OpportunityTitle: 2021 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund
CategoryExplanation: The Embassy of the United States in Nur-Sultan and the Consulate General of the United States in Almaty announces an open competition for past participants (&#8220;alumni&#8221;) of U.S. government-funded and U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs to submit applications to the 2021 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) 2021.   We seek proposals from teams of at least two alumni that meet all program eligibility requirements below.      The Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund provides alumni of U.S. sponsored and facilitated exchange programs with funding to expand on skills gained during their exchange experience to design and implement innovative solutions to global challenges facing their community. Since its inception in 2011, AEIF has funded nearly 500 alumni-led projects around the world through a competitive global competition.
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: The following individuals are eligible to apply:&#9679; Applicants must be alumni of a U.S. Government-funded exchange program (https://alumni.state.gov/list-exchange-programs) or a U.S. government-sponsored exchange program (https://j1visa.state.gov/). &#9679; Projects teams must include teams of at least two (2) alumni, however, only one individual may be awarded with a Federal Award.&#9679; Alumni who are U.S. citizens may not submit proposals, but U.S. citizen alumni may participate as team members in a project.&#9679; Alumni teams may be comprised of alumni from different exchange programs and different countries. &#9679; Applications can be submitted by exchange alumni or alumni led not-for-profit, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, and academic institutions
Description: This funding opportunity seeks to contribute to addressing the mental health epidemic in Kazakhstan through leveraging the expertise and insight within the USG alumni network. While the project should aim to support its direct target beneficiaries, it should lay the roadmap for scaling the use of effective educational, methodological, and capacity-building approaches to addressing mental health issues among at-risk populations in Kazakhstan beyond its direct participant audiences. Moreover, the project should aim to contribute to breaking the stigma around mental health issues and promote a culture supportive of mental wellbeing and resilience. Project Goal: To increase awareness of mental health issues and promote a healthy and resilient lifestyle, thereby reducing the repercussions of poor mental health on Kazakhstani society. Using American best practices to identify the causes, resiliency techniques, and symptoms of mental health issues is encouraged. Project Audience(s): Possible audiences include, but are not limited to Men, Youth, Parents and General Public, Mental Health Professionals, First Responders, Law Enforcement, Domestic Violence and Trafficking Victims, Civil Society, NGOs. Project Objectives: Project objectives will vary among submitted proposals, but should reflect the Project Goal outlined above and clearly state projected outcomes in terms of the number of beneficiaries, types of deliverables, long-term impact and the timeline. Objectives: Projects may support one or more of the following objectives: Objective 1: Increase in public understanding of mental health issues, capacity to recognize its signs and acquire effective strategies for providing timely help; Objective 2: Increase in public understanding of resources, methods, and tools that promote mental health and resiliency, especially among at-risk audiences; highlighting/utilizing/relying on American best practices to promote mental health. Objective 3: Reduced stigma and harmful myths around mental health and treatment for mental health issues in Kazakhstan.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: Akhmetovar@state.gov
GrantorContactText: Raushan Akhmetova  &lt;br/&gt;Alumni Coordinator &lt;br/&gt;Akhmetovar@state.gov