
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.
Congratulations to the 34 U.S. colleges and universities awarded 2023 IDEAS grants! More information on the 2023 IDEAS grantees can be found here.
The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ (ECA) 2023 IDEAS grant competition assists U.S. colleges and universities in creating, diversifying, and/or expanding their study abroad programming in support of U.S. foreign policy goals.
The two-phase 2023 grant competition awarded 33 grants of up to $35,000 each to accredited colleges and universities. One IDEAS consortium grant of approximately $50,000 was also awarded during this competition to a consortium of colleges and universities that will focus its programming on building study abroad capacity at higher education institutions serving Indigenous peoples of the United States.
Phase One of the competition was open from October 26, 2022 through December 16, 2022. Semi-finalists were announced on February 6, 2023. Phase Two was open between February 6 and April 14, 2023. Applicants were notified of their application status on June 1, 2023 and finalists were announced on June 8, 2023. 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. Profiles for the 2023 IDEAS grantees will be posted soon.
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.