Georgian Media Education Program - “Strengthening Journalism Education in Georgia” | DOS GEO 22 007 CA 031022

Opportunity Information: Apply for DOS GEO 22 007 CA 031022

The Georgian Media Education Program, titled "Strengthening Journalism Education in Georgia," is a year-long initiative funded by the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi through its Public Diplomacy (PD) Section. The opportunity is offered as a cooperative agreement, meaning the selected grantee is expected to work closely with the PD Section throughout implementation, especially on participant selection and program coordination. At its core, the program is designed to strengthen journalism education in Georgia by investing in the professional development of Georgian journalism and media educators and by building sustained institutional links between Georgian higher education institutions (HEIs) and U.S. schools of journalism and mass communication.

The competition is open to U.S. nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations, as well as accredited U.S. higher education institutions. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofits, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and private institutions of higher education. Applicants are expected to bring demonstrated expertise in journalism training programs, the design and delivery of professional study tours, and the organization of trainings hosted by U.S. schools of journalism or mass communication. Proposals are stronger if the applicant already has established relationships with Georgian universities or journalism schools, since the program depends heavily on effective collaboration, credible recruitment, and locally relevant follow-on engagement.

The primary funded activity is a two-week intensive study tour in the United States for up to 10 Georgian participants, typically media educators and administrators from public and private Georgian HEIs. The tour is expected to be anchored at a U.S. school of journalism/communication and complemented by visits to U.S.-based media organizations and journalism education associations (for example, groups like the Journalism Education Association). Proposals may also incorporate participation in relevant U.S. conferences or conventions that promote excellence in journalism education and media literacy, as another way to expose participants to current standards, networks, and teaching practices.

The program is intentionally practical and skills-focused. It aims to introduce Georgian participants to current and emerging trends in journalism education, multimedia instruction, digital platforms, and media literacy teaching. The Embassy emphasizes that media literacy is increasingly central in a crowded information environment, and that educators play a key role in helping students evaluate sources, recognize differences among media outlets, interpret messaging, and produce content ethically. Program activities are expected to go beyond lectures, incorporating hands-on workshops, consultations with professors and media administrators, campus-based sessions, and engagement with professional journalism organizations.

A notable feature is the expectation of sustained alumni engagement. The MEP has already trained roughly 40 educators across three prior cohorts, and these alumni remain connected through a newly created MEP Alumni Association. New proposals should include a plan to engage this alumni network during the grant period, with a suggested mechanism being a micro-grant competition. Up to $15,000 of the budget may be set aside for alumni micro-grants that support practical projects advancing journalism education and media literacy in Georgia, such as curriculum pilots, teaching resources, training events, or institutional collaborations.

The exchange model is also described as two-directional. In addition to bringing Georgian educators to the United States, proposals may include travel by American partners to Georgia to deliver trainings on specific topics identified in consultation with participants. These in-country components are meant to reinforce and complete what participants learned in the U.S. and to extend benefits to colleagues who did not travel, thereby broadening institutional impact and improving the chance that new methods are adopted at the departmental or university level.

The Embassy outlines a range of thematic areas that proposals can cover, with flexibility for additional topics as long as they reinforce program goals. Suggested content includes curriculum and course design for BA/MA programs; multimedia journalism, digital media, and strategic communications instruction; assessment of student learning outcomes; course evaluation and accreditation approaches; use of modern textbooks, coursework, and e-library resources; media literacy teaching methods and digital literacy skill-building; social media and multimedia pedagogy; online journalism programs and online course design; faculty development and exposure to professional standards (including journalism education association missions and standards); student internships and career support; academic writing instruction for journalism students; media school partnerships and student exchanges; multidisciplinary teaching that blends research with practical work; and discussion of current "hot button" issues affecting journalism education.

Operationally, the selected grantee is expected to coordinate the solicitation and placement process for participants in close partnership with the PD Section, and participant names must be reviewed and approved by the Embassy prior to U.S. travel. The program anticipates that many participants will not have working-level English proficiency, so proposals must clearly describe how interpretation or language support will be provided. Applicants must also include standard participant support provisions, including international travel insurance for the full study tour period, and coverage or arrangement of typical travel-related costs such as the B1/B2 visa fee, meals, and incidental expenses.

Finally, because the solicitation was developed during the COVID-19 era, applicants are required to plan for risk mitigation and continuity. The grantee must be prepared to work with the PD Section to provide alternate or supplemental virtual delivery for certain program segments if travel is restricted or disrupted. Proposals must include a detailed timeline covering the full grant period and showing how the U.S.-based training, any U.S. partner travel to Georgia, and alumni engagement components fit together into a coherent sequence with reinforcing outcomes.

Key funding details listed in the opportunity include an award ceiling of $249,900 to support the project (including the two-week U.S. study tour for up to 10 participants), a funding instrument type of cooperative agreement, an activity focus in education, and a closing date of May 16, 2022 (for the original competition). The awarding agency is the U.S. Mission to Georgia under CFDA 19.900.

• The U.S. Mission to Georgia in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Georgian Media Education Program - “Strengthening Journalism Education in Georgia”" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.900.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-03-10.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-05-16. (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 $249,900.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for DOS GEO 22 007 CA 031022

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