2024 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF 2024) | PAS QAT FY24 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAS QAT FY24 001

The 2024 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF 2024) is a competitive grant opportunity run through the U.S. Embassy in Doha that funds projects designed and led by alumni of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs. The purpose of AEIF is to help exchange alumni build on what they learned during their U.S. experience and apply those skills back home by creating practical, innovative responses to real community challenges. The program has operated globally since 2011 and has supported hundreds of alumni-led initiatives worldwide, and the Doha competition is looking for strong, locally grounded projects that also connect alumni to broader regional or international networks.

To be eligible, applicants must be either Qatari citizens or third-country nationals who are based in Qatar, and they must be alumni of a U.S. government-funded or U.S. government-sponsored exchange program (generally those connected to the U.S. Department of State exchange framework). Applications must be submitted by a team of at least two alumni, and teams can mix alumni from different exchange programs and even different countries, as long as the applicants meet the eligibility rules and the project is managed by an alumni team. U.S. citizen alumni are not allowed to submit proposals as applicants, but they may participate as team members. Alumni teams are also allowed to partner with nonprofit organizations, NGOs, think tanks, or academic institutions to carry out activities, and the grant can be awarded either to an individual alumnus/alumna or to a partner organization. If the grant is issued to an individual, there is no requirement for a DUNS number or SAM.gov registration; however, if the grant is issued to an organization, that organization must have a unique entity identifier (UEI/DUNS as referenced in the notice) and an active SAM.gov registration. Each applicant is limited to submitting only one proposal.

AEIF 2024 projects in Qatar must directly address at least one of the Embassy Doha priorities listed in the funding notice, because proposals that do not align with these objectives are considered ineligible. The priority themes are: strengthening alumni networks by bringing together alumni from different programs to increase collaboration regionally and globally; motivating local action on climate change through creative environmental solutions, green energy ideas, or climate adaptation approaches; supporting entrepreneurship, innovation, and STEM in ways that expand economic empowerment for women, youth, and underserved populations; increasing youth participation in civic life through social entrepreneurship, volunteering, and community engagement; and encouraging students to choose the United States for higher education and/or English language learning. All project activities must take place outside of the United States and its territories, which means projects must be implemented in Qatar and/or other non-U.S. locations as allowed by the proposal design.

While the program lists several “priority audiences,” applicants are not strictly limited to them. The audiences the Embassy especially wants to reach include alumni of U.S. exchange programs and U.S. universities, women entrepreneurs, student leaders and emerging young leaders, decision makers and opinion leaders, media outlets and journalists and influencers, and educators such as professors, teachers, trainers, and technical experts. Projects that serve other audiences can still be eligible, but proposals should clearly explain who benefits, why those participants matter to the selected objective(s), and how the activities will reach them effectively. Applicants are also instructed to review the full Notice of Funding Opportunity for a list of activities and cost types that AEIF does not support, because applications that include those ineligible activities or costs may be disqualified during screening.

Funding is provided as a grant, with award amounts ranging from USD 5,000 to USD 35,000, and the Embassy indicates it prefers budgets that stay well below the maximum ceiling when possible. The total funding available for this competition is up to USD 70,000, subject to the availability of funds, and the Embassy anticipates making no more than two awards. Projects can run for a performance period of 3 to 12 months, and the anticipated start date for selected projects is August 1, 2024 (also subject to funding and final approvals).

Applications must be submitted by email to Dohagrants@state.gov by January 15, 2024, and they must use the official AEIF 2024 proposal and budget templates. All materials must be completed in English, budgets must be presented in U.S. dollars, pages should be numbered, and applicants must answer every question in the required application form. A complete submission package includes the appropriate federal forms (SF-424 for organizations or SF-424-I for individuals, SF-424A for the budget, and SF-424B assurances when required), plus the AEIF 2024 application template and the AEIF 2024 budget template with a budget narrative justification. The required forms can be downloaded from the opportunity’s related documents and are also available through the Grants.gov forms repository.

Proposals are reviewed using standard selection criteria focused on both quality and feasibility. The Embassy will assess how well the project fits the program’s theme and objectives, the clarity and strength of the project purpose and implementation plan, and the extent to which alumni are genuinely leading and executing the work (not just listed as names). Reviewers also look at whether the project has meaningful local partners and support, how applicants plan to measure results and demonstrate impact, the strength of the communications/media/outreach plan, and whether the budget is realistic, well-justified, and aligned with the activities. Questions about the application process can be directed to the Embassy’s grants email (DohaGrants@state.gov), and applicants are expected to follow the full announcement closely since noncompliance with formatting, documentation, or eligibility rules can make an application ineligible before it is even scored.

• The U.S. Mission to Qatar in the arts, education, humanities sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2024 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF 2024)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.022.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-11-13.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-01-15. (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 $35,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for PAS QAT FY24 001

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: