MODE objectives and indicators
that were created to collect data from program participants. While ECA recommends the applicant use the format provided, this is not a
requirement. However, any performance monitoring reference document the applicant submits should include the information in the column
headers (Indicator Name, Definition, Target, Survey Question, etc.) in the table below at a minimum.
To provide a PMP that will meet the solicitation review criteria, the applicant should take the following steps:
1. Fill out the Applicant Name, FY and Program Title and Funding Opportunity # fields highlighted above
2. Carefully review the solicitation document to identify the MODE indicators that were listed
3. Review the additional (those not listed in the solicitation document) MODE Framework indicators listed in the table below to determine if
they are relevant (meaning the applicant proposes that data should be collected for those indicators as part of this program)
4. Those indicators that were NOT selected in steps 2 and 3 above can be deleted from the table below (to do this, click your mouse
somewhere within the row you would like to delete, right-click, select “Delete Cells”, then “Delete Entire Row”. Repeat this process until
the only MODE Framework indicators that remain are those identified during steps 1 and 2)
5. Applicants may also design custom objectives and/or indicators that are specific to the proposed program and the proposed MODE
Framework indicators are insufficient to cover all aspects of the program. Applicants should limit the number of these custom indicators,
bearing in mind collection and reporting capacity, and prioritize additional measures identified in the solicitation.
For all indicators in the PMP that remain after steps 2-5 above, insert the target into the appropriate column. A target specifies a feasible and
appropriate level of an output or outcome that is hoped for, expected, or intended.
Last Updated: February 2025

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Resources
More resources and guidance documents on the MODE Framework and PMP are available online (https://eca.state.gov/impact/eca-monitoring-
evaluation-learning-and-innovation-meli-unit/mode-framework-eca-applicants-and). PMP-specific resources include:
• MODE Framework Indicator Book (https://app.box.com/s/9gvvxzxlm6bmvzqengqu8uad40yz2doe ):
• MODE Performance Indicator Reference Sheets (https://app.box.com/s/r6x4elenw9pnicdtjyqv6rbyoczhp62t )
• PMP Creation Webinar (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBHC1oLNZvI )
Definitions of PMP Columns
• Performance Indicator: An observable or measurable characteristic that indicates the extent to which a program objective is being
achieved.
• Definition: Clarifies all terms necessary and provides details on how to calculate the data collected to measure the change expected.
• Disaggregation (“Disagg”): Lists how the data will be broken down into subgroups (such as: sex, age, state, country, etc.)
• Target: Specific, planned level of result to be achieved within an explicit timeframe
• Data Source and Required Survey Question: Specifies how the data will be obtained (such as a survey, observation, interview, etc.) and
the mandatory question linked to the data source. Note that all MODE Framework survey questions are required (i.e. should be
forced response); please see the Consent Language in the MODE Framework Indicator Book for an example of how to convey this
to participants/survey respondents.
• When to Collect: Specifies when the indicator will be measured, for example: post-program, end of award, etc.
o A post-program collection should occur no later than 6 weeks after the participant has completed the program
o Award recipients are responsible for collecting indicator data on participant outputs and outcomes during the period of
performance of the program itself. Note: The Bureau will measure outcomes of ECA participants at one, three, five, and 10 years
after the program has ended to capture the long-term impact of ECA programming unless otherwise specified in the solicitation
for which you are applying. In this instance, the recipient will be responsible for coordinating with ECA on any alumni surveys to
de-duplicate questions and minimize potential survey fatigue.
Last Updated: February 2025

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Definitions of Key Terms
Each indicator in the table below includes a list of relevant terms in the indicator column. While terms vary across indicators, there are a few key
terms that apply to a high number of indicators. Those terms are listed below to save space in the table:
• Participant or Exchange Visitor - A person who has directly participated in an ECA-facilitated program (either ECA-funded or
BridgeUSA) and been exposed to at least 10 hours of content or otherwise meets the requirements for entry into the Alumni Contact
Engagement System (ACES). Participants do not include audiences who may watch, listen to, or otherwise interact with ECA program
participants.
o Participants of American Spaces programming include any individual who attends a program conducted by an American Space,
whether that program is located at an American Space or an outside location. Individuals who attend virtual (online) or blended
(partially online, partially in-person) programs are also considered participants.
o “Exchange Visitors” on ECA’s Office of Private Sector Exchange (ECA/EC) programs are considered program participants.
• Host community - A community that sponsors, supports, or provides services for exchange programs and/or their participants. Host
communities and institutions do not necessarily directly participate in a program. Benefits to this group most often occur through
interaction with the participants and/or alumni during or after the program. Host community members comprise two groups:
o Host families who welcomed exchange visitors into their homes;
o Host institutions or businesses who provided professional or academic experiences to exchange visitors.
• Virtual exchange - A sustained, multi-way interaction, that is 100% online, used to build networks and shared knowledge around policy
priorities. For a program to be considered a virtual exchange, participants must engage with all content virtually. A series of virtual
components can be considered an exchange if they are (1) originated as a unit with a collective start and end date and (2) are organized
around a unifying theme. Examples of virtual elements include online skill-building workshops, virtual professional placements
(internships), and virtual mentorships. A series of massive open online courses (MOOCs) would be considered an exchange if they are
offered as a set (of say six classes) and are centered on a specific topic (for example, media literacy). Offering MOOCs as an online
resource is not considered a virtual exchange program.
• Virtual element - Single, stand-alone components offered as either add-on enrichment to an in-person program or as general outreach by
ECA. Examples of virtual elements include online skill-building workshops, virtual professional placements (internships), and virtual
mentorships. Offering single MOOCs to the general public or virtual pre-departure orientation webinars are both considered virtual
elements. Additionally, online spaces for participants to communicate (such as a program Facebook page) are considered virtual elements.
Last Updated: February 2025

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Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
Demographic Questions
Home Country Used to identify subgroups for Country of Origin N/A N/A Survey (self-reported data) Post-
(Demographic) disaggregation. (Foreign participants only) Program
What is your home country?
[Drop Down: List of program
countries] – See Appendix C in
the Indicator Book
Home State Used to identify subgroups for Home State disaggregation. N/A N/A Survey (self-reported data) Post-
(Demographic) (American participants only) Program
What is your home state?
[Drop Down: List of U.S.
States] – See Appendix D in the
Indicator Book
Age Used to identify subgroups for Age disaggregation. N/A N/A Survey (self-reported data) Post-
(Demographic) Program
What is your age? Fill in the
blank ________
[Validate answer numeric, with
accepted answers ranging from
15 to 100]
-- OR--
Are you between the ages of 15
and 35?
• Yes
• No
Sex Used to identify subgroups for Sex disaggregation. N/A N/A Survey (self-reported data) Post-
(Demographic) Program
Last Updated: February 2025

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Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
Please select your biological
sex classification:
• Female
• Male
Race Used to identify subgroups for Race disaggregation. N/A N/A Survey (self-reported data) Post-
(Demographic) (American participants only) Program
What is your race or ethnicity?
Select all that apply.
• American Indian or Alaskan
Native
• Asian
• Black or African American
• Hispanic or Latino
• Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander
• White
• Some Other Race
• I do not wish to respond
Participant Type Used to identify the subgroup “Reciprocal” for Participant N/A N/A Survey (self-reported data) Post-
(Demographic) Type disaggregation. Program
(American participants only) Did you participate in a
reciprocal exchange?
Award recipients will need to identify whether a participant A reciprocal participant is an
is designated as 'Foreign', 'American', or 'Reciprocal' as American who travels to an
part of the disaggregations. The assumption is that those exchange participant's home
who answer the "Home Country" question can be country to assist the participant
designated as a 'Foreign participant', those who answer with their individual project
"Home State" can be designated as an 'American
participant', and those who answer the associated question • Yes
with a "yes" can be designated as a 'Reciprocal participant' • No
Last Updated: February 2025

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Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
ECA Objective 1: Advance participant and beneficiary cross-cultural competence and global perspective
ECA Sub-Objective 1.1: Promote cultural exchanges and enhance understanding between participants and their host communities
E1.1.01: Percent Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Survey (self-reported data) Post-
of participants Terms • Age completed Program
reporting that
• Country of origin
by the Do you agree with the
their program Counting Frequency applicant following statement?
• Home state
experience Each respondent should only be counted once in the
• Race
offered reporting year following their program completion. My program offered
• Participant type:
opportunities to opportunities for making
American, foreign,
engage with Calculations cultural connections and
reciprocal
other cultures To calculate percentage, numerator will be number of sharing. For example:
respondents who answered “yes” while the denominator Conversations about each
others’ countries, attending
will be the total number of question respondents. Divide
cultural events, etc.
the numerator by the denominator and then multiply by 100
• Yes
for the percent value.
• No
E1.1.04: Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Survey (self-reported data) Post-
Percent of Terms • Age completed Program
participants with • Country of origin by the Did your views of the United
more favorable Counting Frequency • Home state applicant States government change as a
opinions of the Each respondent should only be counted once in the • Race result of your program
United States reporting year following their program completion. • Participant type: participation?
Government
American, foreign,
• Yes
(core indicator)
Calculations reciprocal • No
To calculate percentage, numerator will be number of
respondents who select “much more favorable” OR If YES:
“somewhat more favorable” on the survey question. The
denominator will be the total number of question How did your views of the
respondents. Divide the numerator by the denominator and United States government
then multiply by 100 for the percent value. change? Are your views:
Last Updated: February 2025

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Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
• Much less favorable
• Somewhat less favorable
• Somewhat more favorable
• Much more favorable
E1.1.09: Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Survey (self-reported data) Post-
Percent of Terms • Age completed Program
participants who • Country of origin by the Before this exchange program,
traveled abroad Abroad – A country outside of one’s home country • Home state applicant had you traveled outside of
for the first time
• Race
your home country?
because of their Counting Frequency • Participant type: • Yes
program
Each respondent should only be counted once in the American, foreign, • No
(core indicator)
reporting year following their program completion. reciprocal
If YES:
Calculations
To calculate percentage, numerator will be number of Why did you travel outside of
respondents who answered “no” to the first question while your home country? Select all
the denominator will be the total number of question that apply.
respondents. Divide the numerator by the denominator and • Tourism
then multiply by 100 for the percent value. • Visit friends/family
• Participation in another U.S.
Department of State
exchange program (including
U.S. Embassy-sponsored
exchanges)
• Participation in a non-U.S.
Department of State
exchange
• Study
• Work
• Other: ______ [write-in]
Last Updated: February 2025

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Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
E1.1.10: Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Survey (self-reported data) Post-
Percent of Terms • Age completed Program
foreign • Country of origin by the Before this exchange program,
participants who Counting Frequency applicant had you traveled to the United
traveled to the Each respondent should only be counted once per reporting States?
United States year following their program completion. • Yes
for the first time
• No
during their Calculations
program To determine the percent value, numerator is number of If YES:
(core indicator)
respondents who reply “no” to the first question while
denominator will be the total number of question Why did you travel to the
respondents. Divide the numerator by the denominator and United States? Select all that
then multiply by 100 for the percent value. apply.
• Tourism
• Visit friends/family
• Participation in another U.S.
Department of State
exchange program (including
U.S. Embassy-sponsored
exchanges)
• Participation in a non-U.S.
Department of State
exchange
• Study
• Work
• Other: ______ [write-in]
E1.1.11: Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Survey (self-reported data) Post-
Percent of Terms • Age completed Program
American
• Home state
Last Updated: February 2025

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Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
participants Host country - The country in which the participant • Race by the How much did participation in
indicating a traveled to for their exchange program. • Participant type: applicant the exchange program change
change in their American, your understanding or
understanding of Counting Frequency reciprocal knowledge of the following
their host Each respondent should only be counted once in the topics?
country's culture reporting year following their program completion. • Host country political system
and values • Host country economy
Calculations • Foreign affairs of my host
Responses to each item should be scored in the following country
manner: • Domestic affairs in my host
No Change – 1 country
Minimal Change – 2 • Host country values and
culture
Moderate Change – 3
• Daily life in my host country
Substantial Change – 4
• Freedom of speech and press
in my host country
The response scores for each item should be summed and
• Voluntary community
divided by the number of items they responded to in order
service in my host country
to give an average question score for each respondent.
[Scale: No Change, Minimal
To determine the percent value, the numerator is the
Change, Moderate Change,
number of respondents whose average question score is 2
Substantial Change]
or greater while the denominator will be the total number
of question respondents. Divide the numerator by the
denominator and then multiply by 100 for the percent
value.
E1.1.12: Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Survey (self-reported data) Post-
Percent of Terms • Age completed Program
foreign • Country of origin by the Thinking about the participants
participants Third-party country - A country that is not the applicant you met from other countries
indicating a participant/alumni’s home or host country. Generally, this (not your home country or the
change in refers to the home countries of fellow participants. U.S.), how much did
understanding of participation in the program
Last Updated: February 2025

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Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
third-party Counting Frequency change your understanding or
countries’ Each respondent should only be counted once in the knowledge of the following
cultures and reporting year following their program completion. topics related to those
values countries?
Calculations • Political system
Responses to each item should be scored in the following • Economy
manner: • Foreign affairs
No Change – 1 • Domestic affairs
Minimal Change – 2 • Values and culture
Moderate Change – 3 • Daily life
Substantial Change – 4 • Freedom of speech and press
• Voluntary community
The response scores for each item should be summed and service
divided by the number of items they responded to in order
to give an average question score for each respondent. [Scale: No Change, Minimal
Change, Moderate Change,
Substantial Change]
To determine the percent value, numerator is number of
respondents whose average question score is 2 or greater
while the denominator will be the total number of question
respondents. Divide the numerator by the denominator and
then multiply by 100 for the percent value.
E1.1.13: Percent Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Survey (self-reported data) Post-
of foreign Terms • Age completed Program
participants who • Country of origin by the Compared to before your
are more likely Counting Frequency applicant program participation, how
to recommend Each respondent should only be counted once in the likely are you now to
the United reporting year following their program completion. recommend the United States as
States as a good a good place to study?
place to study Calculations • Much more unlikely
To determine the percent value, numerator is number of • Somewhat more unlikely
respondents who reply “much more likely” or “somewhat • Somewhat more likely
more likely” while denominator will be the total number of Much more likely
Last Updated: February 2025

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Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
question respondents. Divide the numerator by the
denominator and then multiply by 100 for the percent
value.
E1.1.16: Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Survey (self-reported data) Post-
Percent of Terms • Age completed Program
virtual exchange
• Country of origin
by the In the future, are virtual
(VE) Virtual exchange - See Definitions of Key Terms applicant exchanges likely to be your
• Home state
participants who
• Race
only way to interact with
report VE as Virtual element - See Definitions of Key Terms citizens from other countries?
• Participant type:
their only likely • Yes
American, foreign,
way to interact Counting Frequency • No
reciprocal
with citizens Each respondent should only be counted once per reporting • I don’t know
from other
year following their program completion.
countries in the
future
Calculations
To calculate percentage, numerator will be number of
respondents who answered “yes” while the denominator
will be the total number of question respondents. Divide
the numerator by the denominator and then multiply by 100
for the percent value.
This indicator counts participants involved in virtual
exchange programs (see definition above) and WILL NOT
count participants engaging with virtual program elements
as part of a non-virtual program.
E1.1.17: Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Survey (self-reported data) Post-
Percent of Terms • Age completed Program
foreign • Country of origin by the Did your views of the American
participants with Counting Frequency applicant people change as a result of
more favorable Each respondent should only be counted once in the your program participation?
opinions of the reporting year following their program completion. • Yes
Last Updated: February 2025

