Competition Overview

The J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative (JCSVEI) invites qualified nonprofit organizations and educational institutions to submit proposals to its 2023 Virtual Exchange Grant Competition, supported by the U.S. Department of State, which provides grants to conduct virtual exchange programs that connect young people in the United States (U.S.) and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Applicants may propose virtual exchange programs that reach young people from the primary (elementary) school age through post-graduate/young adult. Applicants have the option to apply for three different sizes of grants (Seeding, Mid-Sized, and Established), which can be most easily distinguished by the amount of funding that an applicant can request and the allowable cost-per-participant, the idea being that the larger a program is, the more resources it requires and the more cost-efficient it should be.

Virtual exchange uses technology to connect young people across continents and cultures, building intercultural competencies and broadening horizons. Through virtual exchange, youth have access to a substantive international exchange experience by collaborating and learning with their peers abroad without having to leave their communities. Given both the impact that virtual exchange promises and continuous advances in technology, youth have access to life-changing, cross-cultural experiences.

The Stevens Initiative strives to assemble a diverse portfolio of awards, aiming to fund programs that reach a variety of age groups, including primary, secondary, and postsecondary education or age levels; varied locations in the U.S. and MENA region; topics and subjects; and award sizes. The Initiative prioritizes reaching underserved and historically marginalized youth, particularly those who have not previously had international education or exchange experiences, and prioritizes funding proposals with partners based in the communities the program intends to serve. Strong proposals will share comprehensive and feasible plans to reach, meaningfully include, and ultimately retain diverse participants and partners in these communities. Budgets may include costs associated with reaching these populations, including reasonable accommodation, technology, and recruiting costs.

Application Timeline and Award Details

Applicants should review the competition rules below and submit their application no later than October 26, 2023, at 5:00pm U.S. Eastern Time. Webinars to provide additional information about the competition and to answer questions will be held on September 13, 2023, at 11:00am U.S. Eastern Time, and September 20, 2023, at 11:00am U.S. Eastern Time. Based on input from an independent review committee, some organizations/institutions will start a vetting, revision, and negotiation process prior to the end of the year that may result in being offered a grant in early 2024. The grant period of performance will begin on May 1, 2024 (the first few months are intended to prepare for upcoming virtual exchange), and will end June 30, 2026. The Initiative will not be able to offer extensions beyond June 2026.

The Stevens Initiative plans to award up to $4.6 million through this competition, pending availability of U.S. Department of State funds. While the Stevens Initiative does not have a set number of grants it will award, the Initiative anticipates a competitive applicant pool resulting in approximately 10-12 grants awarded. Awards are cost reimbursable.

About the Stevens Initiative

The Stevens Initiative is an international leader in virtual exchange, which brings young people from diverse places together to collaborate and connect through everyday technology. Created in 2015 as a lasting tribute to Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, the Initiative invests in virtual exchange programs; shares research, resources, and promising practices to improve impact; and advocates for broader adoption. The Stevens Initiative, housed at the Aspen Institute, administers the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative (JCSVEI).

The JCSVEI 2023 Virtual Exchange Grant Competition is supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs builds relations between the people of the U.S. and the people of other countries through academic, cultural, sports, professional and private exchanges, as well as public-private partnerships and mentoring programs. These exchange programs improve foreign relations and strengthen the national security of the U.S., support U.S. international leadership, and provide a broad range of domestic benefits by helping break down barriers that often divide us.

Call for Proposals Contents

This call for proposals is organized as follows:

• JCSVEI Funding Priorities 
• Proposal Track Parameters: Established Grants 
• Proposal Track Parameters: Mid-sized Grants 
• Proposal Track Parameters: Seeding Grants 
• How to Submit an Application 
• Other Competition Rules 
• Budgeting 
• Review Process and Selection Criteria
• Support for Applicants
• Virtual Exchange Design Considerations 

Funding Priorities

Participant Priorities: The Stevens Initiative prioritizes reaching diverse youth participants and partners, particularly those from historically marginalized backgrounds and geographic areas and those underrepresented in international education opportunities. The Initiative seeks to support applications from organizations/institutions with an existing presence in and/or organizations/institutions proposing to work with partners from the communities the program intends to reach. Applicants should demonstrate a balanced, comprehensive, and feasible approach to partnership cultivation and meaningfully reaching diverse populations, including partner and participant recruitment and retention plans. Up to 30 of 100 scoring points will be awarded for plans to reach and meaningfully include historically underserved populations in programming, the plans for which can include accommodations and expenditures to ensure equitable technology access.

U.S. participant priorities: 

• Students from minority-serving institutions (MSIs) at the higher education level 
• Young people from predominantly minority-serving community or nonprofit organizations 
• Students from higher education institutions with a high percentage of Pell Grant recipient students (25% and over) 
• Students from Title I Schoolwide Program schools 
• Young people with disabilities 
• Young people from diverse geographic areas, such as underserved rural or urban areas 
• Other marginalized or historically underserved youth as specified by the applicant

Pell Grant statistics are available at https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/pell20/#table.

