The State Department Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF)

The State Department created the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) in 2011 to support alumni initiatives that promote shared values and innovative solutions to global challenges. The competition provides small grants to teams of past and current participants of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs to carry out public service projects that utilize skills and knowledge they have gained through their exchange experiences. To participate, alumni must be members of the International Exchange Alumni (IEA) global online community and form teams of at least five IEA community members. Proposed projects must embody one of the AEIF themes. In 2013, 53 grants of up $25,000 were awarded to alumni teams to support their public service projects.

The themes for AEIF 2014 are:

• Empowering Women
• Outreach to Underserved Communities
• Entrepreneurship and Youth Employment
• Expanded Access to Education
• Environmental Protection
• Government Transparency
• Freedom of Expression
• Conflict Resolution
• Citizen Security
• Promoting Civil Society

Below you will find the AEIF 2014 Timeline:

• April 1: AEIF Begins
• April 23: Proposals are due by 11:59 EST
• May 6: Finalists are announced, and alumni can log in to vote for their favorite projects
• May 27: Final proposals are due by 11:59 EST
• Late June: AEIF 2014 winners are announced