Innovation Fund

Overview

<p>The 2019 Innovation Fund Competition for U.S.-Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador Higher Education Partnerships is sponsored by Cementos Progreso and the U.S. Department of State and is designed to stimulate and support up to eight (8) new partnerships of higher education institutions (HEIs) – universities, colleges, community colleges, technical training institutions – between the United States and Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.</p> <p>Teams of HEIs must show in their grant proposals how they would create and implement academic exchange programs that would provide critical access to new training opportunities for more students from the United States, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras to work in teams, solve real-world problems, and create sustainable networks of engaged students and faculty. Proposed program activities should show how students will have more opportunities to work in teams at their home and host institutions, gain technical, linguistic, and cross-cultural skills, and become better prepared for today’s workforce</p> <p>HEI teams must also show how their proposed programs will expand opportunities to students who are traditionally underrepresented in exchange programs. This includes first-generation students, ethnic/cultural minorities, women in STEM fields, students from low-income or rural institutions communities, and students from other underrepresented populations at the partnering institutions.</p> <p>Grant proposals should also describe how HEI teams will involve/include potential partnerships with local organizations (e.g: NGOs, community groups, businesses, etc.) in the U.S. and/or in the eligible Central American communities where students and faculty would carry out proposed Innovation Fund program activities.</p>