About the American Impact Award
The U.S. Department of State and IREX are pleased to announce that applications for the American Impact Award (AIA) are being accepted on a rolling basis.
The American Impact Award (AIA) provides Reciprocal Exchange Alumni with the opportunity to expand, deepen, or amplify the U.S. impact of Reciprocal Exchange projects. The Fellowship provides Reciprocal Exchange Alumni with funds to implement projects and/or present at U.S.-based events that strengthen market outcomes, strategic partnerships, and institutional engagement in the United States.
Please note that funding may not be used to support Fellowship Alumni travel to the United States; however, Fellowship Alumni may choose to travel without funding or support from the U.S. Department of State or participate in the AIA virtually. Projects should not be contingent upon Fellowship Alumni participation. The Fellowship strongly encourages cost-share with third-party institutions.
Award Goal
The Mandela Washington Fellowship will provide grants of up to $3,000 to Reciprocal Exchange Alumni to offset project-related costs during the implementation period.
- U.S. professionals will implement projects that increase the number of U.S. beneficiaries of the Reciprocal Exchange component of the Mandela Washington Fellowship.
- U.S. professionals will implement short-term projects that directly benefit U.S. companies, communities, or organizations.
American Impact Award Timeline
- Application Period: Rolling
- Review Timeline: Up to four weeks (i.e., project start date should be more than four weeks after the date of application submission).
- Grant Period: September 1, 2026 – November 30, 2027
- Please note that IREX will not review applications during the last two weeks of November, December, or January. Applicants should plan accordingly if submitting near these periods.
Financial Provisions
- Maximum Award Amount: $3,000
Disbursement of Funds: IREX will disburse funds in two installments, contingent upon receipt of required deliverables. Upon approval of an updated work plan and budget, IREX will disburse 80% of the approved budget to the AIA Recipient. Within 30 days of project completion and submission of a final report and relevant media, IREX will disburse the remaining 20% of the approved budget the Recipient.
IREX will disburse funds to the AIA Recipient’s personal bank account. Therefore, Recipients must provide IREX with their bank information and a signed Terms & Conditions document that will outline the Award terms.
Note: This Award will not cover costs above $3,000; the AIA Recipient and/or other funding sources must cover any costs in excess of the Award amount.
Eligibility Requirements
Reciprocal Exchange Alumni 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. Eligible projects must clearly demonstrate both direct and indirect impact on U.S. companies, communities, or organizations. The Fellowship strongly encourages collaboration and cost-sharing with U.S. stakeholders.
U.S. Professionals:
- Must be Reciprocal Exchange Alumni;
- Must be U.S. citizens currently living in the United States;
- May not be employees of the U.S. Government or immediate family members of employees of the U.S. Government (including a U.S. Embassy, or other U.S. Government entity); and
- Must sign an Award Terms & Conditions agreement, if awarded.
Project Requirements and Restrictions
- Projects should address topics that fall under at least one of the following categories (If you wish to apply for a project addressing a topic not listed below, please email REmwf@irex.org):
- Agriculture (such as agribusiness, food processing, or supply chains)
- Business & Entrepreneurship (such as commercial diplomacy, startups, or international trade and investment)
- Safety & Security (such as law enforcement, counterterrorism, or conflict resolution)
- Creative Economies (such as film and television production, sports and major events diplomacy, or music and content production)
- Energy (such as critical minerals, mining, or oil and gas)
- Health (such as biosecurity, disease surveillance, or emergency preparedness)
- Technology (such as artificial intelligence, information and communications technology, or cybersecurity)
- Transportation (such as shipping, infrastructure, or logistics corridors)
- Projects proposing conference attendance must entail presenting or exhibiting at the proposed conference to share the outcomes of their Reciprocal Exchange.
- Projects must not charge a participation fee from intended beneficiaries.
- Projects must not use Award funds to cover salaries or consultancy fees.
Selection Criteria
IREX will review eligible applications using the following selection criteria:
- Demonstrates how proposed activities expand, deepen, or amplify the Reciprocal Exchange project;
- Demonstrates clear impact and concrete benefit to U.S. companies, communities, or organizations;
- Proposes a clear, realistic, and technically sound implementation plan;
- Shows how proposed activities will strengthen existing or generate new partnerships with U.S.-based institutions;
- Demonstrates specific outcomes for U.S. audiences rather than general awareness-raising;
- Provides measurable and specific goals and project activities during implementation; and
- Demonstrates continued impact of the project after implementation.
IREX will give preference to applications that also:
- Incorporate activities or events that celebrate and showcase U.S. leadership and innovation;
- Focus on implementation and delivery of concrete activities rather than exploratory research or assessments;
- Consist of project teams with relevant professional expertise, institutional support, and/or access to necessary resources to implement the proposed activities; and
- Demonstrate budget cost-sharing.
IREX will evaluate all completed applications competitively against the eligibility requirements and selection criteria. IREX reserves the right to verify all information included in the application. If IREX identifies a discrepancy or determines that information is false, IREX will deem the application invalid and the applicant ineligible. IREX will not consider incomplete applications. IREX reserves the right to offer partial funding to selected Recipients.
Application Materials
- Required Application Documents
- Work Plan Template and guidelines
- Budget Template and guidelines
Resources
- Please find a sample application for reference only
Contact
Please contact REmwf@irex.org with any questions.