FY 2017 English Language Programs | DOSRUS 17 CA 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for DOSRUS 17 CA 001

The FY 2017 English Language Programs grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DOSRUS 17 CA 001) is a U.S. Department of State, U.S. Mission to Russia funding call run through the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Public Affairs Section (PAS Moscow). The Embassy anticipated making one award under a cooperative agreement, with a maximum award amount (ceiling) of $180,000. The opportunity was posted on December 23, 2016, with an original application deadline of January 23, 2017. While the activity category is listed under Arts/Cultural Affairs (CFDA 19.040), the practical focus is English language education as a public diplomacy tool, emphasizing professional development, exchanges, and relationship-building between U.S. and Russian educators and institutions.

At its core, the Embassy was seeking a single organization to serve as the main administrator and logistics backbone for a portfolio of English language teaching and learning programs across Russia. The grantee would not be designing these programs independently in a vacuum; instead, it would work in close, ongoing consultation with the Embassy English Language Officer (ELO) throughout program development, implementation, and evaluation. The scope includes support for a mix of in-person and online initiatives, with examples named in the announcement such as expanded online course opportunities for English language teaching (ELT) professionals (including additional E-Teacher course slots), Writing Centers Consortium workshops at three sites, TESOL travel grants for presenters, support connected to Pre-NATE and the NATE conference in Kolomna, an umbrella conference in Saransk, and the participation of Fulbright English Teaching Assistants (ETAs) in Access program summer camps and professional development for Access teachers. Individual activities were expected to range from about two days up to two weeks depending on the location, participant numbers, and program design.

The work the grantee would perform is heavily operational and financial in nature. PAS Moscow emphasized that the awardee must provide technical and logistical support for major ELO events and projects throughout Russia. That includes negotiating and arranging venues, booking and coordinating transportation and transfers, arranging hotels and meals, coordinating with online course providers, procuring books/materials/supplies, and delivering other support as directed by PAS Moscow. The Embassy also required regular access to program account records, meaning the grantee would need disciplined financial controls, timely documentation, and routine reporting of expenditures. A notable operational requirement is the ability to implement a direct billing payment system with hotels across Russia, which signals that the Embassy wanted a partner with established vendor-payment capability and experience managing travel and lodging at scale.

The opportunity is framed around four public diplomacy goals. First, it aims to improve how English is taught and learned in Russia by expanding professional development and supporting teacher association activity, research, and best practices. Second, it seeks to strengthen people-to-people ties between the United States and Russia by facilitating contact and shared experiences between American experts and Russian participants, with the intention of increasing mutual understanding. Third, it prioritizes strengthening local partners through long-term, sustainable relationships and institutional linkages between U.S. and Russian organizations and individuals, including capacity building for Russian educational institutions when needed. Fourth, it aims to showcase American values by presenting U.S. professionalism, innovation, civic values, and the diversity of American expertise through program content and engagement. Taken together, the Embassy described the overarching objective as creating space for dialogue and broadening American engagement with a wide range of Russian audiences through English language programming.

Because this is a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, PAS Moscow signaled it would be substantially involved in the project beyond routine oversight. The Embassy would take a leading role in program direction and key decisions: identifying and working closely with Russian partner organizations, acting as the primary conduit of information to those partners, monitoring activities, and representing the U.S. Government during implementation. PAS Moscow would also guide the focus of each program, select locations and participants (including for online courses), finalize the list of books and materials to be purchased, develop agendas and schedules, help facilitate events, and provide feedback after completion. In practical terms, the grantee is expected to execute the planning and logistics efficiently while aligning closely with Embassy decisions and timelines.

Applicants were expected to demonstrate credibility in three main areas: (1) the capacity to handle complex financial logistics for multi-faceted public diplomacy programs in Russia, including advancing funds, reimbursing costs, monitoring spending, and reporting regularly; (2) familiarity with Russia’s English language program landscape and regional education institutions, implying an ability to operate beyond Moscow and St. Petersburg and coordinate across different regions; and (3) a clear staffing and management approach, including defined responsibilities for key personnel and a detailed work plan and timeframe. The Embassy also emphasized the importance of sound management systems that can reliably support recurring events and variable program costs, including paying for participant travel, lodging, meals, registrations, venue costs where needed, and procurement of supplies and materials, as well as arranging and implementing exchange-related activities.

Eligibility was aimed primarily at nonprofit organizations with U.S. 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions), with some additional eligible categories referenced in the full notice. Overall, the award was designed for an organization that can function as a trusted operational partner to the Embassy: capable of managing money responsibly, coordinating travel and events across a large country, maintaining strong documentation and reporting, and delivering consistent logistical execution while the Embassy retains strategic and programmatic control.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Russia in the arts (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2017 English Language Programs" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 23, 2016.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 23, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $180,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for DOSRUS 17 CA 001

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