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Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
American • No
people Calculations
(core indicator) To determine the percent value, numerator is number of If YES:
respondents who reply “much more favorable” OR
“somewhat more favorable” while the denominator will be How did your views of the
the total number of question respondents. Divide the American people change? Are
numerator by the denominator and then multiply by 100 for your views:
the percent value.
• Much less favorable
• Somewhat less favorable
• Somewhat more favorable
• Much more favorable
E1.1.18: Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Survey (self-reported data) Post-
Percent of Terms • Age completed Program
foreign
• Country of origin
by the How much did participation in
participants Counting Frequency applicant the program change your
indicating an Each respondent should only be counted once in the understanding or knowledge of
increase in reporting year following their program completion. each of the following topics?
understanding of • United States democracy
United States Calculations • United States economy
culture and Responses to each item should be scored in the following • Foreign affairs of the United
values
manner: States
(core indicator)
No Change – 1 • Domestic affairs in the
Minimal Change – 2 United States
Moderate Change – 3
• United States values and
Substantial Change – 4
culture
• Daily life in the United
The response scores for each item should be summed and
States
divided by the number of items they responded to in order
• Freedom of speech and press
to give a total question score for each respondent.
in the United States
• Voluntary community
service in the United States
Last Updated: February 2025

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Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
To determine the percent value, numerator is number of
respondents whose total question score is 2 or greater while [Scale: No Change, Minimal
the denominator will be the total number of question Change, Moderate Change,
respondents. Divide the numerator by the denominator and Substantial Change]
then multiply by 100 for the percent value.
E1.1.19: Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Survey (self-reported data) Post-
Percent of Terms • Age completed Program
participants • Country of origin by the To what extent do you agree or
agreeing with Democratic values - The ideas or beliefs that make a applicant disagree with the statements
• Home state
statements in society fair, including: democratic decision-making, below?
• Race
support of freedom of speech, and equality before the law. • Voting is important because
• Participant type:
democratic real decisions are made in
American, foreign,
values Counting Frequency elections
Each respondent should only be counted once in the reciprocal
(core indicator)
• Free and fair elections are
reporting year following their program completion.
the cornerstone of
democracy
Calculations
Responses to each item should be scored in the following • An independent media is
manner: important to the free flow of
Strongly disagree – 1 information
Disagree – 2 • All citizens in a country
Neither disagree nor agree – 3 should have equal rights and
Agree – 4
protections under the law,
Strongly agree – 5
regardless of circumstances
Don’t know/can’t ascertain – 0
• The rule of law is
fundamental to a functioning
To determine the percent value, numerator is the number of
democracy
respondents whose average question score is greater than or
equal to 4 on a 1-5 scale while the denominator will be the • Individuals have the right to
total number of question respondents. Divide the numerator free speech and to voice
by the denominator and then multiply by 100 for the opposition
percent value.
Last Updated: February 2025

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Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
• Organizations have the right
to free speech and to voice
opposition
• Democratic principles
enhance the workplace.
Supervisors should
incorporate democratic
principles into their
management practices
[Scale: Strongly disagree,
Disagree, Neither disagree nor
agree, Agree, Strongly agree,
Don’t know/can’t ascertain]
ECA Objective 2: Increase the impact that participants and alumni have on their communities / countries
E2.0.01: Percent Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Survey (self-reported data) Post-
of foreign Terms • Age completed Program
participants that • Country of origin by the Did you volunteer your time
volunteer in Volunteer - To offer one’s time or services to an applicant during your exchange?
their host organization or community effort for free. Volunteering • Yes
communities does not include time spent working as part of a • No
professional placement. • My program did not offer the
opportunity to volunteer
Host community - See Definitions of Key Terms
Counting Frequency
Each respondent should only be counted once in the
reporting year following their program completion.
Calculations
To calculate the percentage, the numerator will be the
number of respondents who answered “yes” while the
Last Updated: February 2025

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Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
denominator will be the total number of question
respondents. Divide the numerator by the denominator and
then multiply by 100 for the percent value.
E2.0.04: Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Survey (self-reported data) Post-
Number of Terms • Age completed Program
hours that
• Country of origin
by the How many hours did you spend
foreign Volunteer - To offer one’s time or services to an applicant volunteering during your
participants organization or community effort for free. Volunteering exchange program? (Please
spend does not include time spent working as part of a note that volunteer hours do
volunteering in professional placement. not include time spent working
their host
as part of your professional
Host community - See Definitions of Key Terms placement.)
communities
Counting Frequency Fill in the blank: __________
Each respondent should only be counted once in a [validate as numeric]
reporting year following their program completion.
Calculations
Participants will complete a survey question that will
request the number of hours of time spent volunteering
during their exchange program.
The total number of hours for all participants should be
reported.
ECA Sub-Objective 2.2: Foster participants’ belief that civic engagement benefits communities/countries
E2.2.01: Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Survey (self-reported data) Post-
Percent of Terms • Age completed Program
participants who • Country of origin by the As a result of your program
have more Home community - The community that the program applicant participation, how has your
• Home state
confidence in participant originates from and will return to at the confidence in each of the
• Race
their ability to conclusion of the program. following changed?
have an impact
Last Updated: February 2025

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Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
in their home Home country - The country in which the program • Participant type: • I have the ability to make a
country participant resides prior to their program participation. American, foreign, difference in the community
(core indicator) reciprocal where I live
Counting Frequency • I have the ability to make a
Each respondent should only be counted once in the difference in the country
reporting year following their program completion. where I live
• I have the ability to make a
Calculation difference in the global
To determine the percent value, numerator is number of community
respondents that responded “more confident” to the
statement about their ability to make a difference in the
[Scale: I am less confident; No
‘community where I live’ and/or ‘country where I live’
change in confidence, I am
while the denominator will be the total number of question
more confident]
respondents. Divide the numerator by the denominator and
then multiply by 100 for the percent value.
ECA Objective 3: Strengthen engagement among participants, alumni, beneficiaries, and institutions
E3.0.02: Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Survey (self-reported data) Post-
Percent of Terms • Age completed Program
foreign
• Country of origin
by the Are you still in contact with any
participants who Network - An interconnected or interrelated group or applicant Americans you met during your
report increasing system. In the context of MODE, this refers to an program?
their network of interconnected or interrelated group intentionally • Yes
Americans convened, sustained, or otherwise facilitated through ECA • No
(core indicator) programming.
If YES:
Counting Frequency
Each respondent should only be counted once in the Are the contacts you maintain
reporting year following their program completion. with Americans personal,
professional, or both?
Calculations • Personal
• Professional
Last Updated: February 2025

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Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
To determine the percent value, numerator is number of • Both personal and
respondents who reply “yes” to the first question item professional
while the denominator will be the total number of question
respondents. Divide the numerator by the denominator and
then multiply by 100 for the percent value.
E3.0.04: Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Survey (self-reported data) Post-
Percent of Terms • Age completed Program
foreign • Country of origin by the Are you still in contact with any
participants who Network- An interconnected or interrelated group or applicant individual not from the U.S.
report increasing system intentionally convened, sustained, or otherwise and not from your own country
their network of facilitated through ECA programming. that you met during your
third country program?
nationals Third-country national - A third country stakeholder is •Yes
defined as a person or institution who does not have the •No
same nationality and is not from the country in which the
If YES:
exchange took place or from the country of a participant of
the exchange.
Are the contacts you maintain
with these individuals personal,
Counting Frequency
professional, or both?
Each respondent should only be counted once in the
•Personal
reporting year following their program completion.
•Professional
•Both personal and professional
Calculations
To determine the percent value, numerator is number of
respondents who reply “yes” to the first question item
while the denominator will be the total number of question
respondents. Divide the numerator by the denominator and
then multiply by 100 for the percent value.
E3.0.07: Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Survey (self-reported data) Post-
Percent of Terms • Age completed Program
participants who
• Country of origin
by the
identify as a Counting Frequency applicant
Last Updated: February 2025

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Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
Department of Each respondent should only be counted once in the • Home state Do you consider yourself a
State program reporting year following their program completion. • Race participant of a U.S.
participant • Participant type: Department of State program?
(core indicator) Calculations American, foreign, • Yes
To calculate percentage, numerator will be number of reciprocal • No
participants who answered “yes” in response to the survey
question. The denominator will be the total number of
question respondents. Divide the numerator by the
denominator and then multiply by 100 for the percent
value.
ECA Sub-Objective 3.1: Alumni subscribe to platforms for resources and information-sharing
E3.1.02: Percent Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Survey (self-reported data) Post-
of participants Terms • Age completed Program
who learned • Country of origin by the Through your program
about new Resource – Information that is new and potentially useful • Home state applicant experience, did you learn about
resources to the participant. Can include information guidance that is any of the following
• Race
either personal or professional. Does not include persons. Department of State-managed
• Participant type:
Can be information provided during any portion of the resources? Select all that apply.
American, foreign,
program process (pre-program, during the program, or • Small grants applications from
reciprocal
immediately post-program – such as a Congress or the U.S. Government [Carry
concluding event). forward selection to next
question]
• Alumni Engagement
Counting Frequency Innovation Fund (AEIF)
Each respondent should only be counted once in the applications [Carry forward
reporting year following their program completion. selection to next question]
• Citizen Diplomacy Action
Calculations Fund applications [ask of
To calculate percentage, numerator will be number of American alumni only] [Carry
respondents who select at least one of the survey question forward selection to next
response options EXCEPT “None of the above” to the first question]
Last Updated: February 2025

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Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
question, while the denominator will be the total number of • Project Development toolkits
question respondents. Divide the numerator by the [Carry forward selection to next
denominator and then multiply by 100 for the percent question]
value. • Supplies or equipment [Carry
forward selection to next
question]
• Information on
workshops/events hosted by the
U.S. Embassy in your home
country [ask of Foreign Alumni
only] [Carry forward selection
to next question]
• Embassy network of experts
and leaders [ask of Foreign
Alumni only] [Carry forward
selection to next question]
• American Spaces (either
American Centers, American
Corners, or Bi-National
Centers) [ask of Foreign
Alumni only] [Carry forward
selection to next question]
• Career Connections [ask of
American alumni only] [Carry
forward selection to next
question]
• None
For each category the
respondent selects, ask:
Was this the first time you
heard about this resource?
Last Updated: February 2025

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Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
• Yes
• No
E3.1.05: Percent Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Survey (self-reported data) Post-
of participants Terms • Age completed Program
who are • Country of origin by the Are you connected with the
connected to Digital platform - A digital place, opportunity, or event for applicant Department of State
• Home state
ECA through a public discussion or interpersonal engagement intentionally International Exchange Alumni
• Race
U.S. Department convened, sustained, or otherwise facilitated through ECA Network on the following
• Participant type:
of State- programming. digital platforms?
American, foreign,
managed • Registered on the
reciprocal
platform Counting Frequency alumni.state.gov website
Each respondent should only be counted once in the (https://alumni.state.gov)
reporting year following their program completion. • Follow @Exchangealumni on
Twitter,
Calculations • Connected with Alumni
To calculate percentage, numerator will be number of Affairs on LinkedIn
respondents who select “yes” to at least one of the survey (https://www.linkedin.com/in/al
question response options while the denominator will be umni-affairs-9b871b103)
the total number of question respondents. Divide the
numerator by the denominator and then multiply by 100 for [Scale: Yes/No/I don’t know]
the percent value.
ECA Objective 4: Strengthen personal, professional, and technical abilities and aptitudes of participants and beneficiaries
E4.0.01: Percent Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Survey (self-reported) Post-
of participants Terms • Age completed Program
reporting
• Country of origin
by the [NOTE: This question is also
increases in Counting Frequency applicant included in Indicators E4.0.03
• Home state
their job Each respondent should only be counted once in the and E4.0.05. If these are to be
• Race
skills as a result reporting year following their program completion. included in a survey, this
of their program
• Participant type: question can be asked once,
participation Calculations American, foreign, with up to two follow-up
To determine the percent value, numerator is number of reciprocal questions based on an
affirmative response.]
respondents who reply “yes” while the denominator will be
Last Updated: February 2025

---

Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
the total number of question respondents. Divide the
numerator by the denominator and then multiply by 100 for Did you increase your personal
the percent value. and/or professional skills as a
result of your participation in
this program?
• Yes
• No
E4.0.03: Percent Soft skills - Qualities and behaviors an individual • Sex To be Survey (self-reported) Post-
of participants demonstrates to interact with others effectively. Examples • Age completed Program
reporting an include communication, listening, self-awareness, • Country of origin by the NOTE: Question 1 is also
increase in soft awareness of others, self-initiative, cognitive competence applicant included in Indicator 4.0.01
• Home state
skills as a result skills, self-confidence, resourcefulness/resilience, and and 4.0.05. If at least two of
• Race
decision-making and problem-solving skills. those questions are to be
of their program
• Participant type: included in a survey, question 1
participation
Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key American, foreign, can be asked once, with up to
Terms reciprocal two follow-up questions based
on an affirmative response.
Counting Frequency
Each participant should only be counted once in the Did you increase your personal
reporting year following their program completion. and/or professional skills as a
result of your participation in
Calculations this program?
To determine the percent value, numerator is number of • Yes
respondents who select at least one answer option except • No
for “none of the above skills” in the second question while
the denominator will be the total number of question If YES:
respondents. Divide the numerator by the denominator and
then multiply by 100 for the percent value. Please select the personal skills
you increased. Select all that
apply.
• Leadership skills
• Communication skills
• Listening skills
• Self-awareness
Last Updated: February 2025

---

Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
• Self-initiative
• Self-confidence
• Resourcefulness
• Decision-making skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Other: ______ [write-in]
• None of the above skills
E4.0.05: Percent Technical skills - Knowledge and ability to perform • Sex To be Survey (self-reported data) Post-
of participants specific tasks. Examples of technical skills include project • Age completed Program
who report an management, entrepreneurship, journalism, teaching • Country of origin by the NOTE: Question 1 is also
increase in instruction, science, technology, engineering and applicant included in Indicator 4.0.01
• Home state
technical skills mathematics (STEM) competence. and 4.0.03. If at least two of
• Race
these questions are to be
as a result of
Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Participant type: included in a survey, question 1
their program
Terms American, foreign, can be asked once, with up to
participation
reciprocal two follow-up questions based
Counting Frequency on an affirmative response.
Each respondent should only be counted once in the
reporting year following their program completion. Did you increase your personal
and/or professional skills as a
Calculations result of your participation in
To determine the percent value, numerator is number of this program?
respondents who select at least one answer option EXCEPT • Yes
for “none of the above skills” in the second question while • No
the denominator will be the total number of question
respondents. Divide the numerator by the denominator and If YES:
then multiply by 100 for the percent value.
Please select the professional
skills you increased. Select all
that apply.
• Project management skills
• Business management skills
• Entrepreneurship skills
Last Updated: February 2025

