Description
The FY 2019 Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program aims to support the administration of approximately 3,000 awards to U.S. undergraduate students with high financial need to participate in credit-bearing study abroad and international internship programs. The program will provide scholarships to enable U.S. citizen undergraduate students of limited financial means to pursue academic studies or internships abroad. The program also encourages American students to study or intern in a diverse array of countries, showcasing America's rich diversity, culture, and values to a wider number of people in countries overseas and building connections and networks between young Americans and their peers around the world. Key responsibilities of the implementing partner include program planning and management, recruitment, outreach and marketing, application screening, selection, and awarding, fiscal management, pre-departure and re-entry support, program monitoring, evaluation, and reporting, and alumni tracking and engagement.
• Program planning and management: The implementing partner will be responsible for creating and implementing an overall timeline for major programmatic activities, developing detailed quarterly timelines, and conducting weekly meetings with ECA program staff.
• Recruitment: The implementing partner will propose a program-specific plan for U.S. recruitment to generate a strong pool of qualified candidates representing the diversity of the United States.
• Outreach and marketing: The implementing partner will present a broad outreach and marketing plan to promote the Gilman Program's purpose, value, and domestic and international impact to a general audience.
• Application screening, selection, and awarding: The implementing partner will establish and maintain an online application system, conduct optional applicant surveys, and plan and submit a transparent, merit-based selection process with clearly identified criteria and a scoring matrix for assessing Gilman applications.
• Fiscal management: The implementing partner will manage award disbursements, track and document award terminations, and report findings to ECA.
• Pre-departure and re-entry support: The implementing partner will contact participants before the program, provide pre-departure materials, and conduct comprehensive virtual pre-departure and re-entry orientations.
• Program monitoring, evaluation, and reporting: The implementing partner will provide a comprehensive participant monitoring strategy, maintain regular communication with Gilman Scholars overseas, and respond to all general inquiries within 24 hours.
• Alumni tracking and engagement: The implementing partner will implement a minimum of two high-quality webinars for Gilman alumni, propose methods to track and analyze webinar usage, and develop and oversee the Gilman Alumni Ambassadors Program.