U.S. Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, BOLD Academic Fellowships Program

Overview

The United States Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), through the Office of Public Diplomacy Section (PDS), is pleased to announce a Notice of Funding Opportunity to design and implement the BOLD Academic Fellowships Program. 

Applicants may propose to design and implement the following: 

• Option A: The BOLD Academic Fellowship on civic engagement, which includes one Institute (exchange), or
• Option B: The BOLD Academic Fellowship on economic development, which includes one Institute (exchange), or
• Option C:  Two BOLD Academic Fellowships, either simultaneously or asynchronously. One on civic engagement and one on economic development. 

 
Applicants may submit only one proposal for either Option A, B, or C. 

Mandatory components:

1. Each institute should be organized for at least 13 undergraduate students, aged 18-25, from communities in BiH to reflect the country’s diversity and administrative divisions, for a total minimum of 26 participants in two institutes.  
2. Each Institute should be approximately five weeks in duration, including an academic residency at an academic institution and a significant component of experiential learning in the community or in another location.  Ideally, each institute should incorporate a homestay experience as part of the program.
3. The academic program in the U.S. should include group discussions, experiential learning activities, and exercises that focus on the theme and include aspects of leadership, teambuilding, collective problem-solving skills, effective communication, appreciation of diversity, and management skills.  Therefore, participants should gain both theoretical knowledge and practical skills.  
4. The experiential learning component should include substantive and participatory activities in a community that pertain directly to the theme of the institute and bolster the skills and experience for students to implement their follow-on projects.  Particular focus should be given to the integration of not-for-profit organizations and businesses in the community and their impact.  
5. Institutes should ensure a balance of speakers and perspectives throughout the program schedule, representing diverse U.S. political viewpoints, as well as other aspects of diversity. Institutes should foster PDS’s mission to promote mutual understanding between citizens of other countries and citizens of the United States.  Thus, the programs should include robust opportunities for participants to meet Americans from a variety of backgrounds, to interact with their U.S. peers, and to speak to appropriate student and civic groups about their experiences and life in their home countries.  
6. The programs should include requirements of continued follow-on engagement and project implementation that build on the five-week engagement once participants return home.  
7. In addition to developing participants’ leadership skills, the program should provide participants with an in-depth examination of one of the themes outlined below.  

Institute Themes: 

a)    The BOLD Academic Fellowship on Civic Engagement should introduce participants to the concept of civic engagement in the United States as a means of improving communities and the institutions and services of government and provide them with the skills to implement projects as civic leaders themselves.  

b)    The BOLD Academic Fellowship on Entrepreneurship, Youth Employment and Economic Development should provide participants with an overview of entrepreneurial approaches by introducing challenges and successes of U.S. entrepreneurial models, including social enterprises, business leadership and women’s economic empowerment.

• One organization may submit only one proposal to this NOFO.  
• Applicants must demonstrate an ability to work in all parts of BiH, whether independently or in cooperation with a partner organization.

• Length of Performance Period: 16 months
• Number of Awards Anticipated: Up to 2 
• Anticipated Award Date: July 2023
• Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement
• All activities should last for a maximum of 16 months and take place between September 2023 and December 2024.