---

Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
• Journalism skills
• Teaching skills
• Science competence
• Technology competence
• Engineering competence
• Mathematics competence
• Other: ______ [write-in]
• None of the above skills
E4.0.09: Percent Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Survey (self-reported) Post-
of participants Terms • Age completed Program
reporting an • Country of origin by the 1. Did you improve your
increase in Counting Frequency applicant language skills in a foreign
• Home state
language skills Each respondent should only be counted once in the language as a result of the
• Race
as a result of reporting year following their program completion. program?
• Participant type:
their program
• Yes
American, foreign,
participation Calculations • No
To determine the percent value, numerator is number of reciprocal
respondents who answered yes in question 1, while the If YES to question 1, ask
denominator will be the total number of question questions 2 and 3:
respondents. Divide the numerator by the denominator and 2. Which of the following
then multiply by 100 for the percent value best described your ability
to speak in that foreign
language before your
participation in the
program?
• No ability at all
• Able to communicate only in
a very limited capacity
• Able to satisfy basic survival
needs and minimum courtesy
requirements
Last Updated: February 2025

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Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
• Able to satisfy routine social
demands and limited work
requirements
• Able to speak with sufficient
grammatical accuracy and
vocabulary to discuss
relevant professional areas
• Able to speak fluently and
accurately in all situations
• Proficiency equivalent to
that of a native speaker
[Use display logic to show
those choices with abilities
greater than the selection in
question 2.]
3. Which of the following
best describes your ability
to speak in that foreign
language after the
program?
• Able to communicate only in
a very limited capacity
• Able to satisfy basic survival
needs and minimum courtesy
requirements
• Able to satisfy routine social
demands and limited work
requirements
• Able to speak with sufficient
grammatical accuracy and
vocabulary to discuss
relevant professional areas
Last Updated: February 2025

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Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
• Able to speak fluently and
accurately in all situations
• Proficiency equivalent to
that of a native speaker
E4.0.14: Percent Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Survey (self-reported) Post-
of participants Terms • Age completed Program
reporting new • Country of origin by the As a result of your participation
digital applicant in the program, did you gain
Digital skill/competencies – Digital skills are defined as a • Home state
skills/competenc new digital
range of abilities to use digital devices, communication • Race
skills/competencies?
ies gained from
applications, and networks to access and manage • Participant type:
• Yes
virtual exchange
information, and to participate in a virtual program. Skills American, foreign,
(VE) • No
include: knowledge about various low and high-tech reciprocal
programming
technologies (such as the internet, digital video, software
programs, etc.), knowledge of how various technologies
can be used to communicate with others, knowledge
required by teachers for integrating technology into their
classrooms, and/or creating content for various
technologies.
Virtual Exchange - See Definitions of Key Terms
Virtual Elements - See Definitions of Key Terms
Counting Frequency
Each respondent should only be counted once in the
reporting year following their program completion.
Calculations
To determine the percent value, numerator is number of
respondents who respond “yes” to the question, while the
denominator will be the total number of question
respondents. Divide the numerator by the denominator and
then multiply by 100 for the percent value.
Last Updated: February 2025

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Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
This indicator counts participants involved in virtual
exchange programs (see definition above) and WILL NOT
count participants ONLY engaging with virtual program
elements.
ECA Sub-Objective 4.1: Participants engage in language, academic, professional, and cultural programs
E4.1.01: Total Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Administrative data from award Annually
number of Terms • Age completed recipients - not collected from
participants • Country of origin by the the participant surveys
(core indicator) Counting Frequency • Home state applicant
Each participant should only be counted once per semi-
• Race
annual reporting cycle following their program completion.
• Participant type:
American, foreign,
reciprocal
E4.1.02: Total Program cohort - A group of participants hosted separately • Cohort type: To be Administrative data from award Annually
number of under a program umbrella and following a set course of inbound, completed recipients - not collected from
program cohorts activities and/or study. For instance: outbound, virtual by the the participant surveys
(core indicator) • IVLP is a program – each individual IVLP project applicant
conducted in a year would be considered a separate
cohort.
• PFP is a program – the two groups of participants
PFP brings to the US each year are each considered
separate cohorts.
• Arts Envoy is a program- each group of artists that
travels is considered a separate cohort. A band or
group of musicians would be considered a cohort
but each individual should be counted separately as
a participant.
Counting Frequency
Last Updated: February 2025

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Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
Each cohort should only be counted once per semi-annual
reporting cycle following its completion.
E4.1.03: Scholarships - Monetary assistance provided by ECA for • Amount: $0-5000; To be Administrative data from award Semi-
Number of students and/or professionals to attend college or university $5001- $10,000; completed recipients - not collected from Annually
ECA-supported abroad. $10,001+ by the the participant surveys
international • Participant type: applicant
scholarships Counting Frequency
American, foreign
All scholarships should be counted even if more than one
provided
scholarship goes to the same individual. Scholarships
should be counted once per semi-annual reporting cycle
during which they were awarded.
E4.1.04: Professional placement - A position placement a participant • Host type: family, To be Administrative data from award Semi-
Number of holds during their exchange program with a host institution business/professio completed recipients - not collected from Annually
professional for the purpose of professional development. These are nal organization, by the the participant surveys
placements most commonly internships, but can also include job academic applicant
shadowing, mentoring or a professional project as well.
institution,
government
Host institution - An institution that provides support to or
agency
benefits from the participation of program participants.
Benefits to this group most often occur through interaction
with the participants and/or alumni during or after the
program.
Professional development - The act of learning and/or
improving skills in order to better meet professional goals.
Professional development activities can include formal
coursework, attending conferences, and informal learning
opportunities situated in practice; i.e. informal peer-to-peer
interaction and learning, or opportunities through
knowledge sharing.
Counting Frequency
Last Updated: February 2025

---

Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
Each placement should only be counted once the placement
has been completed and only once per semi-annual
reporting cycle. If a participant holds more than one
placement during their exchange program, each placement
should be counted.
E4.1.05: Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Administrative data from award Semi-
Number of Terms • Age completed recipients - not collected from Annually
participants in • Country of origin by the the participant surveys
programs with a Media literacy component- An educational portion of a applicant
• Home state
media literacy program that focuses on the ability to identify different
• Race
component types of media and the messages they are sending. It
• Participant type:
includes activities such as a training, a talk or seminar on
American, foreign,
media literacy or how to teach media literacy, training for
journalism, connecting participants with media experts or reciprocal
providing resources for media literacy.
Counting Frequency
Each participant should only be counted once per semi-
annual reporting cycle following their program completion.
E4.1.06: Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Administrative data from award Semi-
Number of Terms • Age completed recipients - not collected from Annually
participants in • Country of origin by the the participant surveys
programs with Counting Frequency applicant
• Home state
formal, Each participant should only be counted once per semi-
• Race
dedicated annual reporting cycle following their program completion
• Participant type:
language
American, foreign,
learning
reciprocal
activities
E4.1.07: Training - An organized activity that is designed and N/A To be Administrative data from award Semi-
Number of implemented to build capacity and has specific learning completed recipients - not collected from Annually
instruction objectives – expected knowledge, skills and/or by the the participant surveys
methodology competencies to be gained by participants. Trainings of any applicant
length with this purpose should be counted. Building
Last Updated: February 2025

---

Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
trainings capacity means that recipients of training gain increased
implemented knowledge, skills, and/or competencies.
This indicator specifically measures “instruction
methodology” related trainings.
Instruction methodology trainings – Those trainings related
to furthering skills in teaching.
Counting Frequency
Each training should only be counted once per semi-annual
reporting cycle.
E4.1.08: Fellowship - A program that allows students and recent • Sex To be Administrative data from award Semi-
Number of graduates to work with an institution on a specific project • Age completed recipients - not collected from Annually
language to be completed during a set period of time. Fellowships • Home state by the the participant surveys
teaching fellows are explicitly designed to produce academic research applicant
• Race
enrolled and/or increase professional development of the fellow.
Language teaching fellow - Through the English Language
Fellow (EL Fellow) and Virtual Educator Programs, highly
qualified U.S. educators in the field of Teaching English to
Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) participate in 10-
month-long fellowships at academic institutions throughout
the world.
Counting Frequency
The number of fellows enrolled in the current reporting
year should be counted. Fellows are considered enrolled if
they have started their program. Fellows should only be
counted once per semi-annual reporting cycle even if they
participate in multiple fellowships concurrently.
E4.1.11: Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Administrative data from award Annually
Number of Terms • Age completed recipients - not collected from
American • Home state the participant surveys
Last Updated: February 2025

---

Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
reciprocal Reciprocal Exchange Participant - An American who • Race by the
exchange travels to an exchange participant’s home country to assist applicant
participants the participant with their individual project.
Counting Frequency
Each participant should only be counted once per semi-
annual reporting cycle following their program completion
E4.1.13: Fellowship - A fellowship is a program that allows students • Sex To be Administrative data from award Semi-
Number of and recent graduates to work with an institution on a • Age completed recipients - not collected from Annually
fellows specific project to be completed during the fellowship • Home state by the the participant surveys
completing period. Fellowships are explicitly designed to produce applicant
• Race
language academic research and/or increase professional
development of the fellow.
teaching
fellowships
Language teaching fellow - Through the English Language
Fellow (EL Fellow) and Virtual Educator Programs, highly
qualified U.S. educators in the field of Teaching English to
Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) participate in 10-
month-long fellowships at academic institutions throughout
the world.
Counting Frequency
The number of fellows enrolled in the current reporting
year should be counted. Fellows should only be counted
once per semi-annual reporting cycle even if they
participate in multiple fellowships concurrently
E4.1.14: Virtual Exchange - See Definitions of Key Terms N/A To be Administrative data from award Annually
Number of completed recipients - not collected from
virtual exchange Program - The overarching umbrella under which all by the the participant surveys
(VE) programs activities take place. Or alternatively, it is the official name applicant
that is listed in ACPD’s comprehensive annual report on
public diplomacy and international broadcasting
Last Updated: February 2025

---

Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
Program components - The individual program activities
that cohorts participate in.
Counting frequency
Each program should only be counted once in the annual
reporting cycle (by tasker
E4.1.15: Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Administrative data from award Annually
Number of Terms • Age completed recipients - not collected from
participants in • Country of origin by the the participant surveys
virtual exchange Virtual Exchange - See Definitions of Key Terms applicant
• Home state
(VE) programs
• Race
Virtual elements - See Definitions of Key Terms
• Participant type:
American, foreign,
Counting Frequency
Each respondent should only be counted once in the reciprocal
reporting year following their program completion.
Calculations
This indicator counts participants involved in virtual
exchange programs (see definition above) and WILL NOT
count participants engaging with virtual program elements.
Each participant should only be counted once per semi-
annual reporting cycle following their program completion
E4.1.16: Audience member - A person who attends an event and is N/A To be Administrative data from award Followin
Number of not a program participant. completed recipients - not collected from g each
audience by the the participant surveys event
members Cultural events - Can include events such as concerts or applicant
attending movie screenings; these can be hosted in the United States
or abroad but must be done in conjunction with an ECA
cultural events
program.
Counting Frequency
Audience members should be counted following each
event.
Last Updated: February 2025

---

Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
ECA Sub-Objective 4.2: Increase ability of participants to recognize and counter disinformation
E4.2.01: Percent Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key • Sex To be Survey (self-reported data) Post-
of participants Terms • Age completed Program
that report
• Country of origin
by the How would you rate your
increased ability Disinformation - False or misleading information that is applicant ability to do each of the
• Home state
to counter spread deliberately to deceive. Disinformation can include following now compared to
• Race
disinformation authentic information or true facts that are used in the before program participation?
wrong context to make false connections, or it can be • Participant type: For each, please indicate if your
outright false information or propaganda. American, foreign, ability increased, stayed the
reciprocal same, or decreased.
Counting Frequency • Validate information I see in
Each respondent should only be counted once in the the media
reporting year following their program completion. • Identify accurate information
• Think critically about
Calculations information I see online
To determine the percent value, numerator is number of • Evaluate everyday
respondents that replied “Increased” for at least one information I receive from
question item while the denominator will be the total multiple sources
number of question respondents. Divide the numerator by • Identify false information
the denominator and then multiply by 100 for the percent
value. [Scale: Decreased, Stayed the
same, Increased]
ECA Objective 8: Enhance the quality and effectiveness of ECA programs by leveraging the Bureau’s resources, policy, and stakeholder relationships
E8.0.03: Participant or Exchange Visitor – See Definitions of Key N/A 60% Survey Records Post-
Response rate Terms Program
for participant
surveys Counting Frequency
(core indicator) Response rates will be calculated and reported semi-
annually on surveys that closed (i.e. ceased allowing
respondents to respond) in that six-month period, even if
the survey opened in the previous six-month period. This
may be a single survey or an aggregation, if more than one
Last Updated: February 2025

---

Performance Definition Disagg. Target Data Source and Required* When to
Indicator Survey Question Collect
survey closed in that six-month period. Each survey
invitation should be counted once, and each response (if
received) should be counted once.
Calculations
The response rate will be calculated by dividing the
number of survey responses received by the number of
survey invitations issued (sent by email or directly invited
in some other way).
Note that “survey responses” will include cases in which
any portion of a survey was returned (at least one piece of
response data provided). It will not include cases where
respondents opened the survey and opted out by selecting
the option not to continue on the opening consent screen.
Last Updated: February 2025

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FY 2026 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Academic Fellows Program NOFO

U.S. Department of State
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)
Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
FY 2026 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI)
Academic Fellows Program
Funding Opportunity Number: DFOP0017934
Application Deadline: May 11, 2026
A. Basic Information
B. Eligibility
C. Program Description
D. Application Contents and Format
E. Submission Requirements and Deadlines
F. Application Review Information
G. Award Notices
H. Post-Award Requirements and Administration
I. Other Information
A. Basic Information
1. Overview.
Funding Opportunity Title FY 2026 Young Southeast Asian Leaders
Initiative Academic Fellows Program
Funding Opportunity DFOP0017934
Number
Announcement Type New Cooperative Agreement
Deadline for Applications May 11, 2026 11:59pm Eastern (Washington DC
time)
Assistance Listing Number 19.009

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Length of Performance 18 to 24 months
Period
Number of Awards 1 award
Anticipated
Award Amount approximately $4,300,000
Total Available Funding $4,300,000 pending availability of funds
Type of Funding FY 26 Educational and Cultural Exchange
Programs (ECE) Funds
Funding Instrument Type Cooperative Agreement
Anticipated Award Date July 31, 2026
This notice is subject to availability of funding. Issuance of the NOFO does not
constitute an award commitment on the part of the Government.
ECA reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets in
accordance with the needs of the program and the availability of funds.
Pending satisfactory implementation of this program and the availability of funds in
subsequent fiscal years, it is ECA's intent to renew this award for two additional,
consecutive fiscal years, before openly competing it again.
2. Executive Summary.
Priority Region: Fellows will represent priority countries from Southeast Asia.
The Office of Academic Exchange Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs (ECA), invites proposal submissions for one cooperative agreement to design,
administer, and implement the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Academic
Fellows Program (YSEALI AFP).
YSEALI AFP will include approximately eight institutes—four in spring 2027 and four
in fall 2027—for approximately 185 undergraduate and recent graduates from
Southeast Asia. Each institute will be on one of four themes: Economic Prosperity,
Liberty and Freedom, Natural Resources, and Peace and Security.
The award recipient will plan, implement, and oversee the eight institutes under the
YSEALI themes. Each institute will host approximately 22-24 Fellows from Southeast
Asia. Each institute will be approximately five weeks long and will include an
approximately four-week academic residency at a U.S. college or university campus.

