FY 2026 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Professional Fellowship
Closed Posted
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- Opportunity number
- DFOP0017815
- Agency
-
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
Department of State
- Applications due
- Award size
- $8,000,000
Opportunity facts
- Assistance listings
- Funding instrument
- Cooperative Agreement
- Category
-
- Other
- Eligible applicants
-
- Higher Education Inst. (Public)
- 501(c)(3) Nonprofits
- Higher Education Inst. (Private)
- Points of contact
-
- Davron Mirsagatov mirsagatovd@state.gov (202) 632-2718
- Full announcement
Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs seeks qualified applicants to design and implement the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Professional Fellowship, a cooperative agreement opportunity focused on international exchange programming that advances U.S. strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific. Eligible applicants include U.S. not-for-profit organizations, think tanks, civil society organizations, and public or private educational institutions with demonstrated capacity to manage international exchange programs. The program requires applicants to recruit and place approximately 220 Southeast Asian emerging leaders aged 25-35 in five-to-six-week professional fellowships with U.S. public, private, and nonprofit institutions, coordinate reciprocal exchanges for approximately 100 American professionals to Southeast Asia, conduct comprehensive virtual pre-departure orientations and arrival programming, facilitate four-week fellowship placements aligned with four strategic themes (Economic Prosperity, Strategic Energy and Minerals, Liberty and Freedom, and Peace and Security), organize a YSEALI Professional Fellowship Forum in Washington D.C., and manage mentoring and alumni engagement programs including in-person regional workshops. Evaluation will assess applicant capacity for nationwide fellowship placements, experience with international exchange programming, coordination with U.S. embassies, and ability to implement comprehensive performance monitoring using the MODE Framework. The application deadline is April 20, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, with an anticipated award date of September 15, 2026.
The amended solicitation provides approximately $8,000,000 in total funding for a 30-month program period beginning September 15, 2026, supporting approximately 320 total international and reciprocal participants organized into two annual cohorts. The program encompasses recruitment and selection, leadership development curriculum, eight thematic institutes, an integrated arrival orientation and professional study tour, four-week fellowship placements, a Washington D.C.-based Fellows Forum with U.S. Congress engagement and at least 10 U.S. host participation, reciprocal exchanges of at least one week duration, and up to five in-person regional alumni accelerator workshops across ASEAN member states. Organizations without four years of international exchange program experience face funding limitations of $130,000, and no cost sharing is required. Performance will occur across the United States and Southeast Asia, with international air travel subject to Fly America Act compliance and per diem rates conforming to federal and State Department guidelines.
Synopsis
3 versions
Update #3 · Latest ·
This NOFO has been amended. The funding level has been increased to approximately $8,000,000 and some programmatic changes have been made to the NOFO. Please see the NOFO for additional details. Changes are highlighted in yellow throughout and listed in the Executive Summary. -
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 PFP 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 144 Fellows 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 fellowships 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 Fellows Forum in Washington, D.C., where participants will share lessons learned and explore future collaboration. Following each U.S. fellowship, approximately 72 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.
Update #2 ·
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 PFP 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 144 Fellows 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 fellowships 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 Fellows Forum in Washington, D.C., where participants will share lessons learned and explore future collaboration. Following each U.S. fellowship, approximately 72 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.
Update #1 ·
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 PFP 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 144 Fellows 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 fellowships 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 Fellows Forum in Washington, D.C., where participants will share lessons learned and explore future collaboration. Following each U.S. fellowship, approximately 72 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.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| performance_monitoring_plan_mode_2.3_02.03.2025.pdf | ||
| performance_monitoring_plan_mode_2.3_02.03.2025-4.docx | DOCX document | |
| FY26 YSEALI Professional Fellows NOFO Amended.pdf | ||
| FY26 YSEALI PF NOFO.pdf |
Posting history
| Listing | Posted | Applications due |
|---|---|---|
| Opportunity | ||
| Opportunity |
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