Opportunity Information: Apply for DFOP0017918
Apply for DFOP0017918
- The Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2026 Study of the U.S. Institutes for Scholars" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.401.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-03-12.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-05-11. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.
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Opportunity Summary:
The FY 2026 Study of the U.S. Institutes for Scholars (SUSIs for Scholars) opportunity is a U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) funding competition seeking one organization to design and run three separate, theme-based institutes for international scholars. The award will be made as a cooperative agreement (meaning ECA will likely have substantial involvement in the program’s direction and oversight compared to a standard grant). The project is meant to deliver high-impact, post-graduate level programming hosted at U.S. academic institutions, combining classroom-style learning, research time, and structured engagement with American experts and institutions.
The funded organization will be responsible for implementing three SUSIs during a five-week period in summer 2027, with each institute built around a specific theme: (1) Critical Minerals, (2) Digital Transformation, and (3) Economics and Business. Each institute is expected to host roughly 18 participants, generally foreign university faculty, researchers, and practitioners selected because they have influence in their home institutions and professional networks. The program frames these participants as “multipliers,†meaning the expectation is that what they learn and produce during the institute will ripple outward through their teaching, research, publications, curricula, and professional engagement after they return home.
Program design follows a common SUSI structure. Each institute includes an approximately four-week intensive academic residency on a U.S. college or university campus and an approximately one-week integrated academic field experience. The field experience must take participants to a U.S. region that is different from the residency location, reinforcing the idea that participants should see multiple parts of the United States and engage with a range of regional perspectives, industries, and institutions. Across both components, each institute must highlight American success and innovation as it relates to the theme, not only through lectures but also through site visits, meetings with practitioners, and opportunities to interact with American peers.
A key expectation is that the academic residency will be more than a short course series. It should include structured coursework or seminars, time and support for independent or guided research, and meaningful interaction with U.S. scholars and practitioners. The aim is to equip participants with concrete content and resources they can take back to their classrooms and research agendas, strengthening teaching and scholarship about the United States in other countries. In addition to the in-person experience, the institutes are also expected to build pathways for follow-on engagement after participants return home, such as alumni networks, collaborative research or teaching projects, virtual programming, or other sustained professional connections that keep the U.S.-foreign scholar relationships active.
Eligibility is limited to U.S.-based public and private institutions of higher education (including community colleges and liberal arts colleges) as well as U.S. nonprofit organizations that hold 501(c)(3) status. The competition is identified as discretionary funding under CFDA 19.401. The Notice of Funding Opportunity is numbered DFOP0017918, and it was created on March 12, 2026, with an application deadline (original closing date) of May 11, 2026. The opportunity anticipates a single award, with an award ceiling of $1,500,000, meaning applicants should design a comprehensive, national-caliber program plan and budget capable of running all three institutes and managing any needed subawards.
Operationally, the selected recipient will carry full responsibility for planning, oversight, and implementation. That includes administering all three institutes, coordinating the academic and field components, ensuring the themes are addressed rigorously and in ways that emphasize U.S. innovation and achievements, and managing and monitoring any partner organizations or subawardees involved. In practice, this typically requires an applicant to demonstrate strong program management capacity, deep academic and practitioner networks relevant to the three themes, experience hosting international participants, and a clear approach to alumni engagement and longer-term impact. For the complete set of required activities, application components, and compliance expectations, applicants are directed to the full Notice of Funding Opportunity.
FY 2026 Study of the U.S. Institutes for Scholars (SUSIs for Scholars) - FAQs
1) What is the FY 2026 SUSIs for Scholars funding opportunity?
This is a U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) funding competition to select one organization to design and run three separate, theme-based Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSIs) for international scholars.
2) Who is funding this program?
The program is funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA).
3) What type of award is expected?
The award will be made as a cooperative agreement, which generally means ECA is likely to have substantial involvement in program direction and oversight compared to a standard grant.
4) How many awards are anticipated?
The opportunity anticipates a single award.