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Institutes will also include an approximately one-week integrated academic field
experience (that includes time in Washington, DC) at the conclusion of the institute.
The award recipient will coordinate with ECA to organize up to two YSEALI Fellows
Forums, one in the spring and one in the fall, in Washington, DC, for all Fellows.
Applicants can administer YSEALI AFP fully through subawards or may propose to
directly implement up to two institutes (one in spring, one in fall) and administer
subawards for the remaining six institutes. No academic institution will be allowed
to implement more than two institutes in one calendar year. ECA welcomes
applications from U.S. public and private academic and cultural institutions,
including community colleges, liberal arts colleges, and public and private
universities, and other not-for-profit organizations meeting the provisions described
in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) (see section B. Eligibility).
Applicants may submit only one proposal under this competition. If multiple
proposals are received from the same applicant, all submissions will be declared
ineligible and receive no further consideration in the review process.
It is ECA’s intent to award a cooperative agreement for one base year. Pending
satisfactory implementation of this program and the availability of funds in
subsequent fiscal years, it is ECA's intent to renew this award for two additional,
consecutive fiscal years, before openly competing it again.
B. Eligibility
1. Eligible Applicants.
The following organizations are eligible to apply:
• U.S. Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-
governmental organizations
• U.S. Not-for-profit public and private educational institutions
Please see the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) for additional information.
2. Cost Sharing.
There is no minimum or maximum percentage of cost sharing required for this
program.
3. Other Eligibility Requirements.

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a. All 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. Submission
Requirements and Deadlines for more information.
b. ECA’s Grant Guidelines require that organizations demonstrate at least four
years of experience in conducting international exchanges to be eligible for
awards exceeding $130,000 in ECA funding. As noted in Section A. Basic
Information, ECA anticipates issuing one award, for approximately $4,300,000.
Therefore, organizations must demonstrate four years of experience in
conducting international exchanges in your proposal to be eligible to apply
under this competition.
c. All proposals must comply with the requirements stated in the NOFO, Project
Objectives, Goals, and Instructions (POGI) document, and the PSI; not doing
so may result in your proposal being declared technically ineligible and given
no further consideration in the review process.
d. All proposals must contain a SF-424, executive summary, proposal narrative,
budget (SF 424A), detailed line-item budget, and budget narrative.
Please note: Applicant organizations are defined by their legal name, and
EIN number as stated on their completed SF-424 and additional supporting
documentation outlined in the PSI document.
e. Applicants who are current recipients of awards directly from ECA should
make sure the application discusses one or more award that will be open with
ECA at the start of the anticipated period of performance for this NOFO.
Applicants who do not have current awards directly with ECA, please review
the information in the PSI, section D, with additional information that must be
provided in your application for it to be eligible.
C. Program Description
1. Authority.
Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the Mutual
Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87-256, as amended, also
known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of the Act is "to enable the
Government of the United States to increase mutual understanding between the
people of the United States and the people of other countries...; to strengthen the
ties which unite us with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural
interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United States and
other nations...and thus to assist in the development of friendly, sympathetic and

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peaceful relations between the United States and the other countries of the world."
The funding authority for the program above is provided through legislation.
2. Purpose.
The YSEALI AFP is the premier public diplomacy program for rising leaders in
Southeast Asia. The program supports U.S. foreign policy goals through academic
exchanges that advance U.S. partnerships in the region and highlight American
excellence. YSEALI AFP is targeted at undergraduate students and recent graduates
in Southeast Asia and includes an intensive academic residency and an integrated
academic field experience.
3. Program Specific Guidelines.
All YSEALI AFP institutes should be held in the United States for approximately five
weeks. U.S. public and private academic and cultural institutions, exchange-of-
persons, and other not-for-profit organizations meeting the provisions of a 501(c)3
are eligible to apply as a sub-award recipient; however, the institutes should take
place on a U.S. college or university campus. Applicants should provide a tentative
list of six subaward partners.
The academic residency should give Fellows both theoretical knowledge and
practical skills related to the themes through lectures, panels, seminar discussions,
readings, debates, site visits, and regional travel into a substantive, cohesive, and
coherent institute. Institutes should explore both an historical and contemporary
examination of their theme.
Institutes should include academic coursework and classroom-based learning as
well as practical, hands-on experiences. Off-campus site visits should provide
opportunities to observe and participate in varied aspects of American life as they
relate to the institute theme. All institutes should provide Fellows with a deeper
understanding of the United States, including a robust cultural activities calendar
and opportunities to engage with Americans during all components of the program.
Each institute should be approximately five weeks in length. Fellows should spend
approximately four weeks at a U.S. academic institution and approximately seven
days on an academic field experience that concludes in Washington, DC. YSEALI AFP
will conclude with a YSEALI Fellows Forum in Washington, DC, for all Fellows across
all themes in the spring and fall. The Forum should provide an opportunity for

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Fellows to share program experiences, network across institutes, and meet with
Department of State officials. The Forum will be planned by the award recipient in
close consultation with ECA.
Institute Themes:
a. The YSEALI Academic Fellowship on Liberty and Freedom should provide Fellows
with an overview of America’s founding principles of freedom of speech, liberty,
and self-governance. Fellows will study how these principles drive American
innovation, prosperity, and civic engagement. Fellows will explore the power of
open debate and the individual right to organize public advocacy campaigns.
Institutes should also explore how these rights fuel economic stability and
societal freedom. Similarly, institutes may explore how to combat censorship,
promote freedom of religion, and build institutions that promote transparency.
Fellows will examine how citizens, both as individuals and in groups, have shaped
U.S. history, government, and society. Academic sessions should be
complemented with hands-on sessions or workshops designed to build skills in
the topics mentioned above. The institutes should encourage fellows to develop
innovative and practical in-country plans to expand and safeguard individual
freedoms.
b. The YSEALI Academic Fellowship on Natural Resources should explore American
excellence in agriculture, fisheries, energy, and critical minerals management.
Fellows will examine energy security and supply chain resilience by engaging with
American experts. Fellows may also learn about American innovations in natural
disaster preparedness, mining, rare earth minerals, water and waste
management, and farming. The institute should also explore the nexus of
natural resources and economic prosperity. The institutes should encourage
Fellows to develop potential initiatives to collaborate with the United States and
other ASEAN partners to ensure ongoing secure and reliable access to natural
resources.
c. The YSEALI Academic Fellowship on Economic Prosperity should provide Fellows
with an overview of U.S. business models, technological innovation, labor market
practices, and monetary policies that contribute to economic growth. Activities
will focus on American’s leadership in business and innovation, utilizing historic
periods of economic growth and technological advancement as critical moments

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that catapulted the United States to be a global economic powerhouse. Topics
may also include U.S. tech and AI frameworks; U.S. approaches to regulations;
supply chain management; strategic trade policies; investment and fundraising;
financial literacy; organizational development and management; strategic
business planning; corporate governance structures; and monetary policy.
Fellows should visit American businesses and meet with corporate leaders, board
members, and small business owners, among others. The institutes should
encourage Fellows to develop new U.S.-ASEAN member state business
connections that contribute to American economic prosperity.
d. The YSEALI Academic Fellowship on Peace and Security should provide Fellows
with an overview of U.S. policies, practices, and institutions that support local,
regional, and international peace and security. Institutes will explore public
policy and peacemaking processes through interactive trainings and simulations.
Topics may include countering human and drug trafficking; disaster
preparedness and response; cyber security; public health security; combatting
transnational crime including online scams; and border security. YSEALI AFP
should emphasize practical skills such as leadership, dialogue, and cooperation
through interactive workshops that allow Fellows to outline policy solutions to
promote good governance, rule of law, and security in their own communities.
4. Recipient Responsibilities.
The responsibilities of the recipient organization are as follows:
Overview of Recruitment and Selection:
Proposals must demonstrate the capacity of the recipient to assist ECA in the
recruitment and selection process for Fellows. The recipient will be responsible for
developing creative and comprehensive plans to assist in recruitment conducted by
U.S. embassies and consulates and other U.S. government agencies throughout
Southeast Asia. Recruitment should incorporate the development of marketing
materials including, but not limited to, print materials (flyers, fact sheets, one-
pagers, brochures); prerecorded content (audio advertisements, podcasts, etc.);
online content (website information, social media campaigns); and outreach to
relevant and interested stakeholders. The recipient will be responsible for creating a
Fellow application form that will be posted on the program website for U.S.
embassies, consulates, and other U.S. government agencies to submit eligible

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candidates. The initial nomination of qualified candidates will be the responsibility
of U.S. embassies, consulates, and other U.S. government agencies, including ECA.
The recipient will be responsible for assisting with the placement of nominated
candidates with ECA making final participant selection and placement decisions.
Please see the POGI for more information on the recruitment and selection process.
Fellows will be undergraduate students or recent graduates aged 18-25 from ASEAN
member countries. ECA reserves the right to make adjustments to participating
countries, participant numbers, themes, and institute dates based upon Department
priorities. Please see the POGI for more information on Fellows.
Overview of Media and Outreach:
In addition to recruitment plans, the proposal should address the recipient’s ability
to create media and outreach content for YSEALI AFP. Proposals must include a
description of how the YSEALI AFP could be publicized to reach the widest possible
audience of qualified applicants in Southeast Asia, U.S. academic subaward
partners, and other relevant audiences. The proposal must also include a
community outreach plan to target potential U.S. citizen applicants to the Reciprocal
Exchange. Outreach should include print and virtual content. On occasion, ECA may
request that the recipient assist in promoting and coordinating opportunities for
YSEALI AFP alumni with other elements of YSEALI, including the YSEALI Network and
other YSEALI programming.
Additionally, the proposal should address the recipient’s ability to create and
maintain a private Fellowship portal. The YSEALI AFP Portal should provide
additional information about the program to alumni and selected finalists and
alternates. The proposal must also address the creation and maintenance of an
online application and selection database system for U.S. embassies, consulates,
and other U.S. government agencies to be able to assess and nominate initial
candidates for YSEALI AFP, to be reviewed by ECA and later placed in their academic
institution by the recipient.
Publications, program materials, and all other platforms must be in accordance with
U.S. Department of State and ECA branding guidelines. When applicable,
publications and materials should include a link to the program website,
https://asean.usmission.gov/yseali/. The outreach strategy and all publication
materials, including cover designs, must be submitted to ECA for approval prior to
publication and dissemination.

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Overview of Alumni/Follow-on Activities:
Proposals should provide plans for continued follow-on activities to ensure ECA-
supported programs are not isolated events. Follow-on programming should offer
attractive opportunities for successful alumni to continue engaging with the United
States and the YSEALI program. Activities may include small alumni seed grants, in-
region workshops, or other alumni programming that describes how it will
complement other YSEALI and Department alumni efforts.
Proposals may also include plans for a small grant component encouraging
collaboration on projects and the sharing of best practices among alumni.
Reciprocal Exchange Component:
The Reciprocal Exchange component should include post-Fellowship funding
opportunities for up to 25 U.S. citizen students or young professionals to engage
with YSEALI AFP alumni and travel to an ASEAN country. The component’s goal is to
strengthen ties between U.S. citizens and YSEALI alumni while also preparing U.S.
citizens for continued engagement in the region. Reciprocal Exchanges may include
individualized project-based exchanges or meaningful participation in regional
YSEALI activities and workshops. Reciprocal exchanges must involve collaboration
between U.S. citizen participants and YSEALI AFP alumni from the region.
The recipient will manage a merit-based open competition for Reciprocal Exchange
participants. The recipient will collaborate with ECA as well as relevant U.S.
embassies and consulates to ensure Reciprocal Exchanges account for safety and
travel concerns. The recipient will work in consultation with ECA to select strategic
topics that align with U.S. government priorities. ECA will make the final decisions
about participant selections. Please see the POGI for more information on this
component.
Program Administration:
Applicants must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of application.
ECA intends to issue one Cooperative Agreement and is seeking proposals from
organizations with the ability to administer and assist with a complex recruitment
and selection process; develop and oversee institutes across the four themes;
administer the Reciprocal Exchange component; develop and oversee alumni
activities; and manage the program website and Fellowship portals, among other

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responsibilities. The recipient may propose to administer all eight institutes through
subawards or may propose to implement up to two of the institutes (one in spring,
one in fall) and administer subawards to conduct the remaining institutes. No
institution will be permitted to conduct more than two institutes in one calendar
year.
The recipient will serve as the lead administrator and will be responsible for the
oversight of all aspects of this program, including managing and monitoring
performance of all subaward partners. The proposal should demonstrate the
applicant’s ability to recruit colleges, universities, or non-profit organizations.
Proposals should demonstrate any regional and thematic expertise and include a
tentative list of six subaward partners.
The POGI provides additional program-specific guidelines that all proposals must
address fully.
5. Program Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E).
Distinct from grants or cooperative agreement monitoring and participant
monitoring, performance monitoring is designed to assess progress against a
program’s goals and objectives. A performance monitoring framework is vital to
tracking the direction, pace, and magnitude of change that result from ECA
programs.
ECA created the Monitoring Data for ECA (MODE) Framework to measure the
performance of ECA programs. The MODE Framework provides standard
indicators and corresponding survey questions to ensure consistent measures
across all ECA programs. More resources and guidance documents on the MODE
Framework are available online at: https://www.state.gov/eca-monitoring-
evaluation-learning-and-innovation-meli-unit/.
The proposal must include the MODE Framework objectives and indicators listed
below (note that, because not all MODE objectives and indicators are relevant for a
program, the numbering below will not be sequential). In addition to the ECA-
required objectives and indicators, applicants may also select additional MODE
Framework indicators (see the Indicator Book on the MODE Framework website), or
design custom objectives and indicators that are specific to the proposed program
and this proposal.

