FY2021 U.S. Embassy Tokyo: Alumni Capacity Building

The U.S. Embassy Tokyo’s Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for proposals to engage in the capacity building of U.S. government program alumni, through alumni-driven projects or programs that facilitate alumni leadership development and networks necessary to pursue and protect American interests abroad. Priority Region: Japan Program Objectives: The U.S. government selects incredible individuals to participate in a number of different U.S. government programs. Individuals learn and network with great minds from around the world. During and immediately after programs, participants are often energized to build on what they have learned; however, as time passes, energy dies away and motivation is lost when alumni encounter hurdles to realizing their goals. The Embassy welcomes proposals that address these complex issues. The proposal should detail the specific social issue(s) being addressed, explain the approaches that are being implemented to solve these issues, and highlight its impact, effectiveness, and future sustainability. With a required exchange program, the proposal must also contain an element that focuses on the collaborative efforts between the U.S. and Japan. The Embassy is particularly interested in supporting the following priority areas: - Strengthen U.S. Department of State ties to Japanese citizen alumni by offering benefits which allow them to expand upon their exchange experiences and use the skills they developed abroad to address shared global challenges. - Provide Japanese alumni with information, resources, and networks that will allow them to leverage skills and experiences gained through their exchanges to prosper in a globalized world and marketplace. - Support alumni-driven initiatives that address international issues of common concern and promote mutual understanding between the United States and Japan. - Reinforce existing alumni program identities and build a sense of common identity among past participants of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs. All programs must include an American element, such as a connection with American expert/s, organization/s, or institution/s in a specific field that will promote increased understanding of U.S. policy and perspectives, or discussions by Japanese speakers regarding their experience in the United States. And in order to promote collaboration and alumni network-building, projects should be submitted by teams of at least two alumni, with the “team lead” being a Japanese citizen alumnus/a to Public Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy Tokyo. Project activities should take place in Japan and should multiply the effects of participants’ exchange experience by positively impacting communities in Japan.