IDEAS Capacity Building Initiatives

The IDEAS Program offers a variety of in-person and virtual trainings for faculty and staff at U.S. colleges and universities with the goal of helping to increase their institutions’ capacity to administer study abroad programs. As the field continues to adapt and evolve in response to the global pandemic, the IDEAS Program is committed to offering initiatives and activities that address the most pressing needs of our country’s varied higher education institutions and key U.S. foreign policy goals.

Request for Proposals (RFP) for IDEAS Workshops

RFP Issuance Date: June 16, 2025
Closing Date/Time: August 15, 2025

The U.S. Department of State’s IDEAS Program invites accredited U.S. colleges and universities to apply to host an in-person or virtual workshop focused on “Preparing Future U.S. Science and Technology Leaders through Study Abroad.” In honor of America250, this workshop series will showcase how U.S. study abroad can advance U.S. excellence in science and technology. The IDEAS Program anticipates funding approximately three workshops for approximately 50 participants each to take place between November 2025 and December 2026.

Each workshop will provide U.S. colleges and universities with best practices and resources to administer education abroad programs that prepare U.S. students for careers advancing U.S. excellence in science and technology. Applicants may submit proposals as individual institutions, or multiple U.S. institutions may collaborate to facilitate workshop implementation and develop resources. Only one proposal per institution will be accepted. Proposals are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on August 15, 2025. A summary of information can be found below, with full details in the Request for Proposals.

Category	In-Person Workshop	Virtual Workshop
Format	One day (8 hours)	8 hours of live sessions (single day or spread over 1-4 weeks) + 2 hours of asynchronous content
Budget	Up to $20,000*	Up to $12,000

*For workshop development and delivery. Any travel support for participants will be covered separately by the IDEAS Program.

The topic of the proposed workshop should fall into one of the following areas. Please note that this list is organized alphabetically and does not reflect a rank ordering of topics.

Creating U.S. study abroad programs – including academic, research, service learning, and/or internship programs abroad – aligned with local STEM industry and labor needs.
Designing STEM study abroad programs in less common destinations based on local industry needs and/or existing partnerships.
Developing re-entry programs and materials to help students apply skills gained abroad to careers in STEM.
Recruiting and training faculty to lead study abroad programs that prepare students for careers in STEM.

Questions or requests for additional information should be directed to [email protected] by July 8, 2025. All answers will be shared publicly via the program website by July 18, 2025. Interested applicants are also invited to join IDEAS Program office hours on June 26 from 3-4pm EST and July 8 from 2-3pm EST to ask any questions related to the application or implementation.

Proposals submitted in response to this RFP should be emailed to [email protected] by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on August 15, 2025. Successful applicants will be notified in early September 2025.

Recent examples of past workshops can be found in the IDEAS Library of Resources. View RFP FAQs here.

IDEAS Webinars

IDEAS Webinars are hosted virtually and open to study abroad stakeholders from accredited U.S. colleges and universities and other organizations who are involved with or interested in expanding study abroad for U.S. students at their institution.

Please see materials from previous webinars in the Past Initiatives section below and in our Library of Resources.

Upcoming IDEAS Webinar Series

The U.S. Department of State’s IDEAS Program is pleased to announce “Expanding U.S. Study Abroad Destinations: Connecting American Students with the World.” This year-long series of webinars will provide practical advice and resources from a range of higher education and State Department experts on how to safely pursue new academic partnerships and U.S. study abroad programs in destinations around the world, including those which are less common. As U.S. student mobility continues to resume, it is important to ensure that U.S. students can learn global skills, build relationships, and share U.S. values in countries throughout all world regions in support of our U.S. foreign policy goals.

The series will mark the launch of a Higher Education Partnerships toolkit and include the following:

International Higher Education Partnerships 101 – March 25, 2024 (Recording)
Managing Risk and Prioritizing Safety When Expanding to New Destinations – April 25, 2024 (Recording)
Developing Partners and Programs in Sub-Saharan Africa – August 14, 2024 (Recording)
Strengthening Academic Partnerships in South and Central Asia – January 15, 2025 (Recording)
Additional region-specific seminars on exploring and establishing U.S. study abroad programs around the world – three subsequent webinars to be announced throughout 2025

Webinar materials will be posted in the IDEAS Library of Resources and shared with all registrants. All sessions will include live ASL interpretation and be closed-captioned, recorded, and ADA-compliant. For more information, please email the IDEAS Program at [email protected]. To receive regular updates about the IDEAS grant competition and other capacity building initiatives, join our email list.

IDEAS current grantees and alumni – look for exclusive virtual training opportunities, as well as an in-person event, on these topics in 2025!

IDEAS Workshops

Upcoming IDEAS Workshops

IDEAS workshops are open to study abroad stakeholders from accredited U.S. colleges and universities, including but not limited to study abroad advisors, faculty, and other staff involved with or interested in broadening study abroad for U.S. students at their institution. Workshops will take place either virtually or in-person on Fridays. Registration will open one to two months before each event. See below for more information on workshop topics and registration details.

College of Staten Island
Increasing Participation in Study Abroad through Faculty Engagement and Training
Date: Friday, July 18, 2025
Format: In-person
Registration is now closed
View schedule here
Registration is free – limited travel stipends available

The U.S. Department of State’s IDEAS Program is pleased to announce that registration is now open for an upcoming workshop in partnership with the College of Staten Island!

The IDEAS Program invites individuals from accredited U.S. colleges and universities – including study abroad advisors, faculty, and other staff involved in expanding study abroad opportunities for U.S. students – to attend. Register today for this in-person workshop and gain the tools to develop and deliver faculty-led study abroad programs.

This workshop will explore how to prepare faculty across academic disciplines to lead short-term, credit-bearing student programs abroad. It will showcase a series of training sessions developed by the College of Staten Island, and practitioners will learn to deliver similar trainings at their institutions.

According to Open Doors data, short-term, faculty-led study abroad programs are one of the most popular models chosen by U.S. students. When students study abroad, they gain critical language and professional skills that positively impact both their home communities and future careers. Join the IDEAS Program and the College of Staten Island to discuss unique aspects of faculty-led study abroad programs. Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your skills, develop best practices, and broaden your industry networks. Travel grants may be available to offset the cost of participation for those coming from over a two-hour drive away. Please note your request to be considered for a travel grant in your registration application form. The workshop is limited to 50 participants. Should registration exceed that number, participants will be confirmed on a first-come, first-serve basis, though the IDEAS Program may consider institutional representation and/or limit engagement to no more than two participants per institution to ensure a variety of U.S. higher education institutions and states are engaged in the workshop. The IDEAS Program will confirm registrants’ acceptance and financial support (if applicable) by June 9, 2025.

Past Initiatives

See below to explore past IDEAS Initiatives and recordings. Check out the Library of Resources for resources from these events and more.

2024

Webinar: Managing Risk and Prioritizing Safety When Expanding to New Destinations (Recording)
Webinar: International Higher Education Partnerships 101 (Recording)
Webinar: Developing Partners and Programs in Sub-Saharan Africa (Recording)
Workshop: Building Bridges: Establishing Collaborative Partnerships (Day One and Day Two Recording)
Workshop: Career Catalyst: Developing Impactful Study Abroad Programs to Prepare Students for their Future Careers (Resource Hyperdoc)

If you have questions about any of these IDEAS Initiatives, please email [email protected]