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• Demographic Questions as outlined in the Indicator Book on page v and
Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) (See the MODE Resource Guide –
https://app.box.com/s/qjo8icwj46tc8h1i1qtg80zl7ibwgtua – found on:
https://www.state.gov/eca-monitoring-evaluation-learning-and-innovation-meli-
unit/)
• Objective 1: Advance participant and beneficiary cross-cultural competence and
global perspective
Sub-Objective 1.1: Promote cultural exchanges and enhance understanding
between participants and their host communities
o
 E1.1.01: Percent of participants reporting that their program experience
offered opportunities to engage with other cultures
 E1.1.04: Percent of foreign participants with more favorable opinions of
the United States Government (core indicator)
 E1.1.09: Percent of participants who traveled abroad for the first time
because of their program (core indicator)
 E1.1.10: Percent of foreign participants who traveled to the United States
for the first time during their program (core indicator)
 E1.1.11: Percent of American participants indicating a change in their
understanding of their host country's culture and values
 E1.1.12: Percent of foreign participants indicating a change in
understanding of third-party countries’ cultures and values
 E1.1.13: Percent of foreign participants who are more likely to
recommend the United States as a good place to study
 E1.1.17: Percent of foreign participants with more favorable opinions of
the American people (core indicator)
 E1.1.18: Percent of foreign participants indicating an increase in
understanding of United States culture and values (core indicator)
 E1.1.19: Percent of foreign participants agreeing with statements in
support of democratic values (core indicator)
• Objective 2: Increase the impact that participants and alumni have on their
communities / countries
 E2.0.01: Percent of foreign participants that volunteer in their host
communities
 E2.0.04: Number of hours that foreign participants spend volunteering in
their host communities
Sub-Objective 2.2: Foster participants’ belief that civic engagement benefits
communities/countries
o
 E2.2.01: Percent of participants who have more confidence in their ability
to have an impact in their home country (core indicator)

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• Objective 3: Strengthen engagement among participants, alumni, beneficiaries,
and institutions
 E3.0.02: Percent of foreign participants who report increasing their
network of Americans (core indicator)
 E3.0.04: Percent of foreign participants who report increasing their
network of third country nationals
 E3.0.07: Percent of participants who identify as a Department of State
program participant (core indicator)
Objective 4: Strengthen personal, professional, and technical abilities and
aptitudes of participants and beneficiaries
o
 E4.0.01: Percent of participants reporting increases in their job skills as a
result of their program participation
 E4.0.03: Percent of participants reporting an increase in soft skills as a
result of their program participation
 Sub-Objective 4.1: Participants engage in language, academic,
professional, and cultural exchange programs
 E4.1.01: Total number of participants (core indicator)
 E4.1.02: Total number of program cohorts (core indicator)
 E4.1.11: Number of American reciprocal exchange participants
 Objective 8: Enhance the quality and effectiveness of ECA programs by
leveraging the Bureau’s resources, policy, and stakeholder relationships
 E8.0.03: Response rate for participant surveys (core indicator)
Performance Monitoring Plans (PMPs)
ECA recommends the use of a PMP to serve as the primary reference document for
performance monitoring for this award. If used, the PMP is an important part of any
proposal, as it outlines how the applicant plans to track progress towards the
proposed program’s goals and objectives through indicators and corresponding
data collection questions. A PMP document that includes all MODE Framework
indicators is a part of this solicitation’s attachments. Specific instructions on how to
modify the PMP to be responsive to this solicitation are included in that document;
there is also a support video available for more information on how to fill out the
PMP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBHC1oLNZvI. While ECA recommends
the applicant use the PMP format provided, this is not a requirement. If a PMP is
not included in the proposal, applicants should provide similar information to that
found in the suggested PMP format, in a presentation of your choice. Successful
PMPs (or similar documentation) should include the following:

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• Objectives. Programmatic objectives are statements of the condition(s) that state
what the program is designed to achieve. Objectives are therefore bound by the
resources and timeframe of the program and must be specific, measurable,
attainable, relevant and time-bound (SMART). In addition to those outlined
above, the applicant may propose other program objectives from the MODE
Framework or other applicant-designed program-specific objectives.
• Indicators. Performance indicators are measures used to gauge progress toward
programmatic objectives and sub-objectives. Indicators should be as specific as
possible (following the SMART principles) and include any proposed
disaggregations (meaning, breakdowns of the data by subgroups; the PMP lists
the demographic questions required to obtain the information necessary to
report the disaggregations). Each indicator should also include a target number
to be achieved. A target is a planned level of result to be achieved within an
explicit timeframe.
If you do not use the PMP format provided, note that any performance
o
monitoring reference document the applicant submits should include the
information in the column headers (Indicator Name, Definition, Target, Survey
Question, etc.) in the PMP attachment at a minimum.
In addition to those indicators outlined in above, the applicant may propose
o
additional custom, program-specific indicators in the PMP (ECA recommends
the proposed PMPs include a minimum of one indicator for each custom
programmatic objective).
During the period of performance of the award, the ECA program office may
o
further revise, add, or remove indicators. Therefore, the applicant’s PMP and
data collection instruments should be flexible enough to incorporate those
once established.
Award recipients are responsible for collecting indicator data only on participant
outcomes during the period of performance of the award itself (see the PMP for
guidelines as to when these data collection efforts should occur). ECA will measure
outcomes of ECA participants at one, three, five, and 10 years after the exchange
has ended to capture the long-term outcomes of ECA programming unless
otherwise specified in the NOFO and/or POGI. In this instance, the recipient will be
responsible for coordinating with ECA on any alumni surveys to de-duplicate
questions and minimize potential survey fatigue.
Regardless of the survey platform used, all MODE Framework survey questions
outlined above are required (i.e., should be forced response); please see the

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Consent Language in the MODE Framework Indicator Book for more information on
how to convey this to participants/survey respondents.
Program Performance M&E Narrative
Proposals should include information within the program narrative section(s) that
outlines how the applicant intends to measure the indicators listed above. This will
be separate from the PMP and should include but not be limited to:
• An overview of resources available to the applicant that outline the team
structure and responsibilities surrounding performance monitoring.
• The mechanism(s) through which surveys and other data collection tools (if
applicable) will be administered, including which platform will be used, and when
and how surveys will be advertised to participants – detailing strategies to ensure
adequate survey response rates
(https://app.box.com/s/pn6tavyg7sh064i502fzap49ox63y38a), and to reduce
selection and non-response bias.
• A brief explanation of data analysis and reporting procedures.
• An overview of a proposed learning plan and feedback loops to ensure that the
Grant Officer (GO)/Grant Officer Representative (GOR) are informed on
performance monitoring issues at regular intervals.
Nonmandatory Use of the Qualtrics MODE Survey Builder Data Collection
System
ECA has created a guided tool (the MODE Survey Builder) within the Qualtrics survey
platform for ECA implementing partners to generate surveys to facilitate the
seamless collection and reporting of MODE Framework data. The MODE Survey
Builder offers implementing partners a guided workflow that will generate a ready-
to-send MODE survey, allows the addition of custom survey questions, and offers a
standard report template for a quick overview of survey results that can be
submitted in MyGrants (see section below) to fulfill RPM Reporting Requirements.
Use of the Qualtrics survey platform can be utilized at no cost to implementing
partners. Additional information about the MODE Survey Builder can be found
here: https://app.box.com/s/jjr98hmx6deorxj3lwgaxjrwdfec2r91 and here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jus4fRqOTcM. You can propose use of an
alternate survey tool or use the MODE Survey Builder, but if you are utilizing the
MODE Survey Builder, you must indicate such in your proposal.
MyGrants RPM Reporting Requirements

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MyGrants is a database solution that serves as the official system of record for all
U.S. Department of State and ECA awards. The Results Performance Monitoring
(RPM) module within MyGrants is an extension module that enables users to report
performance monitoring data in the same system where they currently manage
federal assistance actions. As part of ECA’s efforts to streamline data collection and
management, the recipient(s) of this award will be required to input performance
reporting data outlined in this solicitation into the MyGrants RPM. The data stored
in the MyGrants RPM will provide ECA with a bureau-wide, uniform M&E reporting
tool that is already linked with other elements of the awards familiar to existing
awardees.
6. Cost Share.
ECA encourages applicants to provide maximum levels of cost sharing and funding
in support of its programs. When cost sharing is offered, it is understood and
agreed that the applicant must provide the amount of cost sharing as stipulated in
its proposal and later included in an approved agreement. Cost sharing may be in
the form of allowable direct or indirect costs. For accountability, you must maintain
written records to support all costs which are claimed as your contribution, as well
as costs to be paid by the Federal government. Such records are subject to audit.
The basis for determining the value of cash and in-kind contributions must be in
accordance with the Office of Management and Budget’s Guidance 2 CFR Parts 200
and 600, entitled the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and
Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. In the event you do not provide the
minimum amount of cost sharing as stipulated in the approved budget, ECA's
contribution may be reduced in like proportion.
7. Freedom and Democracy Guidelines.
Public Law 104-319 provides that "in carrying out programs of educational and
cultural exchange in countries whose people do not fully enjoy freedom and
democracy," the Bureau "shall take appropriate steps to provide opportunities for
participation in such programs to human rights and democracy leaders of such
countries." Public Law 106 - 113 requires that the governments of the countries
described above do not have inappropriate influence in the selection process.
Proposals should reflect advancement of these goals in their program contents, to
the full extent deemed feasible.
8. Virtual Exchange Component.
When changing political, health, environmental, or other similar circumstances
require a suspension or halt of in-person activities and where ECA determines that a

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virtual alternative is appropriate and viable, award recipients should demonstrate
the ability and capacity to transition from in-person to virtual exchanges.
Organizations should consider how they will implement virtual exchange activities,
given the potential limits to internet access from Fellows in some locations and while
continuing to advance foreign policy objectives and achieve lasting benefits for U.S.
citizens and international Fellows.
In addition to planning for virtual exchange activities if in-person programming is
prohibited, ECA welcomes innovative ideas on how organizations can leverage
virtual programming technologies during or in addition to in-person programming.
ECA encourages organizations submitting proposals in response to this solicitation
to suggest one or more virtual exchange components to complement the in-person
exchange. The virtual exchange component(s) could come before, during and/or
after the physical exchange. The objective for the virtual exchange component(s) is
to augment the impact of the in-person exchange described in this solicitation. ECA
encourages organizations to propose virtual exchange ideas that take advantage of
ECA’s existing web and social networking platforms. Virtual exchange components
would be coordinated with and approved by the ECA program office and U.S.
missions abroad on a project-by-project basis.
9. Communications Guidance for ECA Recipients.
All ECA Recipients must adhere to the requirements in ECA’s Communications
Guidance on the creation of program branding and attribution, websites, social
media, and press.
10. Celebration of America’s Semiquincentennial.
ECA is excited to play a key role in making the Semiquincentennial – commonly
known as “Freedom 250” – a truly global celebration. As the period of performance
for this award is scheduled to cover part or all of calendar year (CY) 2026, the
applicant may wish to consider ways the program can celebrate Freedom 250. Any
Freedom 250 focused activities or plans will be subject to ECA approval and
direction, and changes may be requested by ECA. Use of any ECA-provided
Freedom 250 brand elements will be subject to advance ECA approval and require
adherence to Department of State and ECA guidelines for such branding.
14. Substantial Involvement.
In a cooperative agreement, the Department is substantially involved in program
activities above and beyond routine monitoring. For this opportunity the
Department’s substantial involvement follows:

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1. Provide advice on the final selection of subaward recipients and institute staff;
2. Collaborate on and approve recruitment and outreach plans including
corresponding materials;
3. Approve participant eligibility requirements and selection criteria;
4. Approve the final selection of Fellows, Fellow placements, and American
Reciprocal Exchange participants and activities. ECA will have substantial
oversight and retains ultimate approval in the selection process between the
implementing partner and U.S. embassies;
D. Application Contents and Format
Please read the complete announcement before sending inquiries or submitting
proposals.
Applicants must follow all instructions in the Solicitation Package, including the PSI
document, which contains guidelines for proposal preparation.
1. Budget Format.
Applicants must submit a budget (SF-424A), detailed line-item budget, and a budget
narrative.
Budget requests should be for $4,300,000. Applicants may provide separate sub-
budgets for each program component, phase, location, or activity to provide
clarification.
2. Content of Application.
Please see the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) for information about the
application and formatting guidelines.
E. Submission Requirements and Deadlines
1. Address to Request Application Package.
The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from the Grants.gov website at
https://www.grants.gov or from the ECA website at https://www.state.gov/eca-grant-
opportunities/.

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2. Department of State Contacts
For questions about this announcement, contact: Sarah McLewin, U.S. Department
of State, Study of the U.S. Branch, ECA/A/E/USS, 202-655-1596, mclewinsj@state.gov.
All correspondence with ECA concerning this solicitation should reference the title
and funding opportunity number listed at the top of this solicitation. Please read
the complete announcement before sending inquiries or submitting proposals.
Once the deadline has passed, ECA staff may not discuss this competition with
applicants until the proposal review process has been completed.
The terms and conditions published in this solicitation are binding and may not be
modified by any ECA representative. Explanatory information provided by ECA that
contradicts published language will not be binding.
3. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management
(SAM.gov).
Required Registrations
All organizations, whether based in the United States or in another country, must
have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and an active registration in SAM.gov.
A UEI is one of the data elements mandated by Public Law 109-282, the Federal
Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), for all Federal awards. An
applicant must maintain an active registration while it has a proposal under review
by the Department and must continue to keep the registration active for the entire
duration of the period of performance of any Federal award that results from this
NOFO.
The 2 CFR 200 requires subrecipients to obtain a UEI. Please note the UEI for
subrecipients is not required at the time of application but will be required before
an award is processed and/or directed to a subrecipient.
Note: The process of obtaining or renewing a SAM.gov registration may take
anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Please begin your registration as early as possible.
Organizations based in the United States or that pay employees within the United
States will need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue
Service (IRS) and a UEI prior to registering in SAM.gov.

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All federal award recipients must maintain a current registration in the SAM
database. Recipients must maintain accurate and up-to-date information in
www.SAM.gov until all program and financial activity and reporting is completed on
any issued award. Recipients must review and update the information at least
annually after the initial registration and more frequently if required information
changes or another award is granted. There is no cost associated with registering or
updating SAM.gov accounts.
For more detailed instructions for registering with SAM, refer to:
https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration
Exemptions
An exemption from the UEI and sam.gov registration requirements may be
permitted on a case-by-case basis. See 2 CFR 25.110 for a full list of exemptions.
Organizations requesting exemption from UEI or SAM.gov requirements must email
the point of contact listed in the NOFO at least two weeks prior to the deadline in
the NOFO providing a justification of their request. Approval for a SAM.gov
exemption must come from the warranted Grants Officer before the application can
be deemed eligible for review.
4. Required Registration with MyGrants.
All ECA award recipient organizations and recipient contacts and signatories must be
registered with the U.S. Department of State’s MyGrants system by accessing
https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com and clicking the “create an account” link.
MyGrants is the U.S. Department of State’s grants management system and is
supported by the Department’s Integrated Logistics Management System (ILMS).
Recipient organizations and recipient contacts and signatories that have previously
used MyGrants as a U.S. Department of State award recipient do not need to
register again. If the organization is not able to access the system, please contact
the ILMS Help Desk for help in gaining access.
Support for Recipient Organizations and recipient contacts and signatories is
available 24 hours, 7 days a week (except federal holidays), and can be reached at 1-
888-313-ILMS (4567) or through the ILMS Self Service Portal at
https://afsitsm.servicenowservices.com/ilms/.
5. Submission Instructions.

