The public diplomacy grants program funds projects that further the U.S. Mission’s public diplomacy goals: enhancing prosperity for Vietnam through market orientation, governance, education and the environment; improving security cooperation; enhancing education ties, strengthening media engagement, and/or building capacity of local partners. The U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City accepts the proposals for projects in the provinces south of and including Thua Thien Hue. Not for profit, civil society/non-government organization, public education institutions and individuals are eligible to apply for public diplomacy assistance program. Please see Announcements section for open funding opportunities, deadlines, and submission guidelines. Please check back regularly for new funding opportunities.

The Fulbright Program was established by the U.S. Congress in 1946 and gives to the presidentially appointed J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board the responsibility for establishing program policy guidelines and for making final selection of all Fulbright participants. The purpose of the Fulbright Program worldwide is “to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchange.” The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs (ECA) is the principal administrator of the Fulbright Program. Bi-national commissions, composed equally of U.S. and partner-country citizens, coordinate Fulbright Programs in fifty-one of the 140 participating countries. In countries where there are no Fulbright commissions, U.S. Embassy/PAS officers at U.S. Missions abroad are responsible for overseas program administration and coordination.

The Fulbright Program in Vietnam, administered and coordinated by the Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, works with appropriate Vietnamese and American educational and governmental organizations to provide opportunities for study and research in the social sciences and humanities to all candidates who qualify through open competition on the basis of academic and professional merit, without regard to race, religion, gender or affiliation.

More information about the Fulbright program in Vietnam can be found here.

The SUSI Program is divided in two sub-categories: SUSI for Scholars and Secondary Educators, and SUSI for Student Leaders.

SUSI for Scholars and Secondary Educators:
These are six-week intensive post-graduate level academic programs with integrated study tours whose purpose is to provide foreign university faculty and other scholars an opportunity to deepen their understanding of American society, culture and institutions. The ultimate goal is to strengthen teaching about the U.S. in academic institutions abroad. The ideal participants are young scholars who research, teach, compile textbooks and design curricula on American Studies at the undergraduate or graduate levels at Vietnamese universities.

SUSI for Student Leaders:
These are five-week intensive academic programs whose purpose is to provide Vietnamese undergraduate student leaders with a deeper understanding of the U.S., while simultaneously enhancing their leadership skills.  Participants are selected based on 1) academic record, 2) leadership skills and potential, 3) community involvement and extra-curricular activities, and 4) English proficiency.

Timeline

• December: Call for applications
• January: Deadline for submission of applications to the Embassy
• Jan-Feb: Screening of applications; interviews of shortlisted candidates
• February: Submission of finalists to Washington
• March: Selection results available from Washington
• June: Departure of selected candidates

This program provides scholarships for one semester or one academic year of study at a U.S. university.  The goal is to provide a diverse group of emerging student leaders, from non-elite and under-represented groups, with a substantive exchange experience at a U.S. college or university, with in-depth exposure to U.S. society, culture and academic institutions. Students are selected based on 1) academic record, 2) leadership skills and potential, 3) community involvement and extra-curricular activities, and 4) English proficiency (minimum TOEFL score of 525 (paper-based) or 70 (iBT).

Timeline

• September: Call for applications
• November: Deadline for submission of applications to the Embassy
• Nov-Dec: Screening of applications; interviews of shortlisted candidates
• December: Nomination of finalists to Washington
• March: Selection results available from Washington
• June: Placement information available
• July: Departure of selected candidates (whole academic year program)
• January: Departure of selected candidates (semester program)

This program enrolls undergraduate students in the East Asia and Pacific region who demonstrate the potential to become student leaders in an eight-week intensive English Language course at colleges and universities in the United States with a focus on English language acquisition, leadership skill building, and civic education and engagement. It also provides participants with an introduction to American institutions, society and culture.

Timeline

• Oct-Nov: Call for applications
• December: Deadline for submission of applications to the Embassy
• Dec-Jan: Screening of applications; interviews of shortlisted candidates
• February: Nomination of finalists to Washington
• March: Selection and placement results available from Washington
• June: Departure of selected candidates

This intensive four-week exchange program in the United States aims at promoting high-quality leadership, civic responsibility, volunteerism, and respect for diversity.  Each year, five Vietnamese high-school students and one teacher (who acts as chaperone) are selected for this program and are joined by similar groups from other Southeast Asian countries.  It is designed to enable teenagers, ages 15-17, and teachers to travel to the United States for a program focused on building a sense of community, developing civil society and economic institutions, and recognizing the commonalities among Southeast Asians and Americans.

Timeline

• July-August: Call for applications
• September: Submission of applications to the Embassy; screening and interviews
• October: Nomination of finalists to Washington
• November: Selection results available from Washington; departure of selected candidates

This is a one year, non-degree, full scholarship program offered to promising mid-career professionals who have proven track records of leadership and a strong commitment to public service. Participants in the program spend one academic year at a leading U.S. university doing their self-designed program of academic course work, participating in professional affiliations off-campus, field trips, special workshops and seminars in their field of study.