MENA participant priorities: 

• Students from educational institutions where English is not the main language of instruction 
• Young people from Iraq, Libya, Syria, the Palestinian Territories, and Yemen 
• Young people with disabilities 
• Young people from diverse geographic areas, such as underserved rural or urban areas
• Other marginalized or historically underserved youth as specified by the applicant

Definition of a Participant: The Stevens Initiative works with each prospective grantee to agree on the definition of meaningful participation that will apply to that grantee’s program; it is typically defined as an individual who completes 75% of synchronous and asynchronous exchange activities.

Priority Topics: Proposed projects are encouraged but not required to focus on one or more of the following topics.

1. Digital Literacy and Combating Misinformation: As the information landscape has become increasingly complex, digital literacy is a necessary skill for young people to be self-reliant in navigating this space and identifying misinformation. Virtual exchange can give young people the opportunity to build the skills and knowledge needed to apply critical thinking to online content, collaboratively identify and challenge misinformation, and contribute to conversations both in their local and global communities.
2. Climate and the Environment: Addressing issues concerning climate and the environment is a critical global need. Virtual exchange can provide a platform for young people to communicate about how to respond to environmental responsibilities, challenges, and sustainability in their own communities and understand the interconnectedness of this global issue. It can also serve as a platform for discussion and collaboration to tackle one of the world’s most urgent and diffuse challenges.
3. Language Learning and Practice: Virtual exchange can give young people the opportunity to practice and build confidence communicating in a language other than their native language and learn about the communities where that language is spoken. Proposals focusing on this topic may be designed to give young people in the MENA region the opportunity to practice English, to give young people in the U.S. the opportunity to practice a language spoken in the MENA region, or to give both groups of young people the opportunity to practice the language spoken by their peers abroad.
4. Civic Engagement: Communicating and collaborating through virtual exchange offers young people the opportunity to connect with peers from diverse backgrounds, enabling them to solve problems, become local leaders, and see the world from a more empathetic perspective. Virtual exchange programs focusing on community development, advocacy, the empowerment of underrepresented groups, and civic participation can teach young people that they can enact profound change as individuals and a community of global citizens.

Established Program Proposal Track Parameters

“Established” grants are intended to support organizations/institutions to operate and improve proven virtual exchange programs. These proposals should clearly demonstrate a record of providing high-quality experiences to hundreds of young people over the past few years. Established grant recipients may be previous JCSVEI Seeding or Scaling grantees but do not require previous Initiative funding to be considered. While not required, these programs should also be poised to bring in new partners during the period of performance. The Initiative is open to funding proposals from consortia, though one organization/institution needs to be the lead applicant who will be responsible for award management and administration.

Each proposal must simultaneously meet the requirements for all parameters listed below in order to be eligible.

Grant Size: Applicants can request up to $900,000. The applicant must request an amount within this limit to be eligible for selection. Applicants cannot request more than 80% of the amount of their Fiscal Year 2022 operating budget.
Cost per Participant: No more than $360 per participant. Cost per participant, for the purposes of this application process, is counted as the total amount of funding requested, inclusive of indirect costs, divided by the total number of young people who meet the definition of meaningful participation. Cost share does not count towards the permissible cost per participant range for this application process.

Deliverables and expectations: Applicants should consider the following deliverables and expectations when building their program management plan, budget, and timeline. 

• Participant notification and information sharing: As required by the U.S. Department of State, grantees will be expected to notify all participants that they are about to participate in a J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative (JCSVEI) program and explain what the JCSVEI is and who supports the JCSVEI. Grantees will be expected to collect information, including contact information, about participants to share with the Stevens Initiative, and in turn with the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. If this expectation poses particularly significant challenges in your program, please address this in the application.
• Alumni Engagement: Grantees will be expected to produce the following deliverables to engage program alumni, meet U.S. Department of State alumni reporting requirements, and publicly share the impact of the virtual exchange program:
  • In collaboration with the Initiative, grantees will be expected to put together an alumni engagement plan at the beginning of the period of performance. This plan should include a timeline outlining alumni engagement activities, outputs, and outcomes, and will guide the Initiative in supporting the grantee’s alumni engagement activities during the period of performance of the grant.
  • Once during the period of performance, grantees will connect the Initiative with an alumna/us who will be the focus of an alumni success output (story, blog post, interview, etc.), which the Initiative will write and publish on its website.
  • Grantees should set up and use a channel of regular communication with alumni (e.g. newsletter, Facebook group, etc.) to support their continued engagement with the program.
  • Grantees will have an annual alumni engagement check-in call with Initiative staff.
• Communications: Grantees will be expected to produce the following deliverables to meet U.S. Department of State communications requirements and to support the Initiative in sharing the impact of supported virtual exchange programs (some communications deliverables may also be featured in public-facing Initiative documents, such as presentations or flyers):
  • Grantees are expected to adhere to Stevens Initiative and the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs communication guidance. The Initiative will share communications guidance with grant recipients at the time of proposal approval.
  • Grantees are required to pitch to and participate in one Stevens Initiative campaign per year. These campaigns will focus on a variety of topics (e.g. defining virtual exchange, diplomacy, career readiness, working locally to contribute globally, etc.) and will include different forms of media pitched by virtual exchange implementers, participants and alumni, researchers, and other members of the field. The Initiative will give advance notice ahead of a campaign’s pitching deadline and provide thorough guidance so grantees have plenty of time to brainstorm and collect information.
  • Grantees will share the grant announcement, program updates and milestones, impact collateral, and alumni deliverables via the grantee organization’s social media once per month.
  • Grantees will plan to do outreach about the grant announcement, information for which will be provided by the Stevens Initiative leading up to the announcement of the grant.
  • Grantees will have regular communications and outreach check-ins twice a year. Additional ad hoc meetings are welcome at any point.
  • Grantees must provide a media waiver to all participants and facilitators/educators if they will appear in any form of media/deliverable/materials/etc. (anything that will be shared publicly), a template for which will be provided by the Stevens Initiative. Signed waivers are not required for participation in the proposed program.
• Monitoring and Evaluation: Grantees will be expected to produce the following deliverables in compliance with U.S. Department of State program evaluation and Stevens Initiative monitoring and oversight procedures:
  • New or non-continuous grant recipients will be required to participate in a check-in call with Initiative staff ahead of the first program implementation cycle to discuss the status of upcoming programming and anticipated participant numbers.
  • Host at least one in-person or virtual site visit, conducted by either the Initiative or the Initiative’s external evaluators for grant oversight purposes and qualitative data collection.
  • Administer post-program participant surveys using questions required by the Initiative. Surveys will be based on the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs MODE framework with a limited number of additional questions that are specific to the JCSVEI. See the list of required survey domains and questions here. Grantees will use the survey administration platform maintained by the Initiative unless an alternative plan is agreed in advance with the Initiative.
  • Submit aggregated demographic information about program participants with the quarterly report following each round of virtual exchange implementation (January for fall, July for spring, October for summer), which is required for reporting to the U.S. Department of State.

