Curriculum and University Partnerships (CUP)

The Venezuela Affairs Unit (VAU) within the U.S. Department of State is offering a funding opportunity through its Public Diplomacy Section titled the Curriculum and University Partnerships Program (CUP). This initiative aims to support collaborative curriculum development between U.S. and Venezuelan academic institutions. The VAU seeks proposals that build the curriculum development capacity of Venezuelan faculty through online collaborations with U.S. higher education institutions or U.S.-based nonprofit educational organizations. This program supports the VAU’s broader goal of strengthening ties and academic exchange between the two nations, enhancing international collaboration and mutual educational development. The funding opportunity, designated as 2025VE-002(A), provides a total of up to $200,000 in available funding for a single award, contingent upon fund availability. The anticipated performance period is up to 18 months, beginning October 1, 2025. Eligible applicants include accredited U.S. public or private higher education institutions and registered U.S. nonprofit educational organizations with programmatic experience. Proposals are encouraged to include bilingual staff capable of delivering sessions in Spanish, which will be prioritized during the review process. Program objectives include the creation of up to six new curricula at Venezuelan universities, guided through virtual engagement and mentoring, implementation of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) strategies, and facilitation of professional networking. A key component includes an in-person academic workshop in Bogotá, Colombia, involving 12 Venezuelan academics and their U.S. counterparts. The grantee will provide ongoing support for implementation and assessment of the curricula. Applications must address these programmatic goals and deliverables while adhering to guidelines outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. Application materials must be submitted by July 1, 2025, to VAUPublicEngagement@fan.gov with the subject line "CUP NOFO." Required documents include standard federal assistance forms (SF-424, SF-424A, and possibly SF-424B), a 10-page proposal covering project objectives, methods, schedule, monitoring plan, and sustainability, a budget narrative, and attachments such as CVs, letters of support, and potentially a NICRA. Organizations must be registered in SAM.gov with a valid UEI unless granted an exemption. Evaluation of proposals will be based on six main criteria: quality and feasibility of the proposal, organizational capacity, program planning, budget and cost-share considerations, monitoring and evaluation, and sustainability. Cost sharing is encouraged and used as a tie-breaker among equally scored proposals. Selected awardees will be formally notified and required to submit additional compliance and safety protocol documents. Grant administration will follow applicable federal regulations, with payments issued via SF-270 forms. Reporting requirements include financial and programmatic updates throughout the grant period. Certain restrictions apply, such as prohibition of funding for UNRWA or for activities that promote mass migration toward the U.S. border. Applicants must also adhere to all relevant anti-discrimination and foreign funding disclosure laws.

Spanish language capacity will be prioritized Proposals should integrate innovative online strategies and multiple U.S. university partners Detailed and realistic budgeting is important Include monitoring and evaluation strategies with clear output/outcome indicators