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Method of Submission
Applications may only be submitted electronically through Grants.gov
(https://www.grants.gov). Complete solicitation packages are available at Grants.gov
in the “Search Grants” portion of the system.
Grants.gov Registration, Application Submission, and Receipt Procedures
Eligible organizations should follow the instructions available in the ‘Get Started’
portion of the site (https://www.grants.gov/applicants/grant-applications/how-to-
apply-for-grants.
How to Register to Apply through Grants.gov
Applicants should read instructions carefully and prepare the information requested
before beginning the registration process. Reviewing and assembling the required
information before beginning the registration process will alleviate last-minute
searches for required information.
The registration process can take up to four weeks to complete. Therefore,
registration should be done in sufficient time to ensure it does not impact your
ability to meet required application submission deadlines. Applicants should check
with appropriate staff within their organizations immediately after reviewing this
NOFO to confirm or determine their registration status with Grants.gov.
Organization applicants can find complete instructions here:
https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration
How to Submit an Application to ECA via Grants.gov
For access to complete instruction on how to apply for Notice of Funding
Opportunities on Grants.gov, refer to: https://www.grants.gov/applicants/grant-
applications/how-to-apply-for-grants
Grants.gov Support and Submission Issues
Direct all questions regarding Grants.gov registration and submission issues to:
Grants.gov Customer Support
Contact Center Phone: 800 -518-4726
Business Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; closed on federal holidays.
Email: support@grants.gov

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6. Submission Dates and Times.
Application Deadline Date
May 11, 2026 EST
Applicants have until 11:59 p.m., Washington, DC, time of the closing date to ensure
that their entire application has been uploaded to the Grants.gov site. There are no
exceptions to the above deadline. Applications uploaded to the site after the
application deadline date and time will be automatically rejected by the Grants.gov
system and will be found technically ineligible.
Therefore, we strongly recommend that you begin the submission process
through Grants.gov well in advance of the application deadline.
Proof of timely submission is automatically recorded by Grants.gov. An electronic
date/time stamp is generated within the system when the application is successfully
received by Grants.gov. The applicant Grants.gov Authorized Organization
Representative (AOR) will receive an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking
number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) from Grants.gov with the successful transmission of their
application. Applicant AORs will also receive the official date/time stamp and
Grants.gov Tracking number in an email serving as proof of their timely submission.
When ECA successfully retrieves the application from Grants.gov, Grants.gov will
provide an electronic acknowledgement of receipt of the application to the email
address of the applicant with the AOR role. Again, proof of timely submission shall
be the official date and time that Grants.gov receives your application. Please also
be mindful of any Grants.gov generated error messages that may appear during the
application process as they may result in some documents not transmitting
correctly.
Applicants using slow internet should be aware that transmission can take some
time before Grants.gov receives your application. Grants.gov will provide either an
error or a successfully received transmission in the form of an email sent to the
applicant with the AOR role. The Grants.gov Support Center reports that some
applicants end the transmission because they think that nothing is occurring during
the transmission process. Please be patient and give the system time to process the
application.

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The Grants.gov website includes extensive information on all phases/aspects of the
Grants.gov process, including an extensive section on frequently asked questions,
located under the “Applicant FAQs” section of the website. ECA strongly
recommends that all potential applicants review thoroughly the Grants.gov website,
well in advance of submitting a proposal through the Grants.gov system. ECA will
not notify you upon receipt of electronic applications.
PLEASE NOTE: ECA bears no responsibility for applicant timeliness of submission or
data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes for proposals
submitted via Grants.gov. Prior to submitting applications through Grants.gov,
please ensure you meet all Grants.gov system and software requirements, including
Adobe software compatibility. You can verify if your version of the Adobe software
is compatible with Grants.gov, by visiting https://grants.gov/applicants/adobe-
software-compatibility
It is the responsibility of all applicants submitting proposals via the Grants.gov
web portal (https://www.grants.gov) to ensure that proposals have been
received by Grants.gov in their entirety, and ECA bears no responsibility for
data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes.
7. Funding Restrictions for this Announcement.
f. Funding Restrictions for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency
(UNRWA)
None of the funds awarded resulting from this Notice of Funding Opportunity
may be made available for subawards, direct financial support, or otherwise
used to provide any payment or transfer to United Nations Relief and Works
Agency (UNRWA).
a. Certification Regarding Compliance with applicable Federal anti-
discrimination laws
If the place of performance or delivery of any award made under this NOFO
will be within the United States, applicants are advised that they will be
required to certify the following at the time of award:
1) Its compliance in all respects with all applicable Federal anti-discrimination
laws is material to the government’s payment decisions for purposes of
section 3729(b)(4) of title 31, United States Code and;

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2) It does not operate any programs promoting Diversity, Equity, and
Inclusion that violate any applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws. A
program promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion means a program
whose purpose is to promote preferences based on race, color religion,
sex, or national origins, such as in training or hiring.
c. Certification Regarding Compliance with 20 U.S.C. 1011f and Any Other
Applicable Foreign Funding Disclosure Requirements for Institutions of
Higer Education (IHE).
Applicants are advised that IHEs must certify the following at the time of award, and
that this certification requirement must be included in any subaward agreements to
IHEs:
• Its compliance in all respects with section 1011f of title 20, United
States Code, and any other applicable foreign funding disclosure
requirements is material for purposes of section 3729 of title 31,
United States Code, and for receipt of appropriate Federal grant
funds.
d. Certification of Trafficking in Persons Compliance and Compliance Plan
Applicants are advised that they will be required to certify the following at the
time of award for awards where the estimated value of services to be
performed outside the United States exceeds $500,000:
• To the best of the recipient’s knowledge, neither the recipient, nor any
subrecipient, contractor, or subcontractor of the recipient or any agent of
the recipient or of such a subrecipient, contractor, or subcontractor, is
engaged in any of the activities described in 2 CFR 175(a);
The recipient has implemented a Trafficking in Persons compliance plan to
prevent activities described in 2 CFR 175(a) and is compliant with it; and
compliance plan must be consistent with the requirements of 2 CFR
175(b)(4) and (5).
• That the recipient has procedures to prevent activities described in 2 CFR
175(a) and to monitor, detect, and terminate any subrecipient, contractor,
subcontractor, or employee of the recipient engaging in them.
Recipients do not need to submit a copy of the plan. However, they must
provide it to the Grants Officer upon request, and as appropriate, must post
the useful and relevant contents of the plan or related materials on their

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website and at the workplace. Recipients must re-certify on an annual basis
for the entire award period of performance.
e. Prohibition on Unmanned Aircraft Systems Manufactured or Assembled
by American Security Drone Act-Covered Foreign Entities
(a) Definitions.
American Security Drone Act-covered foreign entity means an entity included on
a list developed and maintained by the Federal Acquisition Security Council
(FASC) and published in the System for Award Management (SAM) at
https://www.sam.gov
FASC-prohibited unmanned aircraft system means an unmanned aircraft system
manufactured or assembled by an American Security Drone Act-covered
foreign entity.
Unmanned aircraft means an aircraft that is operated without the possibility of
direct human intervention from within or on the aircraft .
Unmanned aircraft system means an unmanned aircraft and associated
elements (including communication links and the components that control
the unmanned aircraft) that are required for the operator to operate safely
and efficiently in the national airspace system.
(b) Prohibition.
Recipients of funding under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (including
subawards and subcontracts issued by the recipient) will be prohibited from:
1. delivering any FASC-prohibited unmanned aircraft system, which
includes unmanned aircraft (i.e., drones) and associated elements;
2. Operating a FASC-prohibited unmanned aircraft system in the
performance of the award; and
3. Using Federal funds for the purchase or operation of a FASC-prohibited
unmanned aircraft system.
c) Exemptions, exceptions, and waivers.
The prohibitions described above will not apply if the agency determines that
an exemption, exception, or waiver applies and the award indicates that such

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a determination has been made. [See sections 1823 through 1825 and 1832
of Public Law 118-31 ( 41 U.S.C. 3901 note prec.) for statutory requirements
pertaining to exemptions, exceptions, and waivers].
8. Other Submission Requirements.
a. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov.
b. All proposals must contain a SF-424, executive summary, proposal narrative,
budget (SF 424A), detailed line-item budget, and budget narrative.
c. Key Personnel
ECA recommends that the applicant identify intended key personnel positions
via an asterisk (*) or other marking in the proposal budget, budget narrative,
or a separate appendix. If not provided in the application, recipients must
submit the names, titles, roles and experience/qualifications of key personnel
involved in the program to the Grants Officer and GOR within 30 days of an
award being issued. Applicants should also identify what proportion of their
time will be used in support of the program. Additional information regarding
key personnel requirements can be found in the State Department’s Standard
Terms and Conditions.
d. Intergovernmental Review of Applications
Executive Order 12372 does not apply to this program.
F. Application Review Information
1. Review Process.
ECA will check that all proposals meet the technical requirements in this
solicitation. Proposals that do not meet the guidelines, including those under
the eligibility section above or in the PSI, will be ineligible for further review.
All eligible proposals will be reviewed by the program office before being
reviewed by an ECA grant panel. Applications may also be reviewed by Public
Diplomacy sections overseas, State Department regional bureaus, or other
State Department offices, as appropriate. All reviewers, including the ECA
grant panels, will review any eligible proposals based on the criteria below.

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Proposals recommended by an ECA grant panel will be reviewed for
compliance with Federal and Bureau regulations and guidelines, and assessed
for risk. Final funding decisions are made by the ECA’s Assistant Secretary.
Only an ECA Grant Officer has the final authority to issue assistance awards.
2. Review Criteria.
An ECA grants panel will competitively evaluate all technically eligible
applications according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank
ordered, and all carry equal weight in the proposal review.
a. Quality of the program idea and ability to achieve program
objectives: Proposals should exhibit originality and clearly demonstrate
how the applicant will meet the objectives laid out in this solicitation. A
detailed agenda and staff work plan should demonstrate substantive
undertakings and logistical capacity. Activities should be reasonable,
feasible, and form a coherent program for participant exploration of the
topic. Competitive proposals will clearly promote ECA’s mission.
b. Institution's record/ability: Proposals should demonstrate an
institutional record of successful exchange programs and responsible
fiscal management (past exchange programs need not have been ECA-
funded). ECA will consider the past performance of prior ECA recipients,
including the timely submission of reports, and the demonstrated
potential of new applicants. Proposed personnel and institutional
resources should be fully qualified to achieve the project’s goals.
c. Follow-on Activities and multiplier effect: Proposals should provide a
plan for continued follow-on activity after the ECA supported program
ends, ensuring that programs are not isolated events. Follow-on activities
should strengthen long-term partnerships and individual linkages.
d. Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E): Proposals should have
a fully developed M&E plan that includes goals, objectives, and indicators.
The plan should be feasible and aligned with the M&E section of this
solicitation. Proposals should include a realistic learning plan that outlines
how your organization plans to review, understand, and incorporate M&E
data into programmatic decisions and practices. All submitted M&E plans
will be reviewed to ensure the applicant has provided at least the required
information outlined in the M&E section of this solicitation and
demonstrated the applicant’s capacity to carry out the M&E plan.
e. Cost-effectiveness/cost share: Proposals should keep the overhead
components of the proposal, including salaries and honoraria, as low as

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possible. All costs should be necessary and appropriate. Proposals should
maximize cost share through other private sector support and institutional
direct funding contributions.
3. Indirect Costs
If two or more applications receive equivalent scores based on the evaluation
criteria outlined in this NOFO, preference will be given to the applicant with
the lower indirect cost rate, as consistent with Executive Order 14332, Section
4(b)(iii). This preference will only be applied as a tie-breaking mechanism and
does not supersede the primary evaluation criteria.
4. Risk Review
Under the merit review as required by 2 CFR 200.206, prior to making a
Federal Award, the Department will review and consider the following risk
factors:
a. Financial stability
b. Management systems and standards
c. History of performance
d. Audit reports and findings
e. Ability to effectively implement requirements
5. Responsibility/Qualification Information in SAM.gov.
The Federal awarding agency, prior to making a Federal award with a total amount
of Federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, is required to
review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the U.S.
government designated integrity and performance system accessible through
SAM.gov (see 41 U.S.C. 2313) (see 41 U.S.C. 2313);
An applicant can review and comment on any information in the
responsibility/qualification records available in SAM.gov.
Before making decisions in the risk review required by 2 CFR 200.206, the
Department will consider any comments by the applicant, along with information
available in the responsibility/qualification records in SAM.gov.
G. Award Notices

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Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by Congress,
allocated and committed through internal ECA procedures. Successful applicants
will receive a Federal Assistance Award (FAA) from an authorized Grants Officer in
ECA’s Grants Division. The FAA and the original proposal with subsequent
modifications (if applicable) shall be the only binding authorizing document between
the recipient and the U.S. Government. The FAA will be signed by a Grants Officer
and transmitted to the recipient’s responsible officer (as identified in the application)
for review and countersignature. The recipient may only start incurring project
expenses beginning on the start date shown on the fully signed award document.
Issuance of this NOFO 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. Further, the U.S. government
reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received. If a proposal is selected for
funding, the Department of State has no obligation to provide any additional future
funding.
Unsuccessful applicants:
Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification of the results of the application
review from the ECA program office coordinating this competition following the
completion of the review process.
Payment Method:
Payments under this award will be made through the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS) Payment Management System (PMS).
H. Post-Award Requirements and Administration
1. Administrative and National Policy Requirements.
Before submitting an application, applicants should review all the terms and
conditions and required certifications which will apply to this award, to ensure that
they will be able to comply.
The Department of State will review and consider proposals for funding pursuant to
this NOFO in accordance with OMB guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all applicable
Federal laws, and relevant Executive guidance, including the following:

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• Guidance for Grants and Agreements in Title 2 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (2 CFR), as updated in the Federal Register’s 89 FR 30046 on April
22, 2024, particularly on:
Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering results based
o
on the program objectives through an impartial process of evaluating
Federal award applications (2 CFR part 200.205),
Promoting the freedom of speech and religious liberty in alignment with
o
Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty (E.O. 13798) and Improving Free
Inquiry, Transparency, and Accountability at Colleges and Universities (E.O.
13864) (§§ 200.300, 200.303, 200.339, and 200.341),
Providing a preference, to the extent permitted by law, to maximize use of
o
goods, products, and materials produced in the United States (2 CFR part
200.322), and
Terminating agreements pursuant to the U.S. Department of State
o
Standard Terms and Conditions, including, to the greatest extent
authorized by law, if an award no longer effectuates the program goals or
agency priorities (2 CFR part 200.340).
• 2 CFR 25 - UNIVERSAL IDENTIFIER AND SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT
• 2 CFR 170 - REPORTING SUBAWARD AND EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
INFORMATION
• 2 CFR 175 - AWARD TERM FOR TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS
• 2 CFR 182 - GOVERNMENTWIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE
(FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE)
• 2 CFR 183 - NEVER CONTRACT WITH THE ENEMY
• 2 CFR 600 – DEPARTMENT OF STATE REQUIREMENTS
• U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS
• Recipients must comply with all applicable Executive Orders. A searchable list
can be found in the Federal Register: https://www.federalregister.gov/
2. Reporting.
Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and program reports. The
FAA will specify how often these reports must be submitted. All reports must be

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submitted in a timely manner. For planning purposes, applicants can expect to
provide ECA with an electronic copy of the following required reports:
a. Performance Progress Reports (PPRs) shall be required at a minimum
annually and no more frequently than quarterly. Annual reports shall be due
90 days after the reporting period; quarterly or semi-annual reports shall be
due 30 days after the reporting period. All reports and supporting
documentation must be uploaded by the recipient as a Post Award Activity
under the corresponding record for this award in MyGrants.
b. The Federal Financial Reports (FFR SF-425/SF-425a) must be submitted
through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Payment
Management System (PMS). The electronic version of the FFR can be
accessed at: https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/post-award-
reporting-forms. Once a financial report has been approved by the
Department, the recipient must upload the approved report to MyGrants, in
the same manner specified for the programmatic reports. Failure to comply
with these reporting requirements may jeopardize the recipient's eligibility for
future awards.
c. Required MODE data (see Program Performance Monitoring and
Evaluation section) shall be required at a minimum annually and no more
frequently than quarterly. MODE data reporting shall be due 30 days after
the reporting period. The frequency of these reports will be determined by
ECA/P/MELI and the Program Officer. Either a standard report template (if
using the MODE Survey Builder) or aggregate data and the raw data file (if
Recipient uses their own survey platform) must be uploaded by the Recipient
as an RPM Performance Report under the corresponding record for this
award in MyGrants.
d. A final program and financial report no more than 120 days after the
period of performance of the award ends or termination of the award.
e. Program Data Requirements: Award recipients will be required to
Maintain specific data on program Fellows and activities in an electronically
accessible database format that can be shared with ECA as required. At a
minimum, the data must include the following:

