Opportunity Information: Apply for SFOP0009496
The FY 2023 BridgeUSA Global STEM Scholarship Fund is a U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) funding opportunity run through the Office of Private Sector Exchange (BridgeUSA). It seeks one organization to administer a global STEM scholarship program that brings foreign students and professionals to the United States under the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program. The award is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning the recipient would implement the program while working in close coordination with ECA/BridgeUSA on planning, oversight, and key decisions tied to program goals and compliance.
The program’s main purpose is to strengthen STEM education and career pathways in the United States through international exchange, while also advancing U.S. engagement with partners overseas. The selected awardee would be responsible for providing roughly 20 to 30 STEM scholarships for foreign participants and ensuring those scholarships are distributed evenly across eligible countries in three priority regions: Africa (AF), East Asia and Pacific (EAP), and the Western Hemisphere (WHA). The scholarship recipients are expected to enter through specific eligible J-1 categories that align with academic and professional STEM experiences: College/University Students, Interns, Research Scholars, and Trainees. In practical terms, this implies the recipient would manage recruitment and selection pipelines, confirm eligibility for the appropriate J-1 category, coordinate placements or affiliations with U.S. host institutions, and handle the program support structure that enables participants to complete their academic or professional activities successfully.
A central requirement is that proposals must incorporate a climate change focus. The opportunity is not simply looking for general STEM mobility; it is prioritizing STEM exchanges that directly contribute to climate-related knowledge, tools, and resilience. Competitive proposals are expected to build partnerships with U.S. institutions and other collaborators working in STEM fields that have clear cross-continental relevance. Examples explicitly emphasized in the announcement include improving understanding of climate systems, developing precision agriculture capabilities, enhancing risk assessment tools, and increasing societal resilience to catastrophic natural or human-induced disasters. In other words, applicants are expected to show how the scholarship-funded experiences will connect STEM training and research to real-world climate challenges, and how those efforts will be strengthened through institutional collaboration rather than stand-alone placements.
Eligible applicants include U.S. accredited colleges and universities, consortia of accredited institutions (including community college consortia), and U.S. public or private nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status. The announcement encourages consortia representing universities and colleges to apply, signaling that BridgeUSA is open to multi-institution models that can offer broader STEM capacity, more diverse host sites, and stronger support networks for participants. The grant is listed under CFDA 19.451 and categorized as discretionary funding.
Funding for the opportunity is expected to result in one award with an approximate ceiling of $360,000, contingent on the availability of funds. The funding opportunity number is SFOP0009496, and it was posted on March 8, 2023 with an original application deadline of May 10, 2023. Overall, this competition is aimed at selecting a single capable administrator that can recruit participants across multiple world regions, place them into well-structured U.S.-based STEM experiences under appropriate J-1 categories, and tie the exchange outcomes to climate change-related STEM priorities through durable institutional partnerships.Apply for SFOP0009496
- The Department of State, Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2023 BridgeUSA Global STEM Scholarship Fund" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.451.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 08, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 10, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $360,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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FY 2023 BridgeUSA Global STEM Scholarship Fund (SFOP0009496) - FAQs
1) What is the FY 2023 BridgeUSA Global STEM Scholarship Fund?
It is a U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) funding opportunity managed through the Office of Private Sector Exchange (BridgeUSA). The opportunity seeks one organization to administer a global STEM scholarship program that brings foreign students and professionals to the United States under the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program.
2) Which U.S. government office is offering this opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), through BridgeUSA (Office of Private Sector Exchange).
3) What type of award is this?
The award is structured as a cooperative agreement. This means the recipient is responsible for implementing the program while working in close coordination with ECA/BridgeUSA on planning, oversight, and key decisions tied to program goals and compliance.
4) How many awards are expected to be made?
The funding opportunity is expected to result in one award.
5) What is the estimated funding amount for the award?
The approximate ceiling is $360,000, contingent on the availability of funds.
6) What is the main purpose of the program?