5) What is the award ceiling?
The award ceiling is $1,500,000.
6) What is the purpose of the project?
The project is intended to deliver high-impact, post-graduate level programming hosted at U.S. academic institutions, combining classroom-style learning, research time, and structured engagement with American experts and institutions.
7) How many institutes must the selected organization implement?
The selected organization must implement three separate institutes.
8) When will the institutes take place?
The three institutes are to be implemented during a five-week period in summer 2027.
9) What are the required institute themes?
The three required themes are: (1) Critical Minerals, (2) Digital Transformation, and (3) Economics and Business.
10) How many participants are expected per institute?
Each institute is expected to host roughly 18 participants.
11) Who are the participants expected to be?
Participants are generally foreign university faculty, researchers, and practitioners selected because they have influence in their home institutions and professional networks.
12) What does it mean that participants are considered "multipliers"?
It means the program expects participants to spread what they learn and produce through their teaching, research, publications, curricula, and professional engagement after they return home.
13) What is the standard SUSI structure for each institute?
Each institute includes an approximately four-week intensive academic residency on a U.S. college or university campus and an approximately one-week integrated academic field experience.
14) What is the academic residency expected to include?
The academic residency is expected to be more than a short course series and should include structured coursework or seminars, time and support for independent or guided research, and meaningful interaction with U.S. scholars and practitioners.
15) What is the purpose of including research time in the program?
The goal is to equip participants with concrete content and resources they can take back to their classrooms and research agendas, strengthening teaching and scholarship about the United States in other countries.
16) What is the field experience component?
The field experience is an approximately one-week integrated academic experience that includes site visits, meetings with practitioners, and engagement with institutions related to the institute theme.
17) Does the field experience need to be in a different location than the residency?
Yes. The field experience must take participants to a U.S. region that is different from the residency location.
18) Why must participants visit a different U.S. region during the field experience?
The design is intended to reinforce that participants should see multiple parts of the United States and engage with a range of regional perspectives, industries, and institutions.
19) How should U.S. success and innovation be incorporated into the institutes?
Each institute must highlight American success and innovation related to the theme through lectures as well as site visits, meetings with practitioners, and opportunities to interact with American peers.
20) Are institutes expected to include engagement beyond the in-person program?
Yes. The institutes are expected to build pathways for follow-on engagement after participants return home, such as alumni networks, collaborative research or teaching projects, virtual programming, or other sustained professional connections.
21) What organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to U.S.-based public and private institutions of higher education (including community colleges and liberal arts colleges) and U.S. nonprofit organizations that hold 501(c)(3) status.
22) Is the opportunity identified under a specific CFDA number?
Yes. The competition is identified as discretionary funding under CFDA 19.401.
23) What is the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) number?
The NOFO is numbered DFOP0017918.
24) When was this opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on March 12, 2026.
25) What is the application deadline?
The original closing date (application deadline) is May 11, 2026.
26) What is the recipient responsible for if selected?
The selected recipient carries full responsibility for planning, oversight, and implementation. This includes administering all three institutes, coordinating academic and field components, ensuring the themes are addressed rigorously with emphasis on U.S. innovation and achievements, and managing and monitoring any partner organizations or subawardees involved.
27) Does the program allow or anticipate partners or subawards?
The opportunity notes that the recipient must be able to manage any needed subawards and must manage and monitor any partner organizations or subawardees involved.
28) What kind of organizational capacity is typically needed to be competitive?
In practice, applicants typically need to demonstrate strong program management capacity, deep academic and practitioner networks relevant to the three themes, experience hosting international participants, and a clear approach to alumni engagement and longer-term impact.
29) Is the program expected to be hosted at U.S. academic institutions?
Yes. The programming is described as hosted at U.S. academic institutions, with an academic residency on a U.S. college or university campus.
30) Where can applicants find the complete set of required activities, application components, and compliance expectations?
Applicants are directed to the full Notice of Funding Opportunity for the complete set of required activities, application components, and compliance expectations.
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