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U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural

Professional and Cultural Exchange Programs - Citizen Exchanges

Federal program · program number 19.415 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · also called “Citizen Exchanges”

Key facts

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2 grants
Type of help
Cooperative agreement (a grant with close agency involvement), project grant
Typical award
$130,000 to $17,403,806.

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What it pays for

Citizen Exchange activities include a variety of programs and modalities designed to engage U.S. and foreign professional, cultural, and youth audiences. Programs include American Film Showcase, American Music Abroad, Arts Envoy,Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange, Future Leaders Exchange Program, Global Media Makers, Global Sports Mentoring Program, International Sports Programming Initiative, Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program, Leaders Lead On-Demand, National Security Language Initiative for Youth, Professional Fellows Program, Sports Envoy Program and Sports Visitor Program, Stevens initiative, Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative, Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative, Youth Leadership Programs, and other Professional and Cultural Exchange programs.

Who can apply

Pursuant to the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, as amended (Fulbright-Hays Act) the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State awards grants and cooperative agreements to educational and cultural public or private nonprofit foundations or institutions. Applications may be submitted by public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3). Organizations must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of application. Please refer to the Grants.gov or the U.S. Department of State's MyGrants (formerly SAMS Domestic) announcement for further eligibility criteria.

How applications are judged

As stated in the Grants.gov or the U.S. Department of State's MyGrants (formerly SAMS Domestic) announcements.

Match

None required (federal program listing).

Who in Tennessee has won this program

5 awards to Tennessee groups since 2017. Largest shown:

Past Tennessee winners
Past winnerWhereAmountFiscal year
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$3.9M2021
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$3.7M2018
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$1.9M2024
University of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$1.1M2017
State of TennesseeNashville$975K spent that year2025

Source: USAspending.gov, Federal Audit Clearinghouse.

Tennessee groups that got this money through a state agency or another organization

This federal money also reaches local groups as pass-through grants. 4 pass-through grants on file. Largest shown:

Tennessee pass-through grant winners
Past winnerWhereThroughAmountFiscal year
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, Inc.Knoxville, Knox CountyUniversity of Tennessee$1.7M2025
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, Inc.Knoxville, Knox CountyUniversity of Tennessee$1M2023
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, Inc.Knoxville, Knox CountyUniversity of Tennessee$1M2023
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, Inc.Knoxville, Knox CountyUniversity of Tennessee$804K spent that year2024

Source: USAspending.gov pass-through reports (the first recipient reports each one of $30,000 or more).

Official program listing (SAM.gov) Program website