For Immediate Release
Contact:
Taylor Nelson
tnelson@partners.net
(202) 637-6206
New 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund Grant Competition Opens Today With Support from MetLife Foundation
Los Angeles, CA. May 28, 2017: The U.S. Department of State, Partners of the Americas, and NAFSA: Association of International Educators announced the launch of a new 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund grant competition, thanks to the generous support of MetLife Foundation.
Innovation Fund grants fuel strategic new university partnerships to increase student exchange and training programs between the Americas. Through a dynamic collaboration between the U.S. government, private sector, nonprofits, and foundations, the Innovation Fund is building a hemisphere of students ready to compete and thrive in the 21st century workforce.
This Innovation Fund grant competition will award up to eight new partnerships between universities in the U.S., Mexico, Chile, Argentina and Colombia. Special emphasis will be placed on supporting partnerships that increase study abroad opportunities for economically disadvantaged and other populations who traditionally lack access to study abroad programs. Innovation Fund grants are $25,000 each, and grant-winning university teams must commit additional resources to leverage the award. Faculty and administrators from eligible countries are encouraged to apply. The deadline for application is August 31, 2017.
About the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund
The Innovation Fund is the public-private sector collaboration between the U.S. Department of State, Partners of the Americas, NAFSA: Association of International Educators, corporations, foundations, regional governments, and Embassies working together to inspire U.S. universities and colleges to team up with universities and technical education institutions in the Western Hemisphere to create student exchange and training opportunities. Innovation Fund grants build institutional capacity, increase student mobility, stimulate regional education cooperation, and contribute to workforce development. Since its inception in January 2014, the Innovation Fund has awarded 118 grants to teams of 235 higher education institutions from 25 countries in the Western Hemisphere region. Innovation Fund grant-winning partnerships increase student exchange opportunities and strengthen connectivity between higher education networks throughout the Americas.
Learn more: www.100kStrongAmericas.org
Follow the Innovation Fund on Twitter and Facebook via #100KStrongAmericas
The mission of Partners of the Americas is to connect people and organizations across borders to serve and to change lives through lasting partnerships. These partnerships create opportunity, foster understanding, and solve real-life problems. Inspired by President Kennedy and founded in 1964 under the Alliance for Progress, Partners is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization with international offices in Washington, DC. Learn more at www.partners.net or via Twitter @partnersamerica.
With nearly 10,000 members, NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the world’s largest nonprofit professional association dedicated to international education. Learn more at www.nafsa.org and www.connectingourworld.org and on Twitter at @NAFSA and @ConnectOurWorld.
About MetLife Foundation
MetLife Foundation was created in 1976 to continue MetLife’s long tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. Since its founding through the end of 2016, MetLife Foundation has provided more than $744 million in grants and $70 million in program-related investments to organizations addressing issues that have a positive impact in their communities. Today, the Foundation is dedicated to advancing financial inclusion, committing $200 million to help build a secure future for individuals and communities around the world. To learn more about MetLife Foundation, visit www.metlife.org.