  • Grantees may elect to participate in a quarterly Evaluation Working Group meeting hosted by the Initiative's external evaluators.

Mid-sized Proposal Track Parameters

Mid-sized grants are intended to support the modest growth of programs with a proven concept as the organization seeks to build upon the program’s evidence base. These grants could also support programs for which the applying organization has established a proven model but wants to support a new version of the program (e.g. for a different age group, using different or innovative engagement methods, or on a different topic), or for which the program has recently grown and is at a resting point. Mid-size grant recipients may be past recipients of Seeding or smaller grants from the JCSVEI but do not require previous funding to be considered. These proposals should demonstrate proof-of-concept from previous virtual exchange implementation and show concrete plans for program growth.

Each mid-size grant proposal must simultaneously meet the requirements for all parameters listed below in order to be eligible.

Grant Size: Applicants can request up to $500,000. The applicant must request an amount within this limit to be eligible for selection. Also note that applicants can request no more than 80% of the amount of their Fiscal Year 2022 operating budget.
Cost per Participant: No more than $450 per participant. Cost per participant, for the purposes of this application process, is counted as the total amount of funding requested, inclusive of indirect costs, divided by the total number of young people who meet the definition of meaningful participation. Cost share does not count towards the permissible cost per participant range for this application process.

Deliverables and expectations:

• Participant notification and information sharing: As required by the U.S. Department of State, grantees will be expected to notify all participants that they are about to participate in a J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative (JCSVEI) program and explain what the JCSVEI is and who supports the JCSVEI. Grantees will be expected to collect information, including contact information, about participants to share with the Stevens Initiative, and in turn with the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. If this expectation poses particularly significant challenges in your program, please address this in the application.
• Alumni Engagement:
  • Grantees will connect the Initiative with an alumna/us who will be the focus of an alumni success output (story, blog post, interview, etc.) once during the period of performance, which the Stevens Initiative will write and publish onto its website.
  • Grantees should set up and use a channel of regular communication with alumni (e.g. newsletter, Facebook group, etc.) to continue to engage with program alumni.
  • Grantees will have an annual alumni engagement check-in call with Initiative staff.
• Communications:
  • Grantees are expected to adhere to Stevens Initiative and the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs communication guidance. The Initiative will share communications guidance with grant recipients at the time of proposal approval.
  • Grantees will share grant announcements, program updates and milestones, impact collateral, and alumni deliverables via the grantee organization’s social media once per month.
  • Grantees will plan to do outreach about the grant announcement, information for which will be provided by the Stevens Initiative leading up to the announcement of the grant.
  • Grantees will have regular communications and outreach check-ins twice a year. Additional ad hoc meetings are welcome at any point.
  • Grantees must provide a media waiver to all participants and facilitators/educators if they will appear in any form of media/deliverable/materials/etc. (anything that will be shared publicly), a template for which will be provided by the Stevens Initiative. Signed waivers are not required for participation in the proposed program.
• Monitoring and Evaluation:
  • New or non-continuous grant recipients will be required to participate in a check-in call with Stevens Initiative staff ahead of the first program implementation cycle to discuss the status of upcoming programming and anticipated participant numbers.
  • Host at least one in-person or virtual site visit, conducted by either the Initiative or the Initiative’s external evaluators, for the purposes of program oversight and qualitative data collection.
  • Administer post-program participant surveys using questions required by the Stevens Initiative. Surveys will be based on the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs MODE framework with a limited number of additional questions that are specific to the JCSVEI. See the list of required survey domains and questions here. Grantees will use the survey administration platform maintained by the Stevens Initiative unless an alternative plan is agreed in advance with the Stevens Initiative.
  • Submit aggregated demographic information about program participants with the quarterly report following each round of virtual exchange implementation (January for fall, July for spring, October for summer), which is required for reporting to the U.S. Department of State.
  • Grantees may elect to participate in a quarterly Evaluation Working Group meeting hosted by the Initiative’s external evaluators.

