Total Amount Available:
$200,000 Award Ceiling:
$100,000 Award Floor:
$1,000 Expected Number of Awards:
5ea – 10ea Deadline for Applications:
May 6, 2022, 11:59 p.m.

GMT+9 This notice is subject to availability of funding.

The U. S. Embassy Seoul of the U. S. Department

credit: From Wikimedia

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of State announces an open competition for organizations or individuals to submit a statement of interest (SOI) to carry out – 1) Innovative programs to advance the U.S.-ROK Alliance with priority going to proposals that engage audiences outside of Seoul; 2) Exchanges between the U. S. and Korea on international human rights, especially gender equity and LGBTQI+ rights, with a preference for programs sending Koreans to the United States; and 3) Programs connecting U. S. and Korean youth leaders in honor of the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and the United States focusing shared democratic values, including the importance of freedom of speech, freedom of information, and healthy debate in diplomacy; 4) Programs connecting Korean and U. S. climate activists and environmental leaders to contribute to both countries’ commitment to combatting climate change; and 5) Programs that explores how the U. S. Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS) benefits Korea and even Korean people’s daily lives.

Please carefully follow all instructions below.

The submission of the SOI is the first step in a two-step process.

Applicants must first submit a concise 1-3 pages statement of interest designed to clearly communicate the program idea and objectives.

This is not a full proposal.

The purpose of the SOI process is to allow applicants to submit program ideas for evaluation prior to requiring the development of a full proposal application.

Upon a merit review of eligible SOIs, selected applicants will be invited to expand on their program idea(s) by submitting a full proposal application.

Full proposals will go through a second merit review before a final funding decision are made.

Program Objectives:
PD Seoul invites SOIs for programs that strengthen U.S.-ROK Alliance through various innovative programming that highlights overlap between the IndoPacific Strategy and the Korean New Southern Strategy, shared values, and promotes bilateral cooperation.

All programs must include an American element and be designed to promote increased understanding of U. S. policy and perspectives among important audiences in Korea.

Program Area 1) “Innovative programs” to advance the U.S.-ROK Alliance with priority going to proposals that engage audiences outside of Seoul.

Participants and Audiences:
Participants should reflect the United States government’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility - Key influencers, including but limited to regional media, civil society leaders, and members of regional governments; - Regional/local media consumers (all demographics), reached through traditional and social media platforms; - Youth leaders (ages 18-25) and youth interested in studying in the U.S.; - Alumni of U. S. Government exchange programs; and/or - Alumni of U. S. universities and other higher education institutions (HEIs) Program Area 2) Exchanges between the U. S. and Korea on international human rights, especially gender equity and LGBTQI+ rights , with a preference for programs sending Koreans to the United States.

Participants and Audiences:
Participants should reflect the United States government’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility Key influencers, including but limited to regional media, civil society leaders, religious leaders, and members of regional governments; Emerging leaders across sectors Program Area 3) Programs connecting U. S. and Korean youth leaders in honor of the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and the United States focusing shared democratic values, including the importance of freedom of speech, freedom of information, and healthy debate in diplomacy with priority going to proposals that engage more than 30% of audiences outside of Seoul; Participants and Audiences:
Participants should reflect the United States government’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility - Youth (age 16-18) enrolled in Korean high schools.

- Young adults (age 18-29) enrolled at Korean universities or recently graduated.

- Potential members of affinity groups.

Program Area 4) Programs connecting Korean and U. S. climate activists and environmental leaders to contribute to both countries’ commitment to combatting climate change with priority going to proposals that engage more than 30% of audiences outside of Seoul .

Participants and Audiences:
Participants should reflect the United States government’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility - Key influencers, including but limited to regional media, civil society leaders, and members of regional governments; Emerging leaders in the environmental protection movement Program Area 5) Programs that explores how the U. S. Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS) benefits Korea and even Korean people’s daily lives.

The IPS aligns nicely with the ROKG’s New Southern Policy (NSP), and the foreign policy elite group understands this; however, both the IPS and the NSP can be difficult for non-foreign policy experts to relate to.

The programs are expected to develop a campaign to connect the IPS to regular Korean’s lives.

Participants and Audiences:
Participants should reflect the United States government’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility - The participants who directly involve with the programs as a member of grantee group and implement the programs can be experts of campaigning and/or marketing who are able to target regular Korean as well as non-foreign policy elites with effective deliverance of information and messages via efficient but influential toolkits, either or both virtual or in-person methods.