The U.S. Department of State and IREX are pleased to announce that applications for the American Impact Award (AIA) are now being accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed quarterly.
The AIA is designed to enhance the U.S. impact of Reciprocal Exchange projects. This small grant program provides funds for Reciprocal Exchange Participants to implement programming and/or present at events in the United States that continue, expand, or deepen the local impact of their Reciprocal Exchange projects. Participants from all Reciprocal Exchange years and who have not previously been awarded an AIA are eligible to apply for grants of up to $3,000 to support a follow-on AIA activity related to their Reciprocal Exchange project.
As the focus of this award is domestic U.S. impact, eligible projects should clearly demonstrate both direct and indirect impact on U.S. stakeholders such as local businesses, community groups, youth organizations, and/or Fellowship Institute Partners. The intent of the AIA is to increase the number of U.S. beneficiaries who gain global skills, cultural knowledge, and strategic partnerships as a result of the Reciprocal Exchange component of the Mandela Washington Fellowship. Please note that no funding will be provided to bring Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni to the United States; however, Fellowship Alumni may choose to travel to the United States without funding or support from the U.S. Department of State. They may also participate in the AIA virtually. Projects should not be contingent upon Fellowship Alumni participation. Cost-share is strongly encouraged.
Award Timeline
- Application Period: Rolling
- Grant Period: January 15 – November 30, 2024
Eligibility Requirements
Reciprocal Exchange Participants from all years are eligible to apply for grants of up to $3,000 to support a follow-on project or activity related to their Reciprocal Exchange project. As the focus of this award is domestic impact, eligible projects should clearly demonstrate both direct and indirect impact on U.S. stakeholders such as local businesses, community groups, youth organizations, or Institute Partners. Collaboration and cost-sharing with U.S. stakeholders for AIA projects is strongly encouraged.
Eligible applicants must:
- Be Reciprocal Exchange Participants who have completed a Reciprocal Exchange project prior to applying for the AIA;
- Be U.S. citizens currently living in the United States;
- Not be employees of the U.S. Government (including a U.S. Embassy, USAID, or other U.S. Government entity); and
- Agree to sign an Award Terms & Conditions agreement.
Note: Applicants proposing conference attendance will be required to present or exhibit at the proposed conference to share the outcomes of their Reciprocal Exchange projects.
Quarterly Application Review and Notifications:
- January
- April
- July
- October
Applications will be evaluated competitively against the eligibility requirements and selection criteria.
IREX reserves the right to verify all information included in the application. In the event of a discrepancy, or information is found to be false, the application will be declared invalid and the applicant ineligible. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. IREX reserves the right to offer partial funding to selected recipients.
If applicants submit a time-sensitive application that will require IREX’s review prior to one of the above deadlines, please email REmwf@irex.org immediately after submitting the application so that we can do an on-demand review.
Application Materials
- AIA Application Form (click “Apply Now” to begin)
- Work Plan Template and Guidelines (download)
- Budget Template and Guidelines (download)
- Resume (one for each applicant)
- To be submitted in English and no longer than two pages
Contact
Please contact REmwf@irex.org with any questions.