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• Name, address, contact information and biographic sketch of all persons
who travel internationally on funds provided by the agreement or who
benefit from the award funding but do not travel.
• Itineraries of international and domestic travel, providing dates of travel
and cities in which any exchange experiences take place. Final schedules
for in-country and U.S. activities must be received by the ECA Program
Officer at least three workdays prior to the official opening of the activity.
3. Branding and Marking.
The Department of State, its programs, and U.S. Government funding and assistance
should be easily identifiable to the Department's global audiences.
Recipients of federal assistance awards must follow the branding guidance
published at Guidance for Contracts and Grants - U.S. Department of State Brand
System. Branding policy exceptions are outlined in the U.S. Department of State
Foreign Affairs Manual 10 FAM 416, Policy Exceptions.
For more information, visit: https://brand.america.gov/
I. Other Information
Adherence To All Regulations Governing the J Visa
ECA places critically important emphasis on the security and proper administration
of the Exchange Visitor (J visa) Programs and adherence by award recipients and
sponsors to all regulations governing the J visa. Therefore, proposals should
demonstrate the applicant's capacity to meet all requirements governing the
administration of the Exchange Visitor Programs as set forth in 22 CFR 62, including
the oversight of Responsible Officers and Alternate Responsible Officers, screening
and selection of program participants, provision of pre-arrival information and
orientation to participants, monitoring of participants, proper maintenance and
security of forms, record-keeping, reporting and other requirements.
The award recipient will be responsible for issuing DS-2019 forms to participants in
this program.
A copy of the complete regulations governing the administration of Exchange Visitor
(J) programs is available at http://j1visa.state.gov or from:

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Office of Private Sector Exchange Designation
U.S. Department of State
SA-5, Floor C2, Room C2L13
2200 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20522

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FY 2026 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Academic Fellows Program POGI

1
PROJECT OBJECTIVES, GOALS, AND
IMPLEMENTATION (POGI)
FY 2026 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative
Academic Fellows Program
Funding Opportunity Number: DFOP0017934
Office of Academic Exchanges, Study of the U.S. Branch
(ECA/A/E/USS)
The POGI guidelines apply specifically to the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
issued by the Office of Academic Exchanges, Study of the U.S. Branch for the FY
2026 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Academic Fellows Program (YSEALI
AFP). Proposals must conform to the solicitation, the guidelines in this document,
and the standard Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI). Any application not
adhering to these conditions may be deemed technically ineligible.
These guidelines are in addition to the requirements outlined in the solicitation
and PSI. In the event of a discrepancy between documents, the solicitation takes
precedence.
I. STATEMENT OF WORK
The recipient organization will be responsible for the following:
Design, Management, Monitoring, and Evaluation of the YSEALI AFP institutes
1. Design and oversee eight academic institutes on the four YSEALI AFP themes:
Economic Prosperity; Liberty and Freedom; Natural Resources; and Peace
and Security. Each approximately five-week institute will include
approximately 22-24 Fellows at U.S. colleges and universities for a total of

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2
approximately 185 Fellows;
2. Identify and propose qualified U.S. educational institutions to conduct
institutes through an invitational competition and issue guidance on the
development of program content and other activities to ensure consistency
and quality across all institutes;
3. Provide and monitor subawards to the selected subaward partners to
conduct simultaneous institutes (four institutes in spring 2027 and four in fall
2027). No subaward partner should conduct more than two institutes (one in
spring and one in fall); the primary award recipient may choose to conduct
up to two institutes per calendar year (one in spring and one in fall);
4. Organize and implement an annual subaward partner briefing for all
subaward partners (institutes) to hear directly from ECA and other State
Department officials on program priorities and objectives as well as discuss
administrative and logistical best practices;
5. Review academic content and program materials for each proposed institute;
6. Provide programmatic and administrative management of the institutes
including ongoing oversight of selected subaward partners through regular
communications and site visits;
7. Manage Fellow placement at individual institutes in cohorts by theme;
8. Plan a YSEALI Fellows Forum event in Washington, DC, in close coordination
with ECA (one in spring and one in fall) to convene all of the approximately
90-95 Fellows from all four of the concurrent YSEALI AFP institutes. This may
include coordination with the YSEALI Professional Fellows Program, which is
covered in a separate award; and
YSEALI AFP Fellow Support and Logistics:
9. In coordination with U.S. embassies and consulates, arrange and purchase
international roundtrip travel for Fellows, including any necessary travel
related to visa issuance, and disburse international travel allowances to all
Fellows;
10. Create, issue, and send DS-2019 forms to U.S. embassies and consulates for
Fellows;
11. In conjunction with subaward partners, coordinate logistical and
administrative arrangements for Fellows, such as pre-departure information,
airport transfers, lodging, meals, domestic travel, and the disbursement of
program funds;

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12. In conjunction with subaward partners, coordinate logistics related to any
needed medical treatment and emergencies or management of any special
circumstances, including reasonable accommodations;
13. Enroll the Fellows and U.S. citizen Reciprocal Exchange participants in the
ECA-sponsored health benefits plan, Accident and Sickness Program for
Exchanges (ASPE), for the duration of the program and issue an individual
health benefits identification card;
14. Develop health and safety protocols to protect the welfare of all Fellows.
Protocols should include plans to address safety in relation to possible public
health emergencies; and
15. Inform and consult with ECA in a timely manner about any problems,
emergencies, or other issues that may affect a Fellow’s participation in the
YSEALI AFP (including, but not limited to, medical emergencies and medical
evacuations, including mental and physical health issues; natural disasters;
arrests or other serious legal issues or misconduct accusations). Consult
with ECA on the response to any serious incidents and on crisis management
decision-making and operations, including responding to queries from the
media or others. Provide timely progress reports on any necessary follow-up
action.
General Program Management:
16. Create media content at the direction of ECA, including draft online content
and YSEALI AFP success stories;
17. Develop recruitment and outreach plans and timeline, including graphics,
one pagers and/or fact sheets, announcements, and other materials to
communicate program information and demonstrate the impact of YSEALI
AFP;
18. Develop and manage an online application to administer a merit-based
competition for YSEALI AFP. Develop and maintain an applicant and Fellow
database system to review applications and select candidates. U.S.
embassies, and ECA must also have access to the database in order to
review, nominate, select, and place candidates. The recipient will be
responsible for application review and managing institute placement for
finalists, with ECA retaining all final approval. The award recipient will work
closely with ECA on the development of all application content, selection
criteria and processes, and review rubrics;

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19. Maintain and regularly update a database of active Fellows and alumni,
always ensuring the protection of personally identifiable information. This
will be done in consultation with ECA;
20. Develop and maintain a secure YSEALI AFP portal for selected finalists,
alternates, and alumni with additional information about the YSEALI AFP;
21. Create materials and PowerPoints for U.S. Department of State staff and
others to use at U.S. embassy and virtual pre-departure orientations or other
occasions;
22. Develop pre-departure online modules that will be mandatory for all Fellows
to complete prior to their participation in YSEALI AFP;
23. Submit all print and online materials provided to potential Fellowship
applicants, Fellows, program partners, and U.S. government agencies,
including U.S. embassies and consulates, and other entities, as requested by
ECA, for review before distribution;
24. Consult with ECA on a plan for notifying members of Congress of the
participation of Fellows and Reciprocal Exchange participants in and from
their districts/states;
25. Clear communications with U.S. government agencies or entities involving
YSEALI AFP with ECA;
26. Develop and implement follow-on activities for Fellows which may include
alumni seed grants, professional development grants, in-region trainings or
workshops, virtual workshops, speakers, and other follow-on alumni
programming;
27. Develop recruitment and selection procedures to administer a merit-based
open competition for U.S. citizen Reciprocal Exchange participants and keep
ECA informed about the application review process. ECA will give final
approval for all Reciprocal Exchange participants. The award recipient will
work closely with ECA on the development of application and selection
criteria and processes;
28. In coordination with U.S. embassies or consulates, provide all necessary
support to all U.S. citizen Reciprocal Exchange participants to ensure their
health and safety while traveling on their exchange. This includes pre-
departure orientations and on-program support.
29. Conduct performance monitoring that incorporates the Monitoring Data for
ECA (MODE) Framework, links outcomes of the YSEALI AFP to stated program
goals and objectives to ensure that all institutes meet comparable and high

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levels of quality in fulfilling program goals (see NOFO section C5. Program
Monitoring and Evaluation);
30. Manage all ECA funds for this program, including the timely submission of
required semi-annual and final financial and program reports to ECA as well
as weekly updates to ECA during YSEALI AFP implementation;
31. Prepare and print certificates of completion for Fellows who successfully
complete the YSEALI AFP; and
32. Assume overall responsibility for complying with all applicable tax treaties
and Federal, state and local laws on tax withholding and reporting for
participants.
II. PROGRAM SPECIFIC GUIDELINES
A. Overview
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)
invites proposal submissions for the design and implementation of the YSEALI
Academic Fellows Program (YSEALI AFP). YSEALI AFP includes eight approximately
five-week institutes, split between spring and fall 2027, focusing on four themes
(two Institutes per theme): Economic Prosperity; Liberty and Freedom; Natural
Resources; and Peace and Security. Each institute should be designed for groups of
approximately 22-24 Fellows. Proposals should present a rigorous academic
residency and integrated academic field experience, including workshops, site
visits, cultural activities, and robust opportunities to interact with Americans.
Institutes must also contribute to the participants’ understanding of the United
States more broadly, including U.S. society, technological advancements, and
institutions. The program should include YSEALI AFP convening events in
Washington, DC (one in the spring and one in the fall). The NOFO for this
competition gives further direction on the YSEALI AFP substance and themes.
YSEALI AFP’s conception and structure are the responsibility of the award recipient.
It is essential that proposals provide a full, detailed, and comprehensive narrative
describing how the recipient will achieve the objectives of the program. Proposals
will be reviewed based on the review criteria listed in the NOFO.
Please note: ECA reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets
and number of Fellows based on program needs and the availability of U.S.

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Government funding.
B. Program Dates
Main activities for the base year of the FY 2026 YSEALI AFP cooperative agreement
will take place in spring and fall 2027. All institutes should last approximately 35
days (including arrival and departure days) with all institutes in the spring and all
institutes in the fall implemented concurrently. YSEALI AFP spring institutes should
begin no earlier than March 15, 2027, and fall institutes should conclude no later
than November 15, 2027. Applicants should state their flexibility in adjusting start
and end dates. ECA will work closely with the award recipient to align the start and
end dates for all institutes.
C. Program Administration
Applicants must discuss their capacity to successfully manage international
exchange programs, including institutional strengths such as prior experience,
relevant departments, and major administrative units. Proposals should
demonstrate the applicant’s capacity to identify and invite qualified U.S. educational
institutions to apply for subawards to facilitate institutes on a U.S. college or
university campus.
Proposals must include a staffing plan that details how staff will fulfill
responsibilities. Applicants should consider cost-effective strategies to successfully
implement all proposed activities and initiatives while ensuring that staffing levels
and structure are adequate for managing participant health and safety. The
staffing plan and titles may vary; however, proposals must include a project
director and academic director.
The award recipient must designate a qualified project director to oversee all of the
institutes. The project director will coordinate logistical and administrative
arrangements, ensure an appropriate level of continuity and consistency among all
of the institutes, oversee follow-on programming, and serve as the principal liaison
between ECA and the subaward partners. The project director will serve as ECA’s
primary point of contact. The project director should plan to attend a subaward
partner briefing that will take place either virtually or in-person in Washington, DC,
approximately seven weeks before the start of the spring program each year.

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Upon selecting subaward partners, the award recipient must confirm a qualified
academic director based at each partner institution who will be in-person for the
entire institute to ensure the continuity, coherence, and integration of all aspects of
the academic program, including the academic field experience. Each proposed
academic director must demonstrate relevant experience for their role in planning
and implementing the program, overseeing day-to-day management, monitoring
Fellows, and reporting to the award recipient.
In addition, a qualified administrative director or coordinator based at each
subaward partner must be identified (and at the recipient organization, if
applicable) with demonstrated experience in overseeing all Fellow support services,
including participant supervision, participant health and safety, budget, logistics,
reporting, and other administrative arrangements.
Other staff may be designated as appropriate. All staff who work directly with
Fellows must work in person (not remotely) for the duration of the program except
in cases when changing health, environmental, or other similar circumstances
require a suspension or halt of in-person activities. Program coordinators and/or
graduate student assistants may be employed to carry out clerical duties and to
assist with the day-to-day concerns and needs of participants, but they should not
be the principal point of contact for participants’ administrative concerns.
The award recipient must have the capacity to maintain foreign participant
applications, U.S. embassy or consulate nomination forms, and an alumni database
to electronically collect and maintain data for all YSEALI applicants, Fellows, and
alumni. All data collected must protect and secure all personally identifiable
information (PII). All statistical information gathered and compiled by the recipient
on program participants should be electronically transferable to ECA in a safe and
secure manner. Therefore, each applicant must confirm that its system for
collecting and storing data on participants protects PII and is compatible with ECA’s
systems.
ECA may request that the recipient monitor or maintain YSEALI AFP’s online
presence on digital platforms.

