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Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) 2024
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9 MINUTE READ
November 7, 2023

Overview

AEIF-2024-Logo

The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait announces an open competition for past participants (“alumni”) of U.S. government-funded and U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs to submit applications to the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) 2024 – Kuwait. We seek proposals from teams of at least two alumni that meet all program eligibility requirements below. 

To submit proposals, all alumni applicants must use the official AEIF proposal (in MS Word, download link) and budget (in MS Excel, download link) forms.

Exchange alumni interested in participating in AEIF 2024 should email IbrahimA1@state.gov by Thursday, February 29, 2024. Proposals should be in the range of $5,000 to $35,000.

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Program Objectives

AEIF provides alumni of U.S. government-sponsored and facilitated exchange programs with funding to expand on skills gained during their exchange experience to design and implement innovative solutions to global challenges facing their community. Since its inception in 2011, AEIF has funded nearly 500 alumni-led projects around the world through a competitive global competition. This year, the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait will accept public service projects proposed and managed by teams of at least two (2) alumni that support one or more themes such as:

  1. Improve the safety and welfare of U.S. citizens in Kuwait and ensure we are well-prepared for any crisis.
  2. Strengthen and broaden U.S.-Kuwait bilateral cooperation to improve regional stability and security.
  3. Strengthen national stability through political reform, economic development, and an improved legal framework.
  4. Deepen bilateral economic ties and encourage Kuwait to improve its business and investment environment by streamlining government processes, promoting bilateral trade and investment, and diversifying its economy. 

All project activities must take place outside of the United States and its territories.

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Eligibility Requirements

The following individuals are eligible to apply:

  • Applicants must be alumni of a U.S. government-funded or sponsored exchange program or a U.S. government-sponsored exchange program (for instance, Fulbright, FLTA, IVLP, YES, SUSI, Sport Exchanges, IWP, etc.).
  • Projects teams must include teams of at least two (2) alumni.
  • Alumni teams may be comprised of alumni from different exchange programs and different countries but must have at least one participant from Kuwait.
  • Applications must be submitted by exchange alumni or alumni associations of USG exchange alumni. No other organizations are eligible to apply. Exchange alumni can partner with not-for-profit or non-governmental organizations, think tanks, and academic institutions to implement project activities. The grant can be issued to the individual alumni or the partner organization.

AEIF 2023 Project Examples: Please find several examples of successful AEIF 2023 projects below. Visit https://alumni.state.gov/aeif/congrats-2023-alumni-engagement-innovation-fund-winners-0 to read more about these projects:

Example #1: South Sudan: Strengthening the Capacities of Young Leaders to Promote Peace, Democracy, and Good Governance will educate and enlighten high school students in Juba, Wau, and Bor about the ongoing constitution-making process in South Sudan, along with key provisions of the Revitalized Peace Agreement. The goal is to prepare the students for the upcoming elections and equip them with the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions.

 

Example #2: Jordan: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in Rural Jordan through Digital Media aims to empower women-owned small businesses in southern Jordan, specifically in rural and underserved areas. Through training young men and women in digital marketing, the project seeks to improve the branding, marketing, and online reach of these businesses and thus enhance the marketing and visibility of women-owned businesses in four southern governorates to ensure a more prosperous and equitable society.

 

Inspiration can be found at alumni.state.gov/aeif and clicking on the links for annual winners stories and AEIF success stories.  

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