FY 2026 YSEALI Professional Fellowship

FY 2026 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Professional Fellowship

Agency: Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs

Assistance Listings: 19.415 -- Professional and Cultural Exchange Programs - Citizen Exchanges

Last Updated: April 8, 2026 View version history on Grants.gov

Description

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, through its Office of Citizen Exchanges, invites proposals to design and implement the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Professional Fellowship. The program advances U.S. strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific by developing a network of emerging leaders from Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states who share America’s founding principles of liberty, opportunity, and self-reliance. By promoting free enterprise, open markets, and innovation, the program fosters shared prosperity and supports a secure, free, and open Indo-Pacific.

Through professional fellowships and reciprocal exchanges, YSEALI Professional Fellowship advances U.S. leadership by strengthening commercial ties, promoting regional stability, and supporting peace and security across the Indo-Pacific. Each year two cohorts of approximately 220 participants from Southeast Asia will travel to the United States for five to six weeks of professional and leadership development. Participants, ages 25 to 35, will be placed with U.S. public, private, and nonprofit institutions for customized placements aligned with four strategic themes central to U.S. foreign policy: Economic Prosperity, Strategic Energy and Minerals, Liberty and Freedom, and Peace and Security.

The exchange will culminate in a YSEALI Professional Fellowship Forum in Washington, D.C., where participants will share lessons learned and explore future collaboration. Following each U.S. fellowship, approximately 100 American professionals will travel to Southeast Asia on Reciprocal Exchanges to extend engagement, transfer expertise, and strengthen bilateral partnerships.

Please see the Notice of Funding Opportunity for additional information.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants

Nonprofit

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

Education

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

Miscellaneous

• Other

Additional information

Please see Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Grantor contact information

Description

Davron Mirsagatov

Email

mirsagatovd@state.gov

mirsagatovd@state.gov

Documents

Download all
| File name | Description | Last updated |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FY26YSEALIProfessionalFellowsNOFO_Amended.pdf | FY2026 YSEALI Professional Fellowship NOFO Amended | Apr 8, 2026 10:13 AM UTC |
| performancemonitoringplanmode2.3_02.03.2025-4.docx | ECA Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) (DOCX) | Apr 8, 2026 10:14 AM UTC |
| performancemonitoringplanmode2.3_02.03.2025.pdf | ECA Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) (PDF) | Apr 8, 2026 10:15 AM UTC |

Link to additional information

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Organizational Funding Opportunities

Closing: May 29, 2026

Application process

This site is a work in progress. Go to www.grants.gov to apply, track application status, and subscribe to updates. View on Grants.gov

Award

$--

Program Funding

1

Expected awards

$8,000,000

Award Minimum

$8,000,000

Award Maximum

Funding opportunity number:

DFOP0017815

Cost sharing or matching requirement:

No Funding instrument type:

Cooperative agreement

Opportunity Category:

Discretionary

Opportunity Category Explanation:

-- Category of Funding Activity:

Other

Category Explanation:

Please see Notice of Funding Opportunity

History

Version:

2

Posted date:

April 8, 2026

Archive date:

June 28, 2026