Curriculum and University Partnerships (CUP)

Curriculum and University Partnership (CUP)

A. Basic Information

1. Overview

Funding Opportunity Title Curriculum and University Partnerships (CUP)

Funding Opportunity Number 2025VE-002A

Announcement Type Initial Announcement

Deadline for Applications July 1, 2025

Assistance Listing Number 19.040 – Public Diplomacy Programs

Length of performance period Up to 18 months

Number of awards anticipated 1 award (dependent on amounts)

Award amounts Up to $200,000 USD

Total available funding Up to $200,000 USD, pending availability of funds

Type of Funding FY25 Smith Mundt Public Diplomacy Funds

Anticipated project start date October 1, 2025

Funding Instrument Type: Grant

Project Performance Period: Project should be completed in 18 months or less

Priority Region: Venezuela

This notice is subject to the availability of funding.

2. Executive Summary

The Public Diplomacy section of the Venezuela Affairs Unit announces an open

competition for U.S. Institutes of Higher Education (HEIs) or U.S. not-for-profit

organizations to submit applications for the Curriculum and University Partnerships

(CUP).

We seek proposals that build the curriculum development capacity of faculty at

Venezuelan academic institutions through collaborative online curriculum-design

partnerships that cultivate university partnerships between these institutions and their

U.S. counterparts. Proposals should be submitted to

VAUPublicEngagement@fan.gov by July 1, 2025.

B. Eligibility

1. Eligible Applicants

The following U.S. organizations are eligible to apply:

● Accredited U.S. public and/or private higher education institutions (consortia

applications are eligible).

● Registered U.S. non-profit educational institutions and/or organizations with

programming experience.

NOTE: Proposals that include Spanish-speaking staff and the ability to conduct

sessions in Spanish will be prioritized.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing is anticipated. Proposals that include cost-sharing will be assigned

additional review points that will be used to break ties among applications with

equivalent scores after evaluation against all other factors.

3. Other Eligibility Requirements

All organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) issued via SAM.gov as well

as a valid registration in SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 for more information.

Individuals are not required to have a UEI or be registered in SAM.gov.

C. Program Description

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

This program will focus on building collaborative curriculum development opportunities

at Venezuelan universities, building curriculum design capacity; connecting Venezuelan

academics with their U.S. counterparts and catalyzing university partnerships.

This program supports the VAU’s higher education engagement goals to expand

partnerships between U.S. and Venezuelan higher education institutions. This

approach acknowledges that fortifying existing links and promoting new U.S.-

Venezuelan partnerships at the university level will make the United States safer,

stronger, and more prosperous.

We seek proposals that will utilize COIL 1 and other online collaboration tools to develop

up to six new curricula projects at Venezuelan universities and establish the building

blocks of international partnerships among program participants and their U.S.

counterparts.

1 COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) refers to "online learning in an international

setting, with interactive involvement of students and faculty from different international and intercultural

backgrounds in and outside the classroom" (Leask, 2020:188). Benefits of COIL: International studies

show that COIL has a relevant impact on the personal and academic development of participants and that

it is valued by various stakeholders, including teachers, students, and employers. In addition, the

involvement in COIL projects enables teachers to: establish or strengthen international partnerships,

integrate innovative and challenging practices into their courses, convey an international dimension to

learning, collaborate with peers, increase class dynamism, and improve student interest and satisfaction

rates. (https://collab-edu.com/hub/coil/p/whatiscoil)

Theory of Change: If universities in Venezuela increase their ability to collaborate and enhance

their curriculum development capacity; and if these universities develop a campus-wide culture

of international collaboration, then Venezuela will be better positioned to build comprehensive

university partnerships with U.S. counterparts.

Key Deliverables: The 18-month CUP grant seeks to accomplish the program’s goals

through the following deliverables:

Online Engagement and Mentoring Sessions on the main components of a

successful university curriculum development process, including (but not limited

to), 1) Needs Assessment; 2) Goal Setting; 3) Curriculum Design; 4)

Implementation; and 5) Evaluation/Revision (as needed). In addition, these

online sessions should include a wide range of topics that focus on how to foster

a culture of learning and international collaboration, including:

● Value and importance of integrated and multi-disciplinary teaching and

learning, including leadership support for a campus-wide strategic vision;

● Case studies of successful U.S. university curriculum development and

implementation initiatives that led to achieving international standards,

improved student outcomes and institutionalized support;

● International education and partnership strategies;

● Additional topics could include curricula review strategies,

student/faculty/administration stakeholder engagement; private-

sector/practitioner integrations, critical thinking/problem-solving

capacities; and

● Other key areas that support this effort.

International Partnership Facilitation/Professional Networking Activities

that support new academic collaborations and university partnerships (or

enhance existing partnerships) between Venezuelan academic leaders and their

U.S. counterparts. The grantee will recruit and introduce potential U.S.

university counterparts to facilitate these curriculum partnerships. This will

include working with the Venezuelan participants to shape and design their

curriculum projects and develop their initial partnership strategies.

NOTE: Proposals that present a broad group of U.S. universities and

innovative/creative online networking strategies efforts will be prioritized.

Curriculum Design through COIL will be implemented and mentored by the

grantee through online support, regular consultations, and other professional

oversight as appropriate.

In-Person Curriculum Workshop for up to 12 Venezuelan university academics

and administrators from six Venezuelan universities and six U.S. counterparts.

The grantee will organize a Colombia-based academic conference to build on the

online capacity-building sessions and physically bring together international

partners for each of the six curriculum projects. The workshop can include travel

and participation costs for U.S. experts and collaborative partners to travel to

Bogota, Colombia, for this program.

Implementation and Assessment support for program participants to guide the

implementation of these curricula projects and the assessment and revision

process as necessary.

NOTE: Spanish language capacity is not required, however, proposals that include

key staff with bilingual capacities (Spanish/English) will be prioritized.

Program Participants in partnership with the VAU Public Diplomacy section and local educational

counterparts, the program will engage up to 12 academics and/or administrators (living

and working in Venezuela) from up to six Venezuelan universities. Recruitment and

selection will be jointly conducted by the grantee and the VAU. In consultation with the

VAU, the number of participants in each program component may change depending on

local conditions and budget considerations.