Transatlantic Mobility Program / 2022 Call for Proposals

Grants of up to $15,000 to support higher-education partnerships and increase student mobility between France and the United States.

TIMELINE
April 11: Call for proposals opens.
May 5: Information webinar
June 1st: Deadline for submissions.
June 30: Meeting of the Committee
Early July: Award notification sent to all applicants.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The Transatlantic Mobility Program aims at increasing Franco-American student mobility by supporting American and French Higher-Education Institutions (HEIs) in developing study-abroad opportunities. The Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the U.S. and the Public Diplomacy Services of the Embassy of the
United States of America in France, together with NAFSA, and the FACE Foundation, offer eligible institutions grants of up to $15,000 to expand and diversify study-abroad programs on both sides of the Atlantic.
The Transatlantic Mobility Program stems from the Transatlantic Friendship and Mobility Initiative. The joint declaration signed in May 2014 by the U.S. Department of State and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs aims at strengthening the historic ties between the United States and France by doubling, by 2025,the number of students from France and the United States studying abroad in our respective countries. A strong emphasis was placed on increasing diversity in study-abroad programs, both in terms of areas of study and student profiles.
To increase the number of students from France and the United States making their way across the Atlantic, Higher Education Institutions must play an essential role in building strong partnerships, developing innovative and sustainable study-abroad models, and designing programs for nontraditional students. Proposals will be evaluated on how projects can effectively and concretely encourage the greatest number of students to participate in a study-abroad program. The Embassy of France, in consultation with the U.S. Embassy in France and NAFSA, will identify and select 6 to 8 proposals that demonstrate how limited resources can effectively mobilize the greatest number of students to study abroad.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
The Transatlantic Mobility Program seeks the broadest diversity of institutions to compete for grants. As such, the following Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are eligible to apply:

U.S. HEIs located and legally registered in the U.S., including four-year degreeissuing institutions (public and private), community colleges, technical/vocational schools, and other post-secondary institutions with credit-bearing programs.
French HEIs, including Universities, Grandes Ecoles, and all private and public schools and institutes recognized in France. U.S. branch institutions in France are not eligible.

Various institutional situations will be considered when reviewing the applications. The proposal may involve a new institutional partnership or build on an existing one.
Proposals should focus on creating sustainable study-abroad programs between the partnering institutions. HEIs can work on scaling up existing programs or creating new programs if they have a direct impact on study abroad numbers without requiring significant up-front administrative costs.
Institutions which have already received funding under the Transatlantic Mobility Program in the last five years are not eligible.
Proposals emanating from different departments within a HEI or submitted with a different French partner institution are exempt from the five year rule.

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

Required:

Institutions submitting a proposal must be able to match the grant offered by the French Embassy (at least 1:1), leveraging funds from institutional, privatesector and/or community sources (excluding overhead costs and grant management).

To qualify for these funds, applicants will be asked to enact policy or programmatic changes on campus that leverage greater participation in study abroad above and beyond those students who receive financial assistance from the travel grant.
The partnering institutions will develop short or long-term programs (longterm is strongly encouraged), with participating students receiving some level of academic credit. These programs will integrate strong academic and cultural foundations.

Preferred:

The proposal will demonstrate increased cooperation and internationalization based on reciprocity. Reciprocity may be asymmetrical (e.g. study abroad to France and faculty visits to the U.S.).
The proposal will address inclusion and diversity and ensure study-abroad access to underserved/underrepresented populations.
The proposal should clearly indicate how the partnering institutions intend on maintaining the project and continue to operate the study abroad program after the grant period concludes.
The Proposal will include the use of innovative practices that will increase student participation (e.g., virtual education via hybrid programs and COIL).
The program will provide students with training opportunities to gain academic, technical, linguistic, and cross-cultural skills.
The program will facilitate some kind of curricular integration in the long run.
The program activities will address one of the following topics:
o Technology and Innovation (STEM, cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, etc.)
o Climate, Energy and the Environment (climate change, food security, renewable energy, rural development, sustainable agriculture, etc.)
o Economic Development and Entrepreneurship (business, closing skill gaps in local communities, manufacturing, resource development, trade, etc.)

Proposed programs may include virtual activities to complement in-person exchanges, but must support the sending and hosting of students and faculty between the institutions during the grant period.

PROGRAM DESIGN
The goal of the Transatlantic Mobility Program is to increase partnerships between French and American HEIs and to create long-term collaboration in the development and implementation of study-abroad opportunities.

