The Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students (IDEAS) Program is designed to increase and diversify American student mobility in support of U.S. foreign policy goals. It is imperative that our next generation of leaders – American students of all backgrounds – engage internationally to foster mutual understanding and develop critical skills in support of U.S. national security and economic competitiveness. The program expands the institutional capacity of U.S. colleges and universities to Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students through IDEAS grants and capacity building initiatives for the wider U.S. study abroad community.

The U.S. Department of State’s IDEAS Program is pleased to announce the launch of its 2024 IDEAS grant competition, which assists U.S. colleges and universities in creating, diversifying, and/or expanding their study abroad programming in support of U.S. foreign policy goals.

U.S. colleges and universities are invited to submit applications for projects to create, expand, and/or diversify outbound study abroad programs and/or resources that align with U.S. foreign policy goals. The 2024 grant competition will award approximately 35 grants of up to $35,000 each to accredited colleges and universities. In support of the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, this cycle will also provide an opportunity for consortia of U.S. colleges and universities to apply for additional funding for collaborative projects focused on building study abroad capacity at U.S. community colleges that will prepare students for careers in STEM, technical, and/or vocational fields. Approximately one IDEAS consortium grant of up to $50,000 will be awarded in this category.

Phase One of the competition opens on October 11, 2023, and will close on December 13, 2023, at 11:59p.m. Eastern Standard Time. More details can be found in the Grant Competition section of this website. For examples of how grant funding has been used, review the 2019 IDEAS Grant Competition Impact Highlights and Grantee Profiles.

The IDEAS Program also offers U.S. colleges and universities opportunities to participate in a series of study abroad capacity building activities, both virtual and in-person, to help create, expand, or diversify their study abroad programs. See here for more details and registration links for upcoming capacity building events and trainings.

The IDEAS grant competition and capacity building initiatives are open to all accredited U.S. colleges and universities. The program seeks to engage the full diversity of U.S. higher education, including community colleges and Minority Serving Institutions.

The Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students (IDEAS) Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by World Learning.