2024 Professional Fellows Congress

The Congress brings all non-U.S. Fellows together at the end of their spring fellowship program and provides a larger context for their shared experiences, promotes collaboration and networking across cohorts, introduces them to alumni resources, and strengthens the PFP’s role as a vital element of U.S. public diplomacy.

Goals

The Congress supports the following broad PFP goals:

• Promote mutual understanding and lasting partnerships between mid-level emerging leaders from foreign countries and the United States;
• Provide opportunities for non-U.S. and American emerging leaders to collaborate and share ideas, approaches, and strategies regarding pressing challenges;
• Enhance leadership and professional skills for both non-U.S. and U.S. Fellows to encourage positive change in their workplaces and communities; and
• Build a global network of like-minded professionals.

Program Specific Guidelines

The Congress should be designed to incorporate adult learning styles and have a strong focus on leadership, community development, and civic engagement. As the capstone event of the spring 2026 PFP, the Congress will provide the Fellows with:

• The opportunity to network with colleagues from around the world, share their U.S. experiences, and learn from the experiences of other Professional Fellows;
• A contextual framework for the broader Fellowship experience and exchange program;
• An opportunity to examine ways an individual, organization, or interest group can generate change for the common good; and
• A greater understanding of public diplomacy in the global community.

Professional Fellows Program Themes and Eligible Partner Countries: Congress proposals should reflect a global program design that builds on the FY 2024 Professional Fellows Program NOFO. The three overarching themes for the FY 2024 Open Competition for the PFP are: Governance and Society, Economic Empowerment, and Civic Engagement.

Funding Information

• Approximate Total Funding: $2,775,000
• Approximate Average Award: $925,000
• Minimum “Floor” of Award: $925,000, pending the availability of funds
• Maximum “Ceiling” of Award: $925,000 pending the availability of funds
• Anticipated Award Date: August 30, 2024, pending the availability of funds
• Anticipated Project Completion Date: March 30, 2029

Eligible Applicants

• U.S. public and private academic and cultural institutions, exchange-of-persons, and other notfor-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit applications for this competition. Applicants must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of application.
• ECA’s grant guidelines require that organizations demonstrate at least four years of experience in conducting international exchanges to be eligible for awards exceeding $130,000 in ECA funding. ECA anticipates issuing one cooperative agreement, for approximately $925,000. Therefore, organizations that do not demonstrate four years of experience in conducting international exchanges in your proposal are ineligible to apply under this competition.
• Only one proposal will be considered by ECA from each applicant organization. In cases where more than one submission from an applicant appears in grants.gov, ECA will only consider the submission made closest in time to the NOFO deadline; that submission would constitute the one and only proposal ECA would review from that applicant.

For more information, visit Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA).