FY 2026 YSEALI Academic Fellows Program Opportunity

Grants.gov Open Opportunities

Published March 13th, 2026

Detected March 14th, 2026

Summary

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) is seeking proposals for a cooperative agreement to administer the FY 2026 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Academic Fellows Program. This program will fund approximately eight institutes for undergraduate and recent graduate students from Southeast Asia, focusing on themes such as economic prosperity and natural resources.

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What changed

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) has issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for a cooperative agreement to manage the FY 2026 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Academic Fellows Program. The program aims to host approximately 185 undergraduate and recent graduate students from Southeast Asia in eight institutes across four themes: Economic Prosperity, Liberty and Freedom, Natural Resources, and Peace and Security. The award recipient will be responsible for planning and implementing these institutes, which will include academic residencies at U.S. colleges and universities and integrated field experiences.

Eligible applicants include U.S. public and private academic institutions, community colleges, liberal arts colleges, universities, and other non-profit organizations with 501(c)(3) status. Applicants may submit only one proposal. The award is intended for one base year, with potential for two consecutive annual renewals, pending satisfactory performance and funding availability. The deadline for proposal submissions is not explicitly stated in this summary but is implied to be within the FY 2026 timeframe, and further details are available in the full announcement.

What to do next

Review the FY 2026 YSEALI Academic Fellows Program NOFO for eligibility and application requirements.
Submit a single proposal if eligible and interested in administering the program.
Ensure compliance with all stated terms and conditions if awarded the cooperative agreement.

Source document (simplified)

FY 2026 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Academic Fellows Program

Agency: Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs

Assistance Listings: 19.009 -- Academic Exchange Programs - Undergraduate Programs

Last Updated: March 13, 2026 View version history on Grants.gov

Description

The Office of Academic Exchange Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), invites proposal submissions for one cooperative agreement to design, administer, and implement the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Academic Fellows Program (YSEALI AFP).

YSEALI AFP will include approximately eight institutes—four in spring 2027 and four in fall 2027—for approximately 185 undergraduate and recent graduates from Southeast Asia. Each institute will be on one of four themes: Economic Prosperity, Liberty and Freedom, Natural Resources, and Peace and Security.

...

The award recipient will plan, implement, and oversee the eight institutes under the YSEALI themes. Each institute will host approximately 22-24 Fellows from Southeast Asia. Each institute will be approximately five weeks long and will include an approximately four-week academic residency at a U.S. college or university campus. Institutes will also include an approximately one-week integrated academic field experience (that includes time in Washington, DC) at the conclusion of the institute. The award recipient will coordinate with ECA to organize up to two YSEALI Fellows Forums, one in the spring and one in the fall, in Washington, DC, for all Fellows.

Applicants can administer YSEALI AFP fully through subawards or may propose to directly implement up to two institutes (one in spring, one in fall) and administer subawards for the remaining six institutes. No academic institution will be allowed to implement more than two institutes in one calendar year. ECA welcomes applications from U.S. public and private academic and cultural institutions, including community colleges, liberal arts colleges, and public and private universities, and other not-for-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) (see section B. Eligibility). Applicants may submit only one proposal under this competition. If multiple proposals are received from the same applicant, all submissions will be declared ineligible and receive no further consideration in the review process.

It is ECA’s intent to award a cooperative agreement for one base year. Pending satisfactory implementation of this program and the availability of funds in subsequent fiscal years, it is ECA's intent to renew this award for two additional, consecutive fiscal years, before openly competing it again. Please see the Notice of Funding Opportunity for additional information.

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Eligibility

Eligible applicants

Education

Private institutions of higher education
Public and state institutions of higher education

Miscellaneous

Other

Nonprofit

Nonprofits non-higher education with 501(c)(3)

Additional information

Please see full announcement.

Grantor contact information

Description

Sarah McLewin

Email

mclewinsj@state.gov

Documents

Download all
| File name | Description | Last updated |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FY2026YSEALIAFPNOFO.pdf | FY 2026 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Academic Fellows Program NOFO | Mar 13, 2026 03:13 PM UTC |
| FY2026YSEALIAFPPOGI.pdf | FY 2026 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Academic Fellows Program POGI | Mar 13, 2026 03:13 PM UTC |
| performancemonitoringplanmode2.3_02.03.2025-4.docx | ECA Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) (DOCX) | Mar 13, 2026 03:13 PM UTC |
| performancemonitoringplanmode2.3_02.03.2025.pdf | ECA Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) (PDF) | Mar 13, 2026 03:14 PM UTC |