Program Description.
The Embassy of the United States in Nairobi, Kenya announces an open competition for past participants (“alumni”) of U.S. government-funded and U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs in Kenya to submit applications to the 2025 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF 2025).
We seek proposals from teams of at least two alumni that meet all program eligibility requirements below. Exchange alumni interested in participating in AEIF 2024 should submit proposals to NairobiGrants@state.gov by January 31, 2025, 12:59pm EAT
The 2025 AEIF promotes a post-driven alumni engagement opportunity, offering posts flexibility in collaborating with alumni teams to develop public service-oriented projects that directly support their individual Mission goals and foreign policy objectives.
Program Objectives
AEIF provides alumni of U.S. government-sponsored and facilitated exchange programs with funding to expand on skills gained during their exchange experience to design and implement innovative solutions to global challenges facing their community. Since its inception in 2011, AEIF has funded nearly 500 alumni-led projects around the world through a competitive global competition. This year, AEIF 2025 will support United States’ commitment to (Economic Prosperity, Advancing Democracy, Governance and Civilian Security and Health Cooperation)
The US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya will accept public service projects proposed and managed by teams of at least two (2) alumni that support themes such as:
- Economic Prosperity (i.e., Creative economy, Anti-corruption efforts, Youth Empowerment efforts, food security, social innovation, climate change, poverty reduction, WASH and other related areas).
- Advancing Democracy, Governance and Civilian Security (i.e., violence extremism, human rights, protection, Promoting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, conflict resolution, Peace and Security, Migration, Gender and other related areas will be considered).
- Health Cooperation (i.e., Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, Gender Based Violence, Tele-health, environmental health, climate change, WASH other related areas will be considered).
Proposals must address either of the above themes/pillars. Proposals that do not address the theme as outlined in the program objectives will be deemed ineligible. All project activities must take place outside of the United States and its territories.
Eligibility Information.
- Applicants must be alumni of a U.S. government-funded exchange program (https://alumni.state.gov/list-exchange-programs) or a U.S. government-sponsored exchange program (https://j1visa.state.gov/)
- Projects teams must include teams of at least two (2) alumni.
- Alumni who are U.S. citizens may not submit proposals, but U.S. citizen alumni may participate as team members in a project.
- Alumni teams may be comprised of alumni from different exchange programs and different countries.
- Alumni led non-governmental organizations; Associations, grassroot level organizations, Groups will be considered. Applications must be submitted by exchange alumni. Not-for-profit, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, and academic institutions are not eligible to apply in the name of the organization but can serve as partners for implementing project activities.
Each AEIF project proposal must include the involvement of at least two or more alumni or involve an alumnus and an alumni association. All project activities must take place in Kenya. Only proposals submitted using the official forms will be considered for funding.
More details:
For more information regarding the application process, please address all inquiries to to the following email: NairobiGrants@state.gov