Seeding Proposal Track Parameters

Seeding grants are intended to support small, early-stage virtual exchange programs. Historically, the JCSVEI has awarded Seeding grants to achieve one of two things: 1) support a new program that fills a gap in the virtual exchange field; or 2) support a small virtual exchange program that, while potentially not highly unique or new, meets a new need (e.g. in a priority geographic area). These programs should outline a promising model and detailed plans to establish the program and should have the potential to take hold and grow in the following years. Seeding grantees are expected to include clear plans for partnerships, intended participants, content/topic areas, and staffing, though the plan for activities or curriculum can be at an earlier stage and be refined and finalized early in the period of performance.

Each Seeding proposal must simultaneously meet the requirements for all parameters listed below in order to be eligible.

Grant Size: Applicants can request between $100,000 and $300,000. The applicant must request an amount within this range to be eligible for selection. Also note that applicants can request no more than 80% of the amount of their Fiscal Year 2022 operating budget.
Cost per Participant: No more than $600 per participant. Cost per participant, for the purposes of this application process, is counted as the total amount of funding requested, inclusive of indirect costs, divided by the total number of young people who meet the definition of meaningful participation. Cost share does not count towards the permissible cost per participant range for this application process.

Deliverables and expectations:

• Participant notification and information sharing: As required by the U.S. Department of State, grantees will be expected to notify all participants that they are about to participate in a J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative (JCSVEI) program and explain what the JCSVEI is and who supports the JCSVEI. Grantees will be expected to collect information, including contact information, about participants to share with the Stevens Initiative, and in turn with the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, as part of the Initiative’s alumni engagement. If this expectation poses particularly significant challenges in your program, please address this in the application.
• Alumni Engagement:
  • Grantees will connect the Initiative with an alumna/us who will be the focus of an alumni success output (story, blog post, interview, etc.) once during the period of performance, which the Stevens Initiative will write and publish onto its website.
  • Grantees should set up and use a channel of regular communication with alumni (e.g. newsletter, Facebook group, etc.) to continue to engage with program alumni.
  • Grantees will have an annual alumni engagement check-in call with Initiative staff.
• Communications:
  • Grantees are expected to adhere to Stevens Initiative and the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs communication guidance. The Initiative will share communications guidance with grant recipients at the time of proposal approval.
  • Grantees will share grant announcements, program updates and milestones, impact collateral, and alumni deliverables via the grantee organization’s social media once per month.
  • Grantees will plan to do outreach about the grant announcement, information for which will be provided by the Stevens Initiative leading up to the announcement of the grant.
  • Grantees will have regular communications and outreach check-ins twice a year. Additional ad hoc meetings are welcome at any point.
  • Grantees must provide a media waiver to all participants and facilitators/educators if they will appear in any form of media/deliverable/materials/etc. (anything that will be shared publicly), a template for which will be provided by the Stevens Initiative. Signed waivers are not required for participation in the proposed program.
• Monitoring and Evaluation:
  • New or non-continuous grant recipients will be required to participate in a check-in call with Initiative staff ahead of the first program implementation cycle to discuss the status of upcoming programming and anticipated participant numbers.
  • Host at least one in-person or virtual site visit, conducted by either the Initiative or the Initiative’s external evaluators, for the purposes of program oversight and qualitative data collection.
  • Administer post-program participant surveys using questions required by the Stevens Initiative. Surveys will be based on the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs MODE framework with a limited number of additional questions that are specific to the JCSVEI. See the list of required survey domains and questions here. Grantees will use the survey administration platform maintained by the Stevens Initiative unless an alternative plan is agreed in advance with the Stevens Initiative.
  • Submit aggregated demographic information about program participants with the quarterly report following each round of virtual exchange implementation (January for fall, July for spring, October for summer), which is required for reporting to the U.S. Department of State.
  • Grantees may elect to participate in a quarterly Evaluation Working Group meeting hosted by the Initiative’s external evaluators.

