Opportunity Information: Apply for DFOP0018335
The FY 2026 Strengthening Talent, Research, Innovation and Vital Engagement (STRIVE) Program is a U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) funding opportunity designed to expand and sharpen the role U.S. higher education plays in advancing U.S. economic prosperity and national security. Building on earlier ECA work under the IDEAS Program, STRIVE focuses on helping more U.S. colleges and universities build durable international partnerships and create practical overseas learning pathways that give U.S. undergraduate and graduate students the skills, experience, and professional networks needed for careers in sectors considered critical to U.S. competitiveness and security.
At its core, STRIVE aims to strengthen U.S. global leadership in higher education by increasing the number of U.S. institutions that actively partner overseas in ways that align academic innovation with U.S. priorities and reduce the space for malign influence by other actors in foreign higher education systems. The program also seeks to increase the number of U.S. students who go abroad for structured, career-relevant experiences such as credit-bearing study, internships, apprenticeships, and research placements. A related emphasis is to broaden and refine where students go by increasing participation in strategic locations, based on the idea that sustained interaction between U.S. students and foreign publics can deepen long-term diplomatic, security, economic, and trade relationships while also exposing students to international professional norms, business practices, and cross-cultural collaboration.
This opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning the selected recipient will work closely with ECA during implementation. Only one award is expected, with an award ceiling of $2,000,000, and applications are due by June 10, 2026. The successful applicant is essentially expected to function as a program operator and hub that distributes resources, runs competitions, convenes stakeholders, and provides oversight and technical support to participating institutions.
The work under the award has two main components. First, the recipient must run at least one open, merit-based small grants competition that results in at least 25 subawards to accredited U.S. colleges and universities. These subawards are intended to help institutions design or expand international academic programs that place U.S. students abroad in experiences directly connected to U.S. workforce needs in priority industries. The overseas activities can be study abroad, internships, apprenticeships, and/or research abroad, and they may serve undergraduate students, graduate students, or both. The notice also signals a preference for operational efficiency, encouraging the prime recipient to minimize overhead so the maximum possible share of funds flows to the subawards. Beyond awarding funds, the prime recipient is responsible for monitoring subawardees, supporting them as they implement activities, and helping them build longer-term institutional capacity to sustain international programming aligned with U.S. economic and security priorities.
Second, the recipient must implement a Higher Education Partnerships Initiative that creates a coherent set of engagements to catalyze new or deeper partnerships between U.S. and international higher education institutions. The goal of these engagements is to generate concrete exchange opportunities such as study, internship, apprenticeship, and research placements tied to one or more fields critical to U.S. commercial and security interests. The exact field or fields will be selected in consultation with ECA, but the announcement highlights examples such as artificial intelligence and supercomputing, critical minerals, emerging technologies and innovations, and energy. This initiative must include seminars that may be virtual and/or in person and that are open to a broad range of U.S. and foreign institutions. It must also include an in-person forum held alongside a major industry conference, convening roughly 40 total U.S. and foreign higher education leaders to explore and form partnership opportunities that can translate into real student mobility and collaborative programming.
Eligible applicants for the prime award include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations (other than institutions of higher education), as well as other entities as specified in the full announcement. The program is listed under CFDA number 19.009, falls under a discretionary opportunity category, and is administered by ECA. The overall design makes clear that STRIVE is not just about increasing study abroad participation in general; it is specifically about scaling overseas academic and work-based experiences that strengthen the U.S. talent pipeline for strategically important industries, expand U.S.-aligned institutional partnerships abroad, and place students in locations and fields that support long-term U.S. prosperity and security objectives.Apply for DFOP0018335
- The Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2026 Strengthening Talent, Research, Innovation and Vital Engagement (STRIVE) Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.009.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-05-12.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-06-10. (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 $2,000,000.00 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.
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FY 2026 STRIVE Program (ECA) - Frequently Asked Questions
1) What is the FY 2026 STRIVE Program?
The Strengthening Talent, Research, Innovation and Vital Engagement (STRIVE) Program is a U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) funding opportunity designed to expand and sharpen the role U.S. higher education plays in advancing U.S. economic prosperity and national security.
2) What is STRIVE trying to accomplish overall?
STRIVE aims to strengthen U.S. global leadership in higher education by increasing durable international partnerships and creating practical overseas learning pathways. It emphasizes career-relevant, structured international experiences that help U.S. students gain skills, experience, and professional networks for careers in sectors considered critical to U.S. competitiveness and security.
3) How does STRIVE relate to the IDEAS Program?
STRIVE builds on earlier ECA work under the IDEAS Program. The opportunity description positions STRIVE as an expansion and refinement of that prior work, with a stronger emphasis on durable partnerships and career-relevant pathways tied to U.S. economic and national security priorities.
4) What types of student experiences does STRIVE support?
STRIVE focuses on structured, career-relevant overseas experiences such as credit-bearing study abroad, internships, apprenticeships, and research placements. These experiences may serve U.S. undergraduate students, graduate students, or both.
