IDEAS Program

Program Description

The IDEAS Program is designed to increase and broaden American student mobility in support of U.S. foreign policy goals through a grant competition and workshops.

The IDEAS Program strengthens international higher education partnerships and programs that prepare U.S. undergraduate students to contribute to fields critical to U.S. national security and economic prosperity. The program provides small grants, trainings, and resources to higher education institutions to increase their capacity to administer international programs for U.S. students in fields such as entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation. The IDEAS Program increases the number of U.S. students gaining international experiences and broadens the destinations overseas where U.S. students study abroad, particularly to strategic locations where American engagement matters.

Since its inception in 2016, the program has provided more than 215 small grants to U.S. higher education institutions in 47 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, to develop programs and partnerships with higher education institutions in nearly 100 countries. The IDEAS Program enables higher education institutions across the United States to develop and administer international programming that promotes individual growth, contributes to career readiness, and supports American competitiveness, national security interests, and engagement with the world. The program also provides virtual and in-person capacity-building initiatives to expand U.S. study abroad programs, including to destinations overseas where American engagement is critical.