Embassy Paris is excited to announce the opening of the 2016 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund competition! Alumni teams submit project proposals though the International Exchange Alumni website (https://alumni.state.gov/aeif) and compete to win awards of up to $25,000.
A short time in the future in a community very close to you…
Gather your teams and start thinking about innovative solutions for common challenges in your community to prepare for the 2016 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF)! Competition starts February 9, 2016.
The State Department created the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) in 2011 to support alumni initiatives that promote shared values and innovative solutions to global challenges. The competition provides small grants to teams of past and current participants of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs to carry out public service projects that utilize skills and knowledge they have gained through their exchange experiences. To participate, alumni must be members of the International Exchange Alumni (IEA) global online community and form teams of at least four IEA community members (this number includes the team leader). Proposed projects must address one of the AEIF themes. In 2015, 48 grants of up $25,000 were awarded to alumni teams worldwide to support their public service projects. 2016 AEIF Timeline
- Tuesday, February 9: AEIF Launches at Noon ET. Alumni can start submitting proposals and budgets.
- Wednesday, March 9: AEIF Proposal and Budget Forms Due by Noon ET. This is the final and only deadline, so make sure you get your four team members and submit your final projects in before the deadline, no exceptions.
- Late April: AEIF 2016 Winning Projects Announced!
What is new with AEIF in 2016?
You know that saying, “Change is good?” Team Exchange Alumni has made a few enhancements to AEIF this year to make it a smoother process.
- There is no finalist phase this year! AEIF is all one phase, instead of two.
- In addition to completing a proposal form, alumni teams must now submit a completed budget form by the deadline.
- We recognized that the voting process caused some confusion about how projects were evaluated. So, this year, there is no voting! IEA members can still comment and provide feedback on proposals. Remember, projects will be evaluated based on a set of criteria outlined here.
- To be eligible for consideration, AEIF teams must comprise at least four alumni who are registered on the IEA website. This number includes the team leader. (You may remember, in past AEIF competitions, a team of five alumni was required.)
The following themes were selected for AEIF 2016:
- Access to Education
- Civic Participation
- Climate Change and Environmental Protection
- Empowering Women and Girls
- Entrepreneurship and Youth Employment
- Human Rights and Social Inclusion of Vulnerable Populations
If you have questions or would like to discuss a potential project, send us an email at ParisCulture@state.gov
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The U.S. Embassy in France sponsors a variety of international exchange programs each year, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). These people-to-people exchanges are designed to enhance mutual understanding between the U.S. and other nations.
The Department of State is committed to supporting alumni of these programs by providing resources that will help them to build upon their exchange experience.
Alumni Opportunities
U.S. government-sponsored (USG) exchange program participants and alumni living in France have a number of opportunities to be involved in post-exchange activities, and receive access to specialized resources such as:
Alumni associations
- Fulbright Exchange Programs: France-Fulbright Alumni
- International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP): The Jefferson Circle
- Youth Ambassadors program: Youth Ambassadors Alumni
Events
- Call – for – alumni applications – International Conference – «Entrepreneurs in a borderless Europe», May 17-18, 2014, Berlin
Specialized resources
- Specialized resources from the Information Resource Center
Global Alumni Online Community
International Exchange Alumni is the State Department’s official website for alumni of exchange programs sponsored by the U.S. government. The International Exchange Alumni online community recognizes the achievements of exchange alumni and provides them access to exclusive benefits including:
- Funding: Access $33 billion in grant opportunities.
- Networking:
- Connect with more than 100,000 global alumni already registered on the website.
- Chat with VIP guests during regular Digital Dialogue webchats.
- Digital Library: Want to read the New York Times newspaper online or listen to it in 12 different languages? Now you can, as well as 20,000 other magazines and periodicals!
Alumni are encouraged to register for the site and gain access to these membership benefits. Only verified alumni of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs are able to access these benefits.
Who Can Join?
You are an alumnus(a) of a U.S. government-sponsored exchange program if you have participated in at least one of the following programs:
- Fulbright Exchange Programs
- International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP)
- Voluntary Visitor Program
- Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellowship Initiative
- Summer Institutes for European Student Leaders
- Youth Ambassadors
- France Los-Angeles Media Exchange
