International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program, Northern Triangle | USDA FAS 10619 0762 10 22 0002

Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FAS 10619 0762 10 22 0002

The International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program (IAEFP), Northern Triangle is a USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) grant opportunity that funds a cooperative agreement to place qualified U.S. agricultural professionals in developing countries to help build or strengthen school-based agricultural education and youth extension systems. The program is authorized under the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-334, Section 3307) and is designed to transfer practical agricultural skills to secondary-school youth while also supporting broader community extension and teacher training. It is explicitly connected to the U.S. youth development models of 4-H and FFA, with the intent of adapting those approaches in partner countries in a way that can be sustained locally. While IAEFP was initially launched in Ghana and Uganda in 2021-2022, this particular solicitation shifts the geographic focus to the Northern Triangle of Central America, prioritizing Guatemala and El Salvador.

At its core, the grant supports an implementing organization that will recruit, train, place, and manage a small cohort of U.S. Fellows (up to nine) for an in-country assignment lasting roughly 8 to 9 months, timed to the host country academic calendar. Fellows must be U.S. citizens with at least a bachelors degree in an agriculture-related field and should ideally bring real-world agricultural experience, including teaching hands-on skills and contributing to curriculum and program development. The selected recipient is expected to run an organized recruitment and selection process for Fellows, and must consult both the National FFA Organization and the National 4-H Council during selections. The recipient must also identify subject-matter expert representatives for the 4-H and FFA selection panel within 30 days after negotiations, and final Fellow selections require USDA concurrence.

The program objectives emphasize experiential learning and practical skill transfer, not just classroom lectures. Competitive proposals are expected to include a mix of classroom instruction, field demonstrations, supervised or applied entrepreneurship projects, and leadership development activities. The solicitation also stresses building the host country ecosystem that makes agricultural education durable: training teachers, supporting community-based extension linkages, and developing 4-H style clubs that can continue once the Fellows depart. Applicants are expected to show that the host government, local authorities, and the agricultural community are receptive and committed, and to explain how local policies and procedures will be incorporated into the work plan so implementation is realistic and sustainable. Sustainability is not treated as a vague aspiration; applicants are asked to show how collaboration with the host government will help build or enhance the national agricultural education curriculum and related support systems.

USDA outlines several priorities that shape what a strong proposal looks like. The recipient should provide a suggested curriculum and training plan for Fellows that is tailored to the host country context and aligned with both USDA priorities and the host countrys agricultural policy, development, and extension goals. Proposals are expected to build on what IAEFP has already achieved, drawing on lessons learned and best practices from similar programs. The work should also incorporate Climate Smart Agriculture concepts, and it should support the broader U.S. goal of strengthening bilateral agricultural trade linkages between the host country and the U.S. In addition, proposals should explain how activities will complement or coordinate with other U.S. Government efforts and USDA programs, including (as applicable) the Borlaug Fellowship Program, Cochran Fellowship Program, Food for Progress, McGovern-Dole Food for Education, Local and Regional Procurement, Peace Corps, USAID, and other U.S. initiatives already operating in-country.

Monitoring, evaluation, and learning are built into the application requirements. Applicants must attach a draft evaluation plan that lays out a full approach to measuring performance and impact. That plan should include clear performance goals, an activity-level results framework, defined indicators with targets for each activity, and a plan for collecting baseline and ongoing program data. This requirement signals that USDA is looking for implementers that can manage to outcomes, document what changes in schools and communities, and provide credible evidence of progress (for example, improvements in student skills, teacher capacity, adoption of new practices, establishment of clubs, or extension linkages).

Because the program places U.S. citizens in field settings for an extended period, safety and security planning is a major expectation rather than a side note. Proposals must demonstrate that security risks have been assessed and must describe concrete measures to protect Fellows. This includes providing safe living accommodations (such as guarded dorms, vetted host families, or secure transportation arrangements) and aligning arrangements with U.S. Embassy Regional Security Officer guidance. Applicants are also expected to include safety, security, and self-defense training as part of orientation. Fellows are typically assigned to specific sites within the country, but they are expected to function as a cohesive cohort, which also supports oversight, peer support, and consistent programming. The award recipient will coordinate closely with the USDA/FAS IAEFP team and, where needed, with FAS overseas staff and U.S. Embassy personnel on placements, partnerships, and security decisions. The solicitation also encourages an active social media presence to document ongoing activities and expects regular implementation updates to USDA/FAS in Washington, D.C. and relevant overseas offices.

In terms of funding structure and competition details, this is a discretionary opportunity using a cooperative agreement, meaning USDA anticipates being actively involved in program oversight and coordination rather than simply issuing a hands-off grant. The opportunity is listed under CFDA (now Assistance Listing) 10.619 and anticipates a single award with an award ceiling of $500,000. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education as well as other eligible organizations as clarified in the full eligibility text. Even though the focus is the Northern Triangle, applicants may submit multiple country-specific applications within the region, and applications for other countries may be submitted but are less likely to be prioritized. Importantly, every proposal must be country-specific and tailored to local realities, including which regions within a country are safe enough for Fellow placement.

Finally, USDA makes several standard but important disclaimers about award decisions. Issuing the solicitation does not guarantee an award, and USDA will not reimburse costs associated with preparing an application. Because security conditions can shift quickly, USDA may decide not to fund proposals for certain countries or may amend agreements as circumstances evolve. The selecting official also retains discretion to select applications out of rank order for strategic reasons such as geographic distribution, inclusion of minority-serving institutions, congressional directives, or other documented priorities, and those determinations are final and not appealable. The original posting details for this opportunity list a creation date of March 8, 2022 and an original closing date of May 16, 2022, under Funding Opportunity Number USDA FAS 10619 0762 10 22 0002.

• The Department of Agriculture, International Agricultural Educ Fellowship 10.619 in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "International Agricultural Education Fellowship Program, Northern Triangle" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.619.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 08, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 16, 2022. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for USDA FAS 10619 0762 10 22 0002

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