How To Submit an Application

• Deadline: The deadline for submitting the application is October 26, 2023, at 5:00pm U.S. Eastern Time. Applications will not be accepted after the deadline.
• Applications may only be submitted online through the SurveyMonkey Apply platform at https://stevensinitiative.smapply.io/.
• Forms and Templates:
  • Download a sample application form. Please see sample templates by grant type below. The downloaded form is for your reference only; all forms must be completed and submitted through the online form at https://stevensinitiative.smapply.io/. 
    • Established Grant Application Sample
    • Mid-Sized/Seeding Grant Application Sample
  • Multiple attachments are required as a part of the application. You can download these templates here and also in the appropriate section of the application. These templates are for your reference only; all required attachments must be completed and uploaded in the appropriate applications section and submitted through the online form.
    • Budget Template
    • Budget Narrative Template
    • Domestic Subrecipient Questionnaire or Foreign Subrecipient Questionnaire
    • Timeline Template
    • Partnership Table Template
• Eligible Applicants: Applying organizations must be based in the U.S. or in MENA.
  • Applicants based in the U.S. must be tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, including educational institutions, that can demonstrate proof of non-profit tax status. Other organizations are not eligible to apply, though they may be included as sub-awardees or contract recipients. Grant recipients must be registered to conduct proposed activities in the countries where the activities would take place, if applicable.
  • Applicants based in the MENA region must be nonprofit organizations, including educational institutions, that can demonstrate current in-country registration. Other organizations are not eligible to apply, though they may be included as sub-awardees or contract recipients. Staff should be proficient in English and able to file reports and conduct evaluations in English as well as in Arabic or French as appropriate.
  • Fiscally-sponsored organizations are eligible for funding; the application should be submitted by the fiscal sponsor and should make clear the arrangement between the fiscal sponsor and those carrying out the work.
  • Past recipients of JCSVEI grants are eligible to submit applications. 
  • Current recipients of U.S. government funds are eligible to submit applications. These applications must be for programs that are different from current U.S. government-funded activities and do not involve any overlap in staff, curriculum, participants, etc.

Other Competition Rules

• Activities must be conducted in the United States and in one or more of the following countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, the Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
• Organizations/institutions are encouraged to collaborate to develop a proposed program. The full application should be submitted by one organization/institution and may list partners as sub-awardees or contractors. The lead applicant should be the organization/institution that will conduct the largest portion of the proposed work, including grant management and administration.
• The Initiative advises applicants to consult with their intended partners about the time and steps that may be required to receive any necessary approvals to conduct the activities if the proposal is funded. This may include government/ministry approvals, administrative approvals, legal approvals, etc.
• Organizations/institutions may submit more than one application if the proposed programs are distinct and do not involve any overlap in staff, curriculum, participants, deliverables, etc.
• Participants may not be asked to pay in order to participate in JCSVEI-funded activities.
• In-person exchange for young people, educators, facilitators, or program organizers may be included to complement the virtual exchange activities. Travel to the U.S. for youth or adult participants from the MENA region must occur through the J-1 visa program. Strong preference for travel will be given to candidates that have never traveled to the U.S. before (for participants from the MENA region) or have never traveled to the host country in the MENA region (for U.S. participants). The JSCVEI strongly prefers to prioritize travel opportunities for youth who have not previously studied abroad or participated in previous U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs. No participant under the age of 18 is eligible for international travel. In-person travel conducted during the period of performance of the award is not guaranteed and must be approved a minimum of six months prior to any travel by the Initiative and U.S. Department of State. Applicants are strongly encouraged to consider alternative plans to in-person travel when putting together a proposal. Additional guidelines may apply and will be discussed in detail with grantees during grantee orientation.
• In administering grants and the grant competition, the Initiative follows and expects applicants and grant recipients to follow the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State’s Diversity Statement.
• Applicants must demonstrate the capacity to meet U.S. reporting requirements as specified in the “Office of Management and Budget” and “Department of State” sections of “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards” (2 CFR sections 200 and 600).
• Applicants are reminded that U.S. Executive Orders and U.S. law prohibits transactions with, and the provision of resources and support to, individuals and organizations associated with terrorism. It is the legal responsibility of the grant recipient to ensure compliance with these Executive Orders and laws. This provision must be included in any subawards issued under this grant.
• The second year of funding will be contingent on the successful conduct of the first year.

Budgeting

The applicant’s approved budget should summarize the project or program's financial aspects, and it becomes the approved grant’s scope of work. Following negotiations, the approved budget is final; recipients are required to report deviations from the budget, project scope, or objectives, and request prior approvals from the Initiative for budget and program plan revisions. Applicants should account for any possible cost necessary to implement the project in the budget, which may include costs associated with recruiting (e.g. marketing, partnership development), retaining participants, curriculum design, alumni engagement, impact sharing, and other costs associated with bringing in and meaningfully including participants, particularly those from underrepresented and historically marginalized backgrounds, which may include technology or stipends to access technology.

The requested budget may not exceed the limits for the respective grant type for which the applicant is seeking, inclusive of indirect costs and reasonable accommodation. The applying organization/institution can request no more than 80% (inclusive of indirect costs) of the amount of their Fiscal Year 2022 operating budget. Applicants must submit a budget and budget narrative using the templates provided by the Initiative. All costs must be incorporated into the following categories: personnel, staff travel, participant support, equipment, supplies, contractual, subaward, and other direct costs. Budgets are encouraged to include at least one principal investigator or project manager, though there is not a specific limit or requirement for roles. The Initiative encourages applicants to consider having one or a small number of people designated to be the point person(s) for the Initiative team, should funding be awarded, and to oversee federal award management and processes.

Applicants with a negotiated indirect cost rate (NICRA) may request their organization/institution’s negotiated rate if a copy of the NICRA is attached to the application. Applicants without a NICRA may request up to 10% of the budget in indirect costs. The budget for a given grant type cannot exceed the listed limit, inclusive of indirect costs. All costs in the budget must be broken out into specific and individual costs (e.g. a line item in the budget cannot say “program technology” - the applicant should use a new line item for each piece of technology required to implement the program).

