The U.S. Department of State and IREX are excited to announce the launch of the 2022 Leveraging Innovations in New Communities LINC Grants program, an exclusive opportunity for Alumni of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.

LINC Grants provide small awards for Fellowship Alumni to pursue professional collaborations within the Fellowship’s Alumni Network.  Grants will support Alumni to travel to each other’s countries or to collaborate virtually on joint projects or learning opportunities.  Grants may also assist with the implementation costs of these collaborations. Examples of LINC collaborations include joint service projects or training, job shadowing or mentoring arrangements, or joint research or teaching.

In light of the global public health crisis, Alumni have the option to conduct their LINC collaborations in in-person, virtual, or hybrid formats.  Fellowship Alumni from all cohort years are eligible to apply for LINC grants of up to $4,000 for in-person collaborations in one partner’s home country or up to $2,700 for virtual or hybrid collaborations. 

Applicants and collaboration activities must be based in Sub-Saharan Africa.  LINC-funded collaborations may not exceed four weeks.

LINC Grants Focus Areas

2022 LINC Grant proposals must address one or more of the following themes:

  • Cultivating Economic Prosperity through Women’s Entrepreneurship 
  • Fostering International Trade through Business Partnerships
  • Advancing Peace through Conflict Prevention and Reconciliation
  • Promoting Access to Quality Education
  • Innovating in Science & Technology
  • Promoting Inclusion through Disability Rights Advocacy

Applications will be evaluated on their relevance to the selected theme; clarity and feasibility of their goals and planned activities; justification for the need to travel (for in-person collaborations); relevance of Alumni’s experience to the proposed collaboration activity; and benefit to the Alumni’s communities, organizations, service initiatives, professional or leadership development, or to the broader Fellowship Network.

Application and Selection Timeline

  • Application Launch | January 19, 2022
  • Application Deadline | February 16, 2022
  • Notification of Award | April – May 2022
  • Grant Period | June 1 – November 30, 2022

How to Apply for LINC Grants

To apply, Alumni are required to:

  • Complete LINC Grant Eligibility Quiz (included in the LINC Grant Application Form) to confirm that your collaboration qualifies for a LINC Grant.
  • Explore the Fellowship Directory to identify possible collaborators.
  • Complete and submit the online application by 11:59 PM EST on February 16, 2022.

Note: LINC Grant applicants are encouraged to take advantage of the Fellowship’s online platforms to identify and connect with prospective collaboration partners.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

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