Opportunity Information: Apply for ECA ECAPEC 17 023
The FY 2017 Professional Fellows Congress funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number ECA ECAPEC 17 023) is a discretionary grant competition run by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), specifically through the Office of Citizen Exchanges. It seeks proposals from qualified U.S. organizations to plan and deliver the Professional Fellows Congress (PFC) in two separate convenings, one in spring 2018 and one in fall 2018. These congresses are described as the capstone or concluding element of the FY 2017 Professional Fellows Program (PFP), meaning they are meant to bring closure, synthesis, and forward momentum after participants complete their month-long U.S. professional placements.
The core purpose of the project is to organize and implement two three-day congress events that gather all non-U.S. Professional Fellows at the end of their fellowship experience. While the PFP itself places emerging leaders from civil society and government into professional assignments with U.S. host organizations across the country, the congress is designed to pull those dispersed experiences into a shared, higher-level context. In practice, the PFC functions like a structured wrap-up and networking summit: it helps participants compare what they observed in different U.S. communities and institutions, identify common themes across their placements, and translate individual learning into ideas for collaboration and continued engagement.
The opportunity is tightly tied to the goals of the Professional Fellows Program as a two-way exchange. For non-U.S. participants, the PFP aims to build practical knowledge of U.S. approaches, methods, and professional practices in their fields while also deepening their understanding of U.S. society, culture, and people. For U.S. participants and counterparts, the exchange is also intended to increase understanding of the visiting fellows societies, cultures, and professional norms. The congress advances these goals by creating a dedicated space at the end of the fellowship where fellows can reflect on what they learned, connect their experiences to broader civic and professional themes, and strengthen relationships that may lead to long-term professional ties.
A major emphasis of the congress is collaboration and sustained networks. The announcement highlights that the PFC should promote collaboration among fellows, introduce them to alumni and other resources, and reinforce the Professional Fellows Program as an ongoing public diplomacy tool. In other words, the congress is not only an event; it is meant to serve as a bridge from the short-term fellowship experience to longer-term alumni engagement, partnerships, and continued interaction with U.S. institutions and professional communities.
Eligible applicants include U.S. public and private nonprofit organizations that meet the requirements of 26 USC 501(c)(3). The eligibility list also explicitly includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and certain other eligible entities as defined in the full announcement. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which generally indicates that the federal agency expects to have substantial involvement in the project during implementation, such as coordination on program content, approvals, or collaboration on participant-related and programmatic decisions.
The opportunity is listed under CFDA number 19.415 and was created on 2017-03-02, with an original application closing date of 2017-05-01. The award ceiling is $675,000. The posting notes expected awards but does not clearly state the number in the provided excerpt. Overall, the solicitation is focused on selecting an organization capable of designing and executing two high-quality, three-day capstone congresses that effectively conclude the FY 2017 Professional Fellows Program cohorts by consolidating learning, strengthening professional networks, and supporting the U.S. public diplomacy objectives of the exchange.Apply for ECA ECAPEC 17 023
- The Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2017 Professional Fellows Congress" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.415.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2017-03-02.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-05-01. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $675,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is this funding opportunity?
This is the FY 2017 Professional Fellows Congress (PFC) discretionary grant competition (Funding Opportunity Number ECA ECAPEC 17 023). It is run by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), through the Office of Citizen Exchanges.
2) What is being funded under this opportunity?
The selected organization will plan and deliver two separate Professional Fellows Congress convenings. Each convening is described as a three-day congress that serves as the capstone event for the FY 2017 Professional Fellows Program (PFP) participants.
3) How many congress events are required?
Two congress events are required under this opportunity.
4) When are the two congress convenings expected to take place?
One convening is expected in spring 2018 and the other in fall 2018.
5) How long is each congress?
Each Professional Fellows Congress is expected to be three days long.
6) Who is the primary audience for the congress events?
The congress events are intended to gather all non-U.S. Professional Fellows at the end of their fellowship experience.
7) How does the congress relate to the broader Professional Fellows Program (PFP)?
The congress is described as the capstone or concluding element of the FY 2017 Professional Fellows Program. The PFP includes month-long U.S. professional placements with U.S. host organizations across the country, and the congress is designed to bring those dispersed experiences together for reflection, synthesis, and continued engagement.
8) What is the core purpose of the Professional Fellows Congress (PFC)?
The core purpose is to organize and implement two three-day capstone events that help fellows compare what they observed across different U.S. communities and institutions, identify common themes across placements, and translate individual learning into ideas for collaboration and continued engagement.
9) What kinds of outcomes is the congress intended to support?
Based on the opportunity description, the congress is intended to support wrap-up reflection, peer learning across different U.S. placement sites, network-building among fellows, collaboration ideas, and a bridge into longer-term alumni engagement and sustained professional ties.
10) Why is there an emphasis on collaboration and networks?
The announcement highlights that the PFC should promote collaboration among fellows, introduce them to alumni and other resources, and reinforce the Professional Fellows Program as an ongoing public diplomacy tool. The congress is meant to help move the program from a short-term fellowship experience to longer-term engagement and partnerships.
11) How does this opportunity support the Professional Fellows Program as a two-way exchange?
The PFP is described as a two-way exchange in which non-U.S. participants build practical knowledge of U.S. approaches and deepen understanding of U.S. society and culture, while U.S. participants and counterparts increase understanding of the fellows societies, cultures, and professional norms. The congress advances these goals by creating space for reflection and for connecting experiences to broader civic and professional themes.
12) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include U.S. public and private nonprofit organizations that meet the requirements of 26 USC 501(c)(3). The eligibility list also explicitly includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and certain other eligible entities as defined in the full announcement.
13) Are for-profit organizations eligible to apply?
The provided information lists U.S. public and private nonprofit organizations (including 501(c)(3) organizations) and higher education institutions, plus certain other eligible entities as defined in the full announcement. For-profit eligibility is not stated in the provided excerpt.
14) What type of award is used for this opportunity?
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement.
15) What does it mean that the award is a cooperative agreement?
A cooperative agreement generally indicates that the federal agency expects substantial involvement during implementation. The description notes this may include coordination on program content, approvals, or collaboration on participant-related and programmatic decisions.
16) What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is $675,000.
17) How many awards are expected?
The posting notes expected awards, but the number of awards is not clearly stated in the provided excerpt.
18) What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA number 19.415.
19) What is the funding opportunity number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is ECA ECAPEC 17 023.
20) When was the opportunity created and when did applications close?
The opportunity was created on 2017-03-02, and the original application closing date was 2017-05-01.
21) What is meant by the congress being a "capstone" event?
In this opportunity, "capstone" means the congress is intended to conclude the FY 2017 Professional Fellows Program experience by bringing participants together after their month-long placements to synthesize learning, compare experiences across the United States, and build forward-looking connections and collaboration.
22) What is the role of U.S. host organizations in the broader program context?
In the broader Professional Fellows Program, non-U.S. emerging leaders complete month-long professional assignments with U.S. host organizations across the country. The congress then gathers fellows to connect and interpret what they experienced in those varied host settings.
23) What federal office within ECA is associated with this competition?
The competition is run through ECA's Office of Citizen Exchanges.
24) What is the overarching government objective described for this project?
The solicitation frames the congress as supporting U.S. public diplomacy objectives by reinforcing the Professional Fellows Program as an ongoing exchange platform and by supporting longer-term networks, alumni engagement, and sustained ties between fellows and U.S. institutions and professional communities.
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