Budgets are required to include a five percent “reasonable accommodations” line, inclusive of five percent of the entire budget, to account for the costs of meaningfully including participants with disabilities and other participants with accommodations requirements.

All costs must be justified and necessary to implement the proposed program. Consult the Code of Federal Regulations (“Uniform Guidance”) for more details.

Review Process and Selection Criteria

The Stevens Initiative screens proposals for completeness and eligibility according to this call for proposals. Proposals are then reviewed by an independent review committee of experts from the education, exchange, education technology, international affairs, and other sectors in the U.S. and MENA region. The Initiative recommends a slate of proposals to the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs based on the independent review committee’s scores and comments while also seeking to create a portfolio of programs that reach a range of age levels, topics, U.S. states and territories and MENA countries and territories, and grant sizes. Final approval of awards is dependent on approval from the U.S. Department of State and the relevant U.S. missions to countries where the work is proposed.

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are priorities for the JCSVEI Virtual Exchange Competition; strong proposals will incorporate aspects of DEIA into all facets of the proposal and program plan, including activity plans or curricula, facilitator planning and preparation, participant recruitment and retention, and partnership development. Reviewers will be asked to determine when evaluating all aspects of the proposal whether the applicant has comprehensively included aspects of DEIA throughout the program plans.

The Initiative publishes a summary of common factors from an analysis of rejected applications but is not able to offer individual feedback due to the volume of applications.

The selection criteria (described below) are worth up to the following number of points.

Content and Plan for Activities

A well-designed proposal includes details about how participants will engage during the program or plans to design the curriculum/activity plan. Successful applicants are expected to put in place a plan that includes a mix of activities over a sustained period of time to allow international groups of varying sizes to have in-depth dialogue and/or collaboration. These activities can include a mix of synchronous and asynchronous communication and a mix of discussion-based activities and collaborative projects. A well-designed plan for activities focuses on 1) a compelling topic(s) and empowers the participants to learn about the topic(s); 2) participants gaining communication, collaboration, language, and problem-solving skills; and 3) participants’ familiarity with and empathy for different perspectives that they need to thrive in an interconnected world.

Priority Topics: Proposed projects are encouraged to focus on one or more of the following topics:

1. Digital Literacy and Combating Misinformation 
2. Climate and the Environment 
3. Language Learning and Practice 
4. Civic Engagement

Illustrative Review Questions

• Are the proposed activities and topics clear, appropriate, and valuable for all of the intended participants? 
• Are the proposed activities and topics culturally relevant, inclusive, and accessible to all participants? 
• Is it clear from reading the proposal what the experience as a participant in the program would involve? 
• Are the modes of communication and participation engaging and well-aligned with the needs, abilities, and interests of the participants?
• Will the proposed activities foster sustained cross-cultural communication/collaboration among youth participants in the U.S. and MENA region, and is the program mutually beneficial for participants in the U.S. and MENA? 
• Does the topic(s) include at least one of the JCSVEI priority topics? 
• Does the applicant demonstrate how virtual exchange activities would add to the participants’ learning about the topic(s)? 
• Would this program be likely to help the participants gain global competencies and other knowledge, skills, attitudes, and experiences?

Facilitator and Facilitator Preparation

The proposed program should include individuals, either educators or other prepared adults, who are responsible for helping the participants have a productive learning experience. Successful applicants are expected to prepare those who are facilitating the program for their role and oversee and support facilitators throughout the program.

Illustrative Review Questions

• Are the facilitators – educators or others taking this role – clearly identified and appropriate? 
• Is the ratio of facilitators to participants appropriate, and are the facilitators representative of the youth participants included in the program? 
• Is the facilitation style and plan clear and appropriate for the age level of the participants, the proposed content and activities, and the setting in which the exchange activities will occur? 
• Does the proposal acknowledge how facilitators will support participants throughout the duration of the program? 
• Is there adequate facilitator training and preparation?

Participants

Participants should be young people in the age range that corresponds to the K-12 school age level – including primary (elementary) school, middle school, and high school – or postsecondary education age level, including undergraduate and graduate education levels and young professionals under the age of 35. Educators, facilitators, or group leaders who work with the youth participants are not counted as a participant.

In addition to describing who the intended participants are and how the intended program meets their needs and interests, the proposal should outline how the applicant will prioritize bringing in participants from underrepresented and historically marginalized groups in both the U.S. and MENA region, adhering to the participant priorities listed earlier in this call for proposals. Applicants will be asked to state clearly in their proposal whether and how they commit to meeting one or both of these optional priorities. Successful applicants that propose to meet these priorities will be accountable to meet their commitments over the course of the grant.

Lastly, applications should also include a commitment to participant health, safety, and wellness with a clearly articulated plan.

The number of points earned by the proposal will be determined by the following factors:

• The proportion of participants who will meet the priorities; 
• The degree to which the program meets the needs and interests of young people from these groups and empowers them to fully participate; 
• The feasibility of the plan to recruit these participants (and/or partner organizations located in the intended participant communities) and to support them to have an impactful and safe virtual exchange experience; 
• The feasibility of the plan to meaningfully include and ultimately retain the intended participants so that they meet the threshold of meaningful participation.

