Understanding U.S. Foreign Policy and U.S.-India Relations | NIO NOFO 21 100

Opportunity Information: Apply for NIO NOFO 21 100

The grant opportunity "Understanding U.S. Foreign Policy and U.S.-India Relations" (Funding Opportunity Number: NIO NOFO 21 100) is a discretionary U.S. Mission to India program designed to strengthen knowledge of U.S. foreign policy and the U.S.-India relationship among university students in North India. The core idea is to reach at least 100 students by delivering a Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) that introduces or deepens academic engagement with American Studies and bilateral relations, an area the announcement notes is still relatively underdeveloped in many Indian universities and think tanks despite the rapid growth of U.S.-India cooperation in trade, education, and defense.

The project is structured around both course delivery and longer-term access to learning materials. The selected grantee is expected to finalize the MOOC content in consultation with the North India Office (NIO) and at least one faculty advisor in each target state or territory. After the course is finalized, the grantee must administer it to a geographically distributed cohort: at least 15 students each from Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. This distribution requirement is meant to ensure the program is not concentrated in one institution or city, and that students across multiple North Indian jurisdictions benefit from the same structured exposure to U.S. policy and U.S.-India ties.

Beyond running the course, the grant places strong emphasis on sustainability and public access. The grantee must create an online platform or website where the MOOC can remain available for future interested learners after the initial cohort completes it. The website is also expected to host the final student essays produced during the MOOC on themes related to U.S.-India ties, turning student work into shareable outputs that can support broader awareness and discussion. Importantly, the grantee must maintain this platform for at least two years as an ongoing hub for exchanging resources and ideas connected to American Studies and U.S.-India relations, indicating the program is meant to seed a continuing academic community rather than operate as a one-time training event.

The opportunity frames its rationale in the context of the expanding U.S.-India partnership, described as a major 21st-century relationship, while pointing out that formal academic infrastructure for studying the United States in India remains limited. It references a foundational resource produced by the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section in 2010: a handbook on curriculum and pedagogy for running a multidisciplinary American Studies program, developed through regional workshops with American Studies academics across India. Applicants and implementers are encouraged to draw on this existing guidance as they shape course content and teaching approaches.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a grant (Funding Instrument Type: Grant) under an education activity category, listed with CFDA number 19.040. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and U.S.-recognized nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education). The award ceiling is $85,000, and the original closing date listed in the announcement is May 9, 2021, with the opportunity created on March 15, 2021. Overall, the funding supports a specific mix of outcomes: measurable student participation across multiple North Indian states, a completed and delivered MOOC built with local academic consultation, and a maintained online home for course materials and student scholarship that keeps the conversation on U.S. foreign policy and U.S.-India relations active for at least two years.

• The U.S. Mission to India in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Understanding U.S. Foreign Policy and U.S.-India Relations" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-03-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-05-09. (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 $85,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

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