Timeline

• April: Call for applications
• May: Information sessions held in Hanoi and HCMC
• Early August: Deadline for submission of applications to the Embassy
• Aug-Sep: Screening of applications; interviews
• October 1: Nomination of finalists to Washington
• October: Finalists take iBT TOEFL
• Feb-Mar: Selection results available from Washington
• March/April: Departure for the U.S. (fellows needing Long Term English)
• May: Placement results available
• June-August: Departure for the U.S. (fellows not needing Long Term English)

The Online Professional English Network (OPEN) program offers virtual learning opportunities to English language educators professionals and learners worldwide. OPEN professional development opportunities are developed by U.S. academic institutions and experts in the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). OPEN Global Online Courses (GOCs) are offered four times per year: Fall (September 28 – November 23, 2021), Winter (January 11 – March 8, 2022), Spring (April 12 – June 7, 2022), and Summer (July 5 – August 30, 2022). A four-week period is scheduled before each term for participants to complete an online orientation. The following courses are available:

Content-Based Instruction

English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI)

Integrating Critical Thinking Skills into the Exploration of Culture in an EFL Setting (Integrating Critical Thinking)

Professional Development for Teacher Trainers

Teaching English to Young Learners

Teaching Grammar Communicatively

TESOL Methodology

Using Educational Technology in the English Language Classroom (Using Educational Technology

Fostering Student Motivation and Engagement (FSME)

Creating and Implementing Online Courses (CIOC)

The English Access Microscholarship Program is a global scholarship program which provides a foundation of English language skills to non-elite, 14-18 year old students through after school classes plus other, more intensive sessions and activities. The program also gives participants the opportunity to gain an appreciation for U.S. culture and values, and is intended to increase their ability to participate successfully in the socio-economic development of their countries, and improve their chances of participating in U.S.-based educational and exchange programs.  Access students are given a total of 360 class hours over a two-year period.

Timeline

• August: Calls for proposals from English language educational service providers
• October: Selection of service providers by the Embassy
• November: Call for applications from Vietnamese students; selection of candidates
• December/January: Access classes begin

The English Language Fellow Program shares American expertise in teaching English as a foreign language by sending American professionals (Fellows) on ten-month fellowships to help enhance English teaching capacity at Vietnamese academic institutions.  The Fellows provide foreign teachers and students with the communications skills they will need to participate in the global economy; improve foreign teachers’ and students’ access to diverse perspectives on a broad variety of issues.  Fellows are usually selected in April, arrive at the host institutions in September and leave the following June. Vietnamese academic institutions interested in hosting an English Language Fellow are invited to submit a proposal to the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi or the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City.

Timeline

• Oct-Nov: Submission of proposals from Vietnamese educational institutions
• Nov-Dec: Screening of proposals; nomination of shortlisted proposals to Washington
• Mar-April: Proposal selection results from Washington
• July-August: Selection of fellows
• September: Arrival of fellows at host institutions

For any questions about these programs, please contact the Cultural Affairs Section of the Embassy at pas.culture@gmail.com

Since its creation by the U.S. Congress in 2001, the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation has provided financial support to more than 640 cultural preservation projects in more than 100 countries. The AFCP shows the depth of the U.S. respect for the cultural heritage of other countries. Ten preservation projects in Vietnam, averaging $20,000 each, have been funded by the AFCP, ranging from intangible heritage such as the Then Music of the Tay minority to tangibles such as pagoda statues, museum collections and historical/architectural monuments. In 2010, a major project ($74,500) was granted to Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to preserve the 18th century O Quan Chuong Gate – the only one of the 16 gates that remains of ancient Hanoi, as a gift from the U.S. Ambassador to the people of Hanoi as the city celebrated its 1000th birthday.

• “Celebrate Our Heritage” 2022 Photography Contest
  Application deadline: September 25, 2022

The Voluntary Visitor Program brings up to 10 Vietnamese individuals per project to the U.S. to meet and confer with their American professional counterparts in order to obtain a broader view of American culture, society, and politics.  Meetings are arranged with local and national level government officials, non-governmental organizations, businesses and other organizations. Volvis participants are required to self-fund at least their roundtrip air tickets from their home country to the U.S. as well as the return.  A Volvis program lasts a maximum of 10 calendar days.  All expenses and logistics during the time in the U.S. are covered by the Department of State.  Vietnamese organizations and individuals wishing to participate in this program should submit a program request to the Embassy at least two months prior to the expected travel time.  If the Embassy approves of the project, it will then make a formal request to Washington.  If the Volvis project is approved by Washington, the Embassy will contact the requesting organizations or individuals to proceed with the project.  While there’s no timeline for the Volvis program, an early request is encouraged.

Timeline: Rolling application cycle throughout the year.