5) Is STRIVE meant to increase study abroad in general?
No. The program description makes clear STRIVE is not just about increasing study abroad participation broadly. It is specifically about scaling overseas academic and work-based experiences that strengthen the U.S. talent pipeline for strategically important industries, expand U.S.-aligned institutional partnerships abroad, and place students in locations and fields that support long-term U.S. prosperity and security objectives.
6) Why does STRIVE emphasize specific sectors and locations?
The program is designed around the idea that sustained interaction between U.S. students and foreign publics can deepen long-term diplomatic, security, economic, and trade relationships. It also aims to expose students to international professional norms, business practices, and cross-cultural collaboration, particularly in strategic locations and in fields tied to U.S. competitiveness and security.
7) What is the funding mechanism for this opportunity?
This opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning the selected recipient will work closely with ECA during implementation.
8) How many awards will be made?
Only one award is expected.
9) What is the award ceiling (maximum funding amount)?
The award ceiling is $2,000,000.
10) When are applications due?
Applications are due by June 10, 2026.
11) Who is expected to carry out the work under the award?
The successful applicant is expected to function as a program operator and hub. This includes distributing resources, running competitions, convening stakeholders, and providing oversight and technical support to participating institutions.
12) What are the two main components of STRIVE?
The work has two primary components: (1) a small grants competition that results in subawards to accredited U.S. colleges and universities, and (2) a Higher Education Partnerships Initiative that catalyzes new or deeper partnerships between U.S. and international higher education institutions.
13) What is required under the small grants competition component?
The recipient must run at least one open, merit-based small grants competition that results in at least 25 subawards to accredited U.S. colleges and universities.
14) Who can receive the subawards?
The subawards are intended for accredited U.S. colleges and universities.
15) What are subawards intended to support?
Subawards are intended to help institutions design or expand international academic programs that place U.S. students abroad in experiences directly connected to U.S. workforce needs in priority industries.
16) What types of overseas activities can subawards support?
The overseas activities can include study abroad, internships, apprenticeships, and/or research abroad.
17) Are both undergraduate and graduate students eligible to be served by subaward activities?
Yes. The described overseas activities may serve undergraduate students, graduate students, or both.
18) What is the expectation regarding overhead and operational efficiency?
The notice signals a preference for operational efficiency and encourages the prime recipient to minimize overhead so the maximum possible share of funds flows to the subawards.
19) What responsibilities does the prime recipient have after making subawards?
Beyond awarding funds, the prime recipient is responsible for monitoring subawardees, supporting them as they implement activities, and helping them build longer-term institutional capacity to sustain international programming aligned with U.S. economic and security priorities.
20) What is the Higher Education Partnerships Initiative?
It is a required STRIVE component intended to create a coherent set of engagements that catalyze new or deeper partnerships between U.S. and international higher education institutions, with the goal of generating concrete exchange opportunities such as study, internship, apprenticeship, and research placements.
21) What is the end goal of the Partnerships Initiative engagements?
The goal is to translate institutional engagement into concrete exchange opportunities tied to one or more fields critical to U.S. commercial and security interests.
22) How are the initiative's priority field(s) determined?
The exact field or fields will be selected in consultation with ECA.
23) What fields does the announcement highlight as examples of priority areas?
Examples highlighted include artificial intelligence and supercomputing, critical minerals, emerging technologies and innovations, and energy.
24) What kinds of events must the Partnerships Initiative include?
The initiative must include seminars that may be virtual and/or in person and that are open to a broad range of U.S. and foreign institutions.
25) Is there a required in-person convening?
Yes. The initiative must include an in-person forum held alongside a major industry conference.
26) Who is expected to participate in the in-person forum?
The forum is expected to convene roughly 40 total U.S. and foreign higher education leaders to explore and form partnership opportunities.
27) What is the intended outcome of the in-person forum?
The forum is intended to help explore and form partnership opportunities that can translate into real student mobility and collaborative programming.
28) Who is eligible to apply as the prime recipient?
Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations (other than institutions of higher education), as well as other entities as specified in the full announcement.
29) Which federal agency administers STRIVE?
The program is administered by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA).
30) What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The program is listed under CFDA number 19.009.
31) What type of opportunity category is this?
It falls under a discretionary opportunity category.
32) How does STRIVE connect to U.S. national security and competitiveness goals?
STRIVE is designed to align academic innovation and international partnerships with U.S. priorities, strengthen the U.S. talent pipeline for priority industries, and reduce the space for malign influence by other actors in foreign higher education systems.
33) What does it mean that the awardee will work closely with ECA?
Because it is a cooperative agreement, ECA is expected to have substantial involvement during implementation, with the awardee coordinating closely with ECA while operating the program and its required components.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Other
Previous opportunity: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Comprehensive Centers Program: National Comprehensive Center on Improving Literacy for Students with Disabilities; ALN 84.283D
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