U.S. participant priorities:

• Students from minority-serving institutions (MSIs) at the higher education level 
• Young people from predominantly minority-serving community or nonprofit organizations 
• Students from higher education institutions with a high percentage of Pell Grant recipient students (25% and over) 
• Students from Title I Schoolwide Program schools 
• Young people with disabilities 
• Young people from diverse geographic areas, such as underserved rural or urban areas 
• Other marginalized or historically underserved youth as specified by the applicant

Pell Grant statistics are available at https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/pell20/#table.

MENA participant priorities: 

• Students from educational institutions where English is not the main language of instruction 
• Young people from Iraq, Libya, Syria, the Palestinian Territories, and Yemen 
• Young people with disabilities 
• Young people from diverse geographic areas, such as underserved rural or urban areas 
• Other marginalized or historically underserved youth as specified by the applicant

Illustrative Review Questions

• Are the participants clearly identified and appropriate? 
• Has the applicant outlined a substantive and feasible plan to recruit and meaningfully engage and ensure equitable access for participants from marginalized and historically underserved communities, including those from the priority populations in the U.S. and MENA outlined in the call for proposals? 
• Has the applicant identified partners based in and/or representing the communities intended to be reached? 
• Does the applicant show evidence of a track record of having meaningfully reached underserved youth? 
• Are the participants’ needs and interests clear and well matched to this program, and is the program designed to appropriately serve the intended participants? 
• Does the proposal outline comprehensive participant retention strategies, including plans to ensure the program throughout its duration is supportive, equitable, and inclusive for the intended participants?

Partnerships

Applicants are expected to develop the proposal in conjunction with the partners with whom the program will be conducted. This includes the organizations/institutions where virtual exchange activities will occur as well as other organizations/institutions that may be involved in conducting the program. Successful applicants are expected to establish and maintain these partnerships through consistent collaboration and communication throughout the planning, implementation, refinement, and wrap-up stages of the proposed program.

Illustrative Review Questions

• Are partners listed and concrete/confirmed? 
• Are the partnerships appropriate? 
• Are partnerships equitable: does the applicant demonstrate that input and ownership will be shared among partners, and will the proposed program serve the interests of all partners and communities involved? 
• Are partner organizations and participating communities, particularly those that are often underserved by international opportunities and/or that represent the priority populations outlined in the call for proposals, genuinely included and empowered throughout program design and implementation?

Capability, Feasibility, and Logistics

Grantees are expected to manage the logistics of running an international virtual exchange program, ensuring activities are occurring on schedule and appropriately across all participating sites. The Stevens Initiative expects all programs to have a good, flexible, participant-centered technology plan involving several aspects, including mobile/low-bandwidth-ready tools and activities, ample support for participants, contingency planning, and more. Grantees are also expected to properly administer the Stevens Initiative grant, which includes following federal guidelines, terms, and conditions, regularly communicating with the Stevens Initiative, and submitting quarterly program, evaluation, and financial reports.

Illustrative Review Questions

• Does the staffing level evidenced in the budget seem appropriate to carry out the proposed program, particularly program administration and logistics? 
• For large and mid-sized grant applications, does the proposal demonstrate that the organization is ready to build on previously-conducted activities and lessons learned? 
• Does this organization/institution have the capacity and knowledge to conduct this program as proposed? Is it feasible to set up, manage, and monitor a program of this scale and complexity?
• Is there a clear and suitable plan for the technology platform or platforms that will be used, and is the technology accessible by all proposed participants?

Cost-Effectiveness

All proposals include a cost per participant (the total amount of funding requested divided by the total number of young people who meet the definition of meaningful participation) within the allowable range for their grant type. Within these ranges, the Stevens Initiative seeks to support programs that demonstrate an appropriate cost and use of funds and are likely to deliver a meaningful experience for participants.

Illustrative Review Questions

• Is the cost per participant reasonable for the likely value of the experience? 
• Are the most significant expenses clearly described and appropriate? 
• Does the budget narrative make clear what the program expenditures will be?

Institutional Support

Successfully administering a virtual exchange program as part of a multiyear federal subaward requires widespread support to overcome challenges and attain longevity. Institutional leaders can encourage buy-in across the organization/institution by recognizing the funded project as valuable and consistent with the organization/institution’s strategic plan, for example, which can in turn lead to external partnerships or internal connections with colleagues who are willing to share their expertise.

Illustrative Review Questions

• Does the proposal demonstrate buy-in to submit the funding proposal from the organization/institution’s team, division, or department’s leadership? 
• Does the proposal demonstrate support for program implementation and longevity from the applying organization/institution beyond the applying individual/team/division/department? 
• Does the proposal demonstrate how the applying organization/institution will support the team implementing the program during the period of performance, beyond providing, for example, necessary administrative support?

