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Alumni Grant Opportunity

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Global Teacher Grants provide teacher exchange alumni from around the world with resources to serve their classrooms, schools, and communities.

What are the Global Teacher Grants? 

Global Teacher Grants are sponsored annually by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX. These grants offer opportunities for alumni of Teacher Exchanges to catalyze their efforts as teacher leaders, develop professionally, and affect positive change in their schools and communities.  

Recipients of Global Teacher Grants use the funding, in addition to the resources, skills, and networks that they acquired during their exchanges, to benefit their students, colleagues, administrators, and communities.  

How much funding is available? 

Individual applicants may apply for up to $3,000 USD. Alumni collaborating on a project proposal may apply for up to $5,000 USD.  

Who is eligible? 

Applicants must currently work in primary or secondary education and be alumni in good standing of one of the following programs:

  • Fulbright Classroom Teacher Exchanges Program
  • Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program for International Teachers
  • Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Research Program
  • Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Short-Term Program
  • Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools Program
  • Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program
  • Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program
  • International Leaders in Education Program
  • Teachers for Global Classrooms Program
  • Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program

What makes a strong application?

Global Teacher Grant applications should propose projects that address a clear and concise educational need within a school and/or community. Projects do not need to focus on the classroom exclusively. Strong applications will include a detailed budget, attainable goals, a logical workplan to achieve those goals, avenues of collaboration with other project stakeholders, and a plan to continue the project once funding ends.

Preference will be given to projects that meet U.S. Department of State foreign policy objectives. These include but are not limited to climate and environmental protection; peacebuilding and conflict resolution; COVID-19 recovery; cyber issues; energy; global health; women’s issues; human rights and democracy; refugee and humanitarian assistance; and science, technology, and innovation.

Proposals that advocate for investments in international travel or technology should make compelling cases for the broad impact of such expenditures and, where appropriate, detail plans for sustaining the impact of those investments.

Examples of past projects can be found on the Fulbright Teacher Exchanges website:

Winners of the 2021 – 2022 Global Teacher Grants Competition

2022 – 2023 Timeline 

October 17, 2022................Global Teacher Grant applications open  

November 28, 2022............Applications due by 11:59 PM EST

January 2023......................Notifications sent  

January – July 2023..........Project implementation period

More Information 

Alumni of teacher exchanges can find more information and application materials on the Teacher Exchange Alumni Portal

Contact IREX with any questions: TeacherAlumni@irex.org. 

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