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D. Fellows
Each institute will include approximately 22-24 foreign undergraduate or recent
graduate participants aged 18-25 from ASEAN member states, for a total of
approximately 185 participants across eight institutes. Fellows will be proficient in
English.
Participants will be highly motivated recent graduates and undergraduates from
colleges, universities, and other institutions of higher education, who demonstrate
leadership through academic work, community involvement, and extracurricular
activities. Their fields of study will be varied, and may include sciences, social
sciences, humanities, education, business, and other professional fields. The award
recipient will be required to assist in the recruitment, application, and selection of
candidates in coordination with U.S. embassies and ECA. The recipient may be
asked to assist with selection interviews and will facilitate a process for U.S.
embassies to submit nominations to ECA. U.S. embassies and consulates will
identify and nominate participants and alternates. ECA will make final selection
decisions, and a final list of selected participants will be sent to the award recipient
prior to the start of each institute.
Please note: ECA reserves the right to amend or modify the list of participating
ASEAN member countries should conditions change in the nominating country.
Participating ASEAN member countries will be determined by ECA, in consultation
with the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
ECA is committed to ensuring that participants with disabilities are able to engage
fully in the program through reasonable accommodation and support. Reasonable
accommodations should be made for any participants with disabilities. The award
recipient will be responsible for working with the subaward partners to provide
reasonable accommodations that will allow for a full experience for all participants.
Applicants should budget at least $2,000 per institute for reasonable
accommodations for participants with disabilities.
E. Institutes
Please refer to Overview of the institutes in NOFO section C.3. Program Specific
Guidelines. Proposals should include a list of six possible qualified U.S. colleges,
universities, and/or non-profit organizations that the applicant, if selected, would
invite to apply for subawards to facilitate institutes on a college or university

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campus in the United States. Proposed institutions should represent the breadth
of excellence in U.S. higher education.
Each institute should include an approximately four-week academic residency at a
U.S. college or university campus and an approximately one-week academic field
experience in a region distinct from that of their academic residency that also
includes time in Washington, DC, for the YSEALI AFP Fellows Forum. Applicants are
encouraged to draw upon any unique institutional strengths and regional expertise.
The institutes should be designed around the four designated themes as well as
include topics on U.S. history, government, institutions, and society. Institutes
should demonstrate American excellence and innovation during classroom
sessions, site visits, and cultural activities. To encourage interaction with
Americans, applicants may consider creating a course for participants in this
program that is also offered to U.S. students for credit. The cost for U.S. students
to take this course may not be included in the funding request from ECA.
Academic Residency
The approximately four-week academic residency component should:
• Be a custom-designed and well-integrated curriculum that imaginatively
combines lectures, panels, seminar discussions, readings, debates, site visits,
and regional travel into a substantive, cohesive, and coherent program.
• Be tailored for these institutes and not replicate an existing lecture course,
survey, or graduate seminar designed for American degree candidates.
• Efforts should be made to encourage experiential learning and active student
participation in the educational process. The design of classes should take into
account that the participants may have little or no prior knowledge of the United
States and varying degrees of experience in expressing their opinions.
• Provide participants with an overview of U.S. society and institutions and draw
connections to Southeast Asian case studies as appropriate. Include time for
discussion at each session and a collegial exchange of views among participants,
lecturers, and panelists. Discussion should be encouraged not only through
question-and-answer sessions but also through organized debates, roundtables,
and other fora that allow active dialogue between participants and presenters.

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Separate budget items (e.g., honorarium, per diem, travel) may be included for
this purpose, per the sample budget.
• Include excursions that will reinforce the academic curriculum and deepen
participants’ understanding and appreciation of the United States, including
historical sites, schools, and other places of interest.
Academic Field Experience
The approximately one-week field experience component should:
• Directly complement and reinforce each institute’s academic residency.
• Be arranged and led by the academic director and principal institute staff.
• Expose the participants to a U.S. region distinct from that of their academic
residency. If appropriate, the academic field experience segment may be
interspersed with the academic residency, though the total time allotted for the
academic field experience should be approximately seven days.
• Include an appropriate mix of professional-level meetings relevant to the
institute’s objectives, visits to cultural institutions, and recreational activities.
The proposal must include possible academic field experience locations or other
destinations to be visited, relevant to each of the themes. The possible locations
should be distinct from the possible academic residency sites and provide a
complementary experience within each institute. Please note, staff escorts
travelling on the academic field experience must have demonstrated qualifications
to accompany exchange visitors such as experience working with international
audiences, accompanying international or domestic group travel, and/or managing
health, safety, and emergency situations during travel.
Interaction with Americans
Proposals should clearly demonstrate plans for structured and unstructured
interaction between participants and Americans. Wherever feasible, interactions
should allow for participants to have a free exchange of ideas with Americans.
Programs should strive to include as many of the following program components
as possible:

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• Opportunities to engage with local U.S. families through shared meals,
excursions, or other activities;
• A peer system where international participants are paired with U.S. students
for academic and cultural activities;
• Hands-on activities with local community service organizations so Fellows
may experience first-hand the U.S. tradition of grassroots approaches to
solving community problems while engaging with and working alongside
Americans;
• Classes with U.S. students or accommodations with U.S. roommates, if
possible; and
• To the extent possible, mentor relationships between participants and
academically-appropriate subaward partner professors.
Independent Research
Each institute should be intensive, yet leave sufficient time for reading and
preparation of class assignments, individual interests, and rest. Participants should
also have opportunities to attend cultural events, such as concerts, sporting events,
and formal or informal gatherings with Americans to foster group cohesion and
experience American culture outside of formal institute programming.
Please note: ECA may request that the award recipient modify the academic
residency and/or academic field experience. Similarly, the award recipient, in
consultation with ECA, may also wish to make program modifications. Any
requested changes must remain within the scope of the original program
objectives.
F. Logistical Considerations
• Participant health and safety is an ECA priority. The recipient should
consider the health, safety, and welfare of participants at all times. This
includes assisting participants to understand the ECA-sponsored ASPE health
benefits program and to navigate the healthcare system in the United States.
The recipient and subaward partners should also help participants
understand and navigate any national, state, local, and campus health or
safety policies and assist in health-related emergencies.
• Housing and meal arrangements are an important dimension of program

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planning and must be discussed in detail in the proposal. If possible,
participants should be housed on campus in university dorms, similarly
designated university housing, or other suitable lodging, such as a hotel,
ideally within walking distance to daily classes for the duration of the
institutes. Accommodations should respect each participant’s privacy and
comfort and be conducive to study and relaxation. Participants would ideally
have access to kitchen facilities, either in their own rooms or in a common
room. A cafeteria meal plan combined with a cash allowance for food that
will permit participants to cook or eat at local restaurants is strongly
recommended. Participants may experience difficulties with U.S. eating
customs due to religious or other dietary restrictions, cultural differences,
and unavailability of familiar foods. Institute staff should consider any
dietary, religious, medical, or living requirements and be prepared to discuss
any challenges with the participants. Institute staff should consider
conducting a pre-arrival survey of participant dietary and/or religious needs
to better accommodate their needs. To the extent permitted by budget
limitations, participants may receive up to the U.S. government per diem rate
for meals and incidental expenses at the various program locales. See
http://www.gsa.gov/perdiem for current U.S. government per diem rates.
• Participant forms are required from each participant. Required forms
include, but are not limited to, the YSEALI AFP terms and conditions, a
medical form, and a media release form. The recipient is responsible for
disbursing and collecting signed forms from participants. The recipient
should notify ECA of any potential concerns or issues. All forms should be
safeguarded since they contain Personally Identifiable Information (PII).
• Virtual pre-departure orientation (PDO) workshops should be organized
by the recipient for all participants to prepare for the program. Topics may
include, but are not limited to: setting expectations; U.S. cultural norms;
cross-cultural adjustment; health and safety guidelines and practices; and
logistics. The PDO should include one group cohort meeting before traveling
to the United States. Pre-departure materials should be available to
participants online or emailed at least six weeks before the start of the
program.
• An administrative orientation to the United States and to the campus for
the participants should be held within three days of arrival and address
administrative details of the program, identify campus and local resources,

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review safety and security procedures, and provide general information that
will facilitate the participants’ adjustment to daily life in a new environment.
Important topics will be security, medical issues and protocols, harassment
and reporting, transportation, per diem, and availability of foods to which
participants are accustomed or that meet specific dietary requirements.
• An academic orientation should be held within three days of arrival and
should provide participants with a concise overview of the program,
including principal objectives and major themes. The academic director
should discuss guidelines for behavior that encourage active participation,
respect for the views of other participants, concise comments and questions
that keep the Fellows on-topic, and other parameters that will promote
effective discussion throughout the program.
• Opening and closing events (e.g., luncheon, dinner, or reception) should
formally inaugurate and close each individual institute. These events
typically include representatives from the institute as well as individuals from
the larger community.
• Access to resources should be arranged, including campus libraries,
computer and internet facilities, gymnasium or fitness center, health
services, on-campus disability resources, counseling services, and local and
national newspapers, periodicals, radio, and television. Institutes should
conduct a formal orientation to university library services during the first
week of the program and should provide participants with computer training
and technical support, as needed.
• Monitoring and evaluation should be conducted according to the MODE
framework requirements as outlined in section C5. Program Performance
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of the NOFO. The recipient should ensure
participants have time reserved to complete required survey(s). Copies of
surveys should be available to the ECA program officer upon
request. Additionally, the recipient will be responsible for collecting alumni
success stories to share with the ECA program office.
• Travel allowances should be disbursed to each participant to support in-
transit costs incurred during travel to and from the United States, including
visa travel. The ECA program office suggests approximately $125 per
participant ($62.50 each way) for incoming/outgoing allowances. Travel
allowances should be separate from additional visa or other travel expenses
for participants outside the capital region who require travel support, such as
accommodations, per diem, transit, or baggage fees.

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G. Follow-On Activities and Reciprocal Exchanges
Proposals should provide plans for continued follow-on activities (with minimal ECA
support) that ensure ECA-supported programs are not isolated events. Proposed
activities for alumni must reflect the goals and objectives of the program. The
proposal should include an outline of follow-on programming (including a timeline),
information on how it will be coordinated with existing alumni efforts, and a
description of how the applicant will foster and maintain long-term linkages with
alumni. Examples of successful past follow-on activities include, but are not limited
to: structured mentoring programs, small grant competitions, alumni workshops,
monthly web discussions, collaborative publications by participants and their U.S.
peers, and/or distance learning opportunities for alumni.
The Reciprocal Exchange component should include post-Fellowship funding
opportunities for up to 25 U.S. citizen students or young professionals to engage
with YSEALI AFP alumni and travel to an ASEAN country. The proposal should
include an outline of potential activities as well as U.S. citizen recruitment and
selection plans. Reciprocal Exchange activities include, but are not limited to,
individualized project-based exchanges or meaningful participation in regional
YSEALI activities and workshops. Reciprocal exchanges must take place in ASEAN
and involve collaboration between U.S. citizen participants and YSEALI AFP alumni
from the region. Ideally, Reciprocal Exchange participants will have engaged with
the YSEALI AFP during the U.S.-based institutes to leverage existing relationships.
Applicants should provide plans for a regular newsletter for all YSEALI AFP alumni
and incorporate the online community on the International Exchange Alumni
website (alumni.state.gov) into their alumni outreach plans.
Follow-on activities should be well-developed but also remain flexible enough to
allow for changes based on the Fellows’ needs or Department priorities. Alumni
activities should be financed using the line item budgeted for follow-on activities as
well as significant cost-sharing by the applicant organization. Please refer to the PSI
for additional information.
III. PROPOSAL CONTENTS

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Applicants must submit a complete and thorough proposal that addresses the
program’s objectives and requirements. Proposals should be clear, concise, and
responsive to the criteria outlined in the solicitation and PSI.
Since there is no opportunity for applicants to meet with reviewing officials, the
proposal should respond to the criteria set forth in the solicitation and other
guidelines as clearly as possible.
NOTE: Proposals submitted through Grants.gov may only be submitted in the
following formats:
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Excel
• Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) - Prior to submitting applications
through Grants.gov, please ensure you meet all Grants.gov system and
software requirements, including Adobe software compatibility. You can
verify if your version of Adobe software is compatible with Grants.gov, by
visiting https://www.grants.gov/applicants/adobe-software-
compatibility.html.
• ASCII Text
• Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG images)
Proposals should include the following items. All documents should be
appropriately and clearly titled.
Program Narrative
Executive Summary (One page)
In one double-spaced page, provide the following information about the project:
1. Name of organization/participating institutions
2. Beginning and ending dates of the program
3. Proposed theme
4. Nature of activity
5. Funding level requested from the Bureau, total program cost, total cost-
sharing from applicant and other sources
6. Scope and Goals

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a. Number and description of participants
b. Wider audience benefiting from program (overall impact)
c. Geographic range of program, both U.S. and overseas
d. Fields covered
e. Anticipated results (short and long-term)
Narrative
In a maximum of 20 double-spaced, single-sided pages, provide a detailed
description of the project addressing the areas listed below.
1. Vision (statement of need, objectives, goals, benefits)
2. Participating Organizations
3. Program Activities (advertisement, recruitment, orientation, academic
component, cultural program, participant monitoring)
4. Program Assessment
5. Follow-on Activities and Reciprocal Exchanges
6. Project Management
7. Work Plan/Time Frame
Additional Information to be Submitted
• Detailed Budget
• Letters of endorsement, if applicable.
• Applicant organization resumes and CVs (resumes of all staff should be
included in the submission; no resume should exceed two pages.)
• First Time Applicant Attachments, if applicable.
All budget guidelines must be followed. The budget should indicate any cost
sharing in the form of in-kind or cash contributions to the program from sources
other than the U.S. Department of State. See PSI in the Solicitation Package for
information on cost sharing and the cost of audits.
Applicants should submit one budget detailing all program costs; if selected,
identified possible partner institutions will be invited to submit separate subaward
budgets. You may request a budget format in Excel format by contacting Sarah
McLewin at mclewinsj@state.gov. Please note that you are not required to use this

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format, it is suggested but not required. There are three tabs in this document, the
Budget Guidelines, Budget Categories, and the Detailed Budget Template.
Applicants should complete tabs 2-3, where applicable. You are urged to be as
detailed and specific as possible, adding line items if needed. You may wish to
include any of the listed allowable costs.
Allowable program costs include, but are not limited to:
• Staff salaries and benefits (fringe benefits should be stated separately from
salary costs). Each staff person must be listed separately. Provide the
percentage of time spent on the program;
• Institute costs including, but not limited to, honoraria for speakers (not to
exceed $250 per day), educational materials, lodging, room rental(s), and
welcome and farewell events;
• Travel costs including, but not limited to, round-trip international airfare, visa
travel, ground transportation, and domestic travel;
• Per participant allowances including baggage allowance, international travel
allowance (approximately $125 per participant), book and cultural allowance
(approximately $200 per participant), and meals and incidentals;
• Follow-on activities;
• Other direct expenses;
• Tax withholding;
• Wire transfer fees;
• Consultant fees;
• Printing and publishing;
• Program supplies;
• Postage;
• Internet fees;
• Web hosting;
• Communications (e.g., participant cell phones or SIM cards);
• Health benefits, if necessary;
• Medical costs such as medically required quarantine (outside of medical
facilities covered under the health benefits provider);
• Reasonable accommodations (at least $2,000);
• Travel costs for partner briefing in Washington, DC;
• Institute sub-award costs, if applicable; and
• Indirect costs.

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Please refer to the Solicitation Package for complete budget guidelines and
formatting instructions.
Please be sure to include a Summary Budget on a separate page before the
Detailed Budget. The Summary Budget should clearly indicate the number of
program participants and provide an overall unit cost per participant as well as a
unit cost breakdown by budget category. A sample of this format is provided on
the second tab of the sample budget.
Please include a Budget Narrative that concisely explains how costs were calculated
and the rationale for including them in the budget. The Budget Narrative should
also explain costs for subaward partners, if applicable. Please make note of the
following in the Budget Narrative:
• If you do not have an established negotiated indirect cost rate agreement
(NICRA), please explain what costs are excluded when calculating the
Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) base in accordance with 2 CFR 200.68
Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) and 2 CFR 200.414 Indirect (F&A) Cost.
• List and explain the participant support costs.
Applicant institutions should attempt to maximize cost-sharing throughout the
program by enlisting the support of the U.S. private sector, including foundations
and corporations. ECA reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal
budgets and participant numbers in accordance with the needs of the program and
the availability of funds.
IV. OTHER AWARD INFORMATION
Adherence To All Regulations Governing The J Visa
Proposals must demonstrate the applicant’s capacity to meet all requirements
governing the administration of Exchange Visitor (J) Programs as outlined in 22 CFR
62. For more information, visit http://j1visa.state.gov.
V. APPLICATION SUBMISSION
The solicitation document specifies the deadline and method for proposal
submission. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this deadline.

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(END)