The program aims to strengthen STEM education and career pathways in the United States through international exchange and to advance U.S. engagement with partners overseas.
7) What is the central thematic requirement for proposals?
Proposals must incorporate a climate change focus. The opportunity prioritizes STEM exchanges that directly contribute to climate-related knowledge, tools, and resilience rather than general STEM mobility alone.
8) What kinds of climate-related STEM areas are emphasized?
Examples emphasized include improving understanding of climate systems, developing precision agriculture capabilities, enhancing risk assessment tools, and increasing societal resilience to catastrophic natural or human-induced disasters.
9) How many scholarships should the selected organization provide?
The selected awardee is expected to provide roughly 20 to 30 STEM scholarships for foreign participants.
10) Are there geographic requirements for how scholarships are distributed?
Yes. Scholarships are expected to be distributed evenly across eligible countries in three priority regions: Africa (AF), East Asia and Pacific (EAP), and the Western Hemisphere (WHA).
11) Who are the intended scholarship participants?
The scholarships are for foreign students and professionals who will come to the United States through the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program.
12) Which J-1 Exchange Visitor categories are eligible for this program?
Participants are expected to enter through one of the following eligible J-1 categories: College/University Students, Interns, Research Scholars, and Trainees.
13) What is the recipient organization expected to do as the program administrator?
Based on the announcement, the recipient would manage recruitment and selection pipelines, confirm eligibility for the appropriate J-1 category, coordinate placements or affiliations with U.S. host institutions, and provide the program support structure that enables participants to complete their academic or professional activities successfully.
14) Does the program require partnerships with U.S. institutions?
Yes. Competitive proposals are expected to build partnerships with U.S. institutions and other collaborators working in STEM fields with clear cross-continental relevance, and to show that scholarship experiences are strengthened through institutional collaboration rather than stand-alone placements.
15) Is this funding opportunity focused on academic study only, or also professional experiences?
It supports academic and professional STEM experiences, as reflected in the eligible J-1 categories (College/University Students, Interns, Research Scholars, and Trainees).
16) Who is eligible to apply for this cooperative agreement?
Eligible applicants include: U.S. accredited colleges and universities; consortia of accredited institutions (including community college consortia); and U.S. public or private nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status.
17) Are university or college consortia encouraged to apply?
Yes. The announcement encourages consortia representing universities and colleges to apply, indicating openness to multi-institution models that can offer broader STEM capacity, more diverse host sites, and stronger support networks for participants.
18) What is the opportunity number for this grant?
The funding opportunity number is SFOP0009496.
19) What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 19.451.
20) How is this opportunity categorized in terms of federal funding type?
It is categorized as discretionary funding.
21) When was this funding opportunity posted?
It was posted on March 8, 2023.
22) What was the original application deadline?
The original application deadline was May 10, 2023.
23) What does "BridgeUSA" refer to in this opportunity?
BridgeUSA refers to the Office of Private Sector Exchange, which runs programs under the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program and is referenced here as the operating office through which the opportunity is administered.
24) What does it mean that the program operates under the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program?
It means the scholarship recipients are expected to come to the United States using J-1 Exchange Visitor categories aligned to their academic or professional STEM activities (College/University Students, Interns, Research Scholars, or Trainees), and that the program administrator must coordinate eligibility, placements, and support consistent with J-1 program requirements and compliance expectations referenced in the announcement.
25) What is ECA/BridgeUSA's role after an award is made?
Because this is a cooperative agreement, ECA/BridgeUSA is expected to remain closely involved in planning, oversight, and key decisions tied to program goals and compliance while the awardee carries out day-to-day implementation.
26) What outcome focus is the opportunity looking for beyond participant travel to the U.S.?
The opportunity seeks well-structured U.S.-based STEM experiences tied to climate change-related STEM priorities, supported by durable institutional partnerships, and implemented by a single administrator capable of recruiting across multiple world regions and ensuring appropriate J-1 category alignment.
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