The Office of Citizen Exchanges (ECA/PE/C), Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), announces an open competition for grants to conduct the 2011 professional exchange programs.

This opportunity is designed to bring young foreign professionals to the United States for four week to six

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week-long fellowships in organizations related to their field of work, followed by American counterparts who will travel overseas for reciprocal fellowships.

Projects should take place over the course of one to two years, and engage up-and-coming and mid-level government or civil society professionals who will effect positive change in their institutions and communities through the following initiatives:
the Legislative Fellows Program, the Women‟s Empowerment Program, and the Young Entrepreneurs Program.

U. S. public and non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue code section 26 U.S.C.

501(c) (3) may submit proposals that support the goals of these professional exchange programs (the Legislative Fellows Program, the Women‟s Empowerment Program, and the Young Entrepreneurs Program).

The basic framework that should be followed for all three of these programs, including the expected outputs and program timeline, is described in sections I.2 through I.6 below.

Elaboration on specific aspects of these programs, and the eligible countries, are provided in Section I.7 below.