Support for Applicants

• Prospective applicants are encouraged to visit stevensinitiative.org to learn more about the goals of the Stevens Initiative, its activities, and the programs it has supported. The site’s Resources page includes links to documents and the Stevens Initiative’s YouTube channel contains recordings of webinars that may be useful in developing a program plan.
• Applicants may be particularly interested to read feedback compiled by the Stevens Initiative in response to proposals submitted during previous grant competitions.
• The Initiative is hosting two webinars related to this competition: one on general questions on September 13, 2023, at 11:00am U.S. Eastern time (register here); and a second to answer questions about budgeting and compliance  and September 20, 2023, at 11:00am U.S. Eastern Time (register here). Recordings of the webinars will be posted to the Stevens Initiative’s YouTube channel for those who are not able to attend.
• Responses to frequently asked questions can be found here.
• Those who are interested in finding another way to get involved in virtual exchange are encouraged to visit the Initiative’s Engage page or contact the Stevens Initiative at stevensinitiative@aspeninstitute.org.
• Applicants may wish to review the following resources for more information about common attributes and effective practices:
  • Feedback from previous competition
  • Typology
  • Impact and Learning Reports: 2023 Report; 2022 Report; 2020 Report; 2019 Report
  • Survey of the Field Report
  • Intercultural Competence Model
  • Guide for Senior International Officers
    

Virtual Exchange Design Considerations

Virtual exchange connects young people from around the world for learning and collaboration, immersing them in digital spaces to gain practical skills and build friendships along the way. While virtual exchange can cover any topic or subject matter and can vary substantially in the length of programming, technology, or platform(s) used, and learning outcomes and activity types, all virtual exchange includes a core component of cross-cultural connection and collaboration.

Programs vary significantly across the virtual exchange field. One reason for this variety is that programs operate in many different settings – in different countries, at different age levels, within and outside of educational institutions, and on a range of topics, to name just a few. Just as important, however, is that there are several different ways to design and conduct a virtual exchange program for any given setting, let alone to meet the needs of young people in different settings. The Initiative recommends keeping these factors in mind, along with the list of considerations below; it is encouraged but not required to adhere to the models described here.

• Value proposition and incentives: Consider how a proposed virtual exchange will meet participants’ interests and needs and consider how to communicate this to young people in a way that will excite them. One way to communicate about the value of participating in a virtual exchange and to retain participants is to consider incentivizing full participation and building that into a program plan. Some examples of incentives can include a certificate of completion or micro-credential, a culminating event, an in-person travel component, presentations, competitions, or other activities. It could also be part of a credit-bearing course or a required course for which grading is dependent on participation. Consider framing the program or building a component or unit into the program around college/university preparedness and/or career readiness.
• Mutual benefit: A program should have clearly defined benefits for young people in all participating countries or communities. These benefits do not need to be identical, but should be comparable. For example, young people in one country may be primarily motivated to practice a foreign language and young people in the other participating country may be primarily motivated to gain knowledge about a specific academic subject.
• Types of participant engagement: Most programs involve a combination of synchronous (real-time) and asynchronous communication to foster collaboration and relationship-building among participants. The types of communication in a program should be chosen and sequenced based on a combination of factors, including participants’ interests, access to technology, time zone differences, and disparate academic or individual schedules. Choosing how to conduct activities often involves challenging tradeoffs. For example, participants often describe synchronous activities as a highlight, particularly as a way to build rapport with their peers early in the program, but synchronous activities can be logistically challenging, particularly when participants are separated by a large time zone difference.
• Duration and contact hours: Many virtual exchange programs involve youth participants in eight to 30 hours of synchronous and/or asynchronous communication over a period of two to eight weeks. Less contact or a shorter program might not give participants the chance to establish relationships with their international peers or to learn and put into practice new knowledge and skills; longer programs may be difficult to schedule around academic or seasonal calendars in different countries or may strain participants’ commitment to remain involved.
• How participants get involved: Some programs are conducted as part of for-credit courses at educational institutions, some occur outside of educational institutions, and some include a mix of course-based and extracurricular participation in different places. Some programs involve youth participants via partnerships with educational institutions or civil society organizations while others invite young people to enroll individually. Practitioners should match the program design to the incentives at play; for example, a program facilitated by educators as part of a for-credit course has different opportunities and constraints than a program that seeks to engage young people who are choosing to participate in their free time. Practitioners should also work with their partners to develop a feasible recruiting plan and recruiting timeline regardless of how the program is structured.
• Keeping partners and participants engaged: Across nearly all virtual exchange programs, some youth participants do not reach a level of meaningful participation despite showing interest, registering, or even attending some of the initial sessions or completing some activities. In some cases, partnering organizations or educational institutions drop out, leaving the program with significantly fewer participants than expected. Practitioners should anticipate challenges like these and strive to involve slightly more partners, facilitators, and youth participants than are strictly required to meet the threshold for meaningful participation.
• What participants do: Many virtual exchange programs ask youth participants to work in small, international groups on a collaborative project as one component of the program. Some programs put more emphasis on dialogue or storytelling rather than project-based learning. Many programs include a combination of these types of activities as well as other activities.
• Technology: It’s important to choose technology tools – both software and hardware – that are accessible for all participants in a program. It is particularly important to choose technology that works for people in places that have limited resources. There are many low-cost technology tools that are better suited to virtual exchange than an expensive or customized technology system. It’s also important to select technology platforms that are familiar to and accessible by all participants. If you are proposing technology or platforms that are new for some or all participants, ensure that you give them enough time and preparation ahead of the program starting so they can fully participate.
• Logistics: Applicants should consult with proposed partners during the design phase of the application to ensure that the proposal accounts for all partners’ and participants’ needs and interests. Virtual exchange partners should work together during the program design phase to equitably address differences in time zones, holidays, and academic calendars.