Dear alumni,

IREX is pleased to announce the February round of 2005 Alumni Small Grants Competition. Please note that applications are due February 1, 2005.

The ECA Alumni Small Grants Program was piloted by IREX in February 1999. The program is funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and is designed to enable alumni of ECA programs to increase the impact on their home communities by providing funding for individual projects that further the goals of their original programs in the United States. Grants have been awarded to alumni to organize community service projects, publish self-authored books and materials, invite US colleagues to Eurasia for collaborative projects, make research trips within Eurasia, and organize and/or attend regional seminars and conferences. IREX has administered six rounds of the program to date. Alumni of the following ECA-sponsored programs are eligible to apply:

• FSAU Undergraduate Program (FSAU)
• Regional Scholar Exchange Program (RSEP)
• Freedom Support Act Fellowships in Contemporary Issues (CI)
• Russian-US Young Leadership Fellows for Public Service Program (YLF)

Purpose

The purpose of the ECA Alumni Small Grants Program is to further the professional development of ECA alumni. Grants are a maximum of $5,000, and allow alumni to do the following:

• Initiating a public or community service program;
• Launching a pilot program at an nongovernmental organization or academic institution;
• Organizing training programs or conferences for professional colleagues and/or other alumni;
• Funding travel of US colleagues to eligible Eurasian countries for conferences, training programs and professional collaboration;
• Development and publication of curricula, textbooks, or related reference or educational materials;
• Publication of public information pamphlets or brochures; and
• Conducting any other projects judged by the selection committee or ECA to be in the interest of program goals.

The application  (Application.doc Application instructions.doc Budget.xls)

The deadline for submissions is October 1, 2005. All the application materials should be sent to the following address electronically: asgp@irex.org. A copy of the application should also be submitted to your local IREX office.

We encourage you to contact your local IREX office with any questions and to check whether they will be holding an informational workshop for the Alumni Small Grants Program in the near future.

Best wishes,

Cris Martin
Program Officer
Education Programs Division
IREX www.irex.org
2121 K Street, NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20037
TEL: (202) 628-8188 x120
FAX: (202) 628-8189
E-MAIL: cmartin@irex.org

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