Selection:

Applications will undergo a preliminary review for eligibility. Eligible applications will first be reviewed by the Attachés in the consulate districts. Our head office in Washington will make a final review with the jury.
This final jury chaired by the Attaché of Higher Education will select six to eight proposals in consultation with the U.S. Embassy in France and NAFSA.
The Embassy of France and its partners reserve the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted.

In addition to proposal requirements and evaluation criteria, the selection committee will consider factors such as institutional and regional diversity, and diversity in the types of programs selected for funding.

Management:

The application needs to be submitted by a designated project leader that will receive the funds: either the French or the American partner institution.
The French Embassy will award institutional grants of up to $15,000 to the designated project leader for the development of innovative study-abroad opportunities.
Institutions selected to receive funds will manage student selection and administer the grant.
A portion of this grant can be used to provide individual travel grants to students.
Students receiving travel grants will be expected to serve as “ambassadors” for the initiative.
The grant period is from September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2023. However, proposals should include activities beyond these dates to demonstrate continuation of the program beyond the grant period.
Applicants must commit to reporting on initiatives undertaken under this award and outcomes in terms of study abroad participation. Successful applicants will be asked to submit a report to the Embassy of France at the end of the grant cycle. Selected grantees will also be required to submit a follow-up report one year after the end of the grant cycle, highlighting continued progress and collaboration.

EXPECTED RESULTS
U.S. institutions that are successful in implementing these grants will demonstrate increased capacity to develop and administer study abroad programs. HEIs will need to:

Significantly increase the number of students taking part in a study-abroad program in France and the U.S.
Obtain institutional support for the program and build new study-abroad infrastructures.
Secure additional resources, leveraging funds from alternative sources to sustain the proposed program and partnership beyond the grant period.
Strengthen partnerships between U.S. and French HEIs beyond what would have taken place without the grant.
Develop new study-abroad models to engage students in the U.S. and France that have a possibility of replication throughout the two countries.

SUSTAINABILITY
The funding is a one-time allocation, but the program is not viewed as a one-year project. With this incentive grant, the French Embassy aims at long-term changes, such as promoting the integration of study-abroad programs into the main missions of the institutions (teaching, learning, research).
Institutions must provide a Sustainability Plan with their proposal to assure program longevity. Proposals should focus on creating strong and sustainable programs and applicants will be asked to describe how they intend to sustain student mobility and increase institutional exchanges over time.
The French Embassy will continue to support successful institutions beyond the grant period to ensure the sustainability of their partnership through stronger collaboration, and promote the development of new curricular models, such as curricular integration.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Applicants need to complete the online application form and upload the following documents:

A letter of support from the U.S. institution’s leadership.
A letter of support from the French institution’s leadership.
A CV or brief bio for each project coordinator.

In the online application form, you will be asked to:

Describe the partnership between the two institutions (background, history).
Describe the proposed program and how it will increase study-abroad participation between France and the U.S – details the objectives and means.
Provide a timeline for the grant period and student travel.
Detail the expected outcomes and impact.
Provide a sustainability plan (e.g., continuation of the program beyond the grant period)
Provide a budget with details, including cost-sharing and fundraising to match grant funds.

Please read the Application Guidelines before submitting an application.

RECOGNITION AND SUPPORT
Selected institutions will be publicly recognized on the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States website as part of the “Transatlantic Mobility Program”. Institutions will be expected to publicize the support of the partners and sponsors.

PARTNERS AND SPONSORS
Cultural Services – Embassy of France in the United States:
The Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States promote the best of French arts, literature, cinema, digital innovation, language, and higher education across the US. It also builds partnerships between French and American artists, institutions, and universities on both sides of the Atlantic.
http://www.frenchculture.org/

Public Diplomacy Services – Embassy of the United States of America in France:
Under the leadership of the Minister-Counselor for Public Diplomacy, the Public Diplomacy Office is one of the interfaces between the government of the United States of America and the French people. The Public Diplomacy Services provide a better understanding of the U.S. culture and society and promote Franco-American dialogue.
https://fr.usembassy.gov/fr/

FACE FOUNDATION:
FACE Foundation is an American nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting FrenchAmerican relations through innovative cultural and educational projects. In partnership with the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States, FACE Foundation promotes artistic, literary and educational exchange and collaboration between creative professionals from both countries.
https://face-foundation.org/

NAFSA:
The Association of International Educators is the world’s largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education and exchange. NAFSA advances international education in institutions of higher education and promotes international education and the policies that sustain it in the public arena.
https://www.nafsa.org/

CONTACT
All questions should be directed to Anna Malan, Higher Education Program Officer at the French Embassy in the U.S. (anna.malan@frenchculture.org) and to Fabienne Molle, Public Affairs Specialist at the Embassy of the United States of America in France (mollefa@state.gov).