Regional English Language Office, Beijing

Grants Guidelines

All requests for EL Specialists must come to the Office of English Language Programs from officers at U.S. Embassies overseas. Institutions not in the United States who are interested in having an EL Specialist for 2-4 weeks or a shorter term speaker must work with the Public Diplomacy Officer or Cultural Officer at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate and submit all requests for specialists to them. If they agree to the request, the Embassy will then send an official request to the Office of English Language Programs in Washington, D.C.

For standard two to four week specialist programs, the Office of English Language Programs will provide funds for the specialist's travel, honorarium, and materials allowance, but per diem (food and housing) for the specialist must be provided by the host institution and/or the U.S. Embassy submitting the request. When a U.S. embassy requests a speaker for a program shorter than two weeks, the Embassy must also fund the international travel.

When submitting proposals for requesting grants from the RELO always include the following information:

English Language Specialist Grants

For information about English Language Specialists Program, click here.

• Name of the main event the Specialist is to present at and the organizing institution 
• Name of Specialist requested, with contact information if available
• Subject(s) the Specialist is to present on, with as much detail as possible
• Details of the Specialist’s full workload during the period he/she is in the country (a Specialist must have a minimum of 10 working days)
• Description of who the audience(s) is (are) that the Specialist will address
• Describe the expected results of having this Specialist working with the intended audiences 
• How will this Specialist’s participation help the institution? 
• How will this Specialist’s participation help the field of English Teaching in the country? 
• How will this Specialist’s participation lead to any sustainable links with similar U.S. institutions or professionals and the local counterpart(s)? 
• List any support materials or other assistance being requested in support of this Specialist 
• Present a budget that reflects cost-sharing on the part of the hosting institution(s) 
• Cost-sharing may be in-kind support such as housing and transportation, with relative costs given 
• The RELO will not fund any request 100%, so cost-sharing is imperative. 
• Agree that a final evaluation report and budget will be submitted to the RELO within 30 days of the end of the events.

Travel Grants

• Name of the main event the travel is for 
• Describe the nature of the event 
• Describe the expected audience at the event 
• Name or describe key presenters or participants at the event 
• Name of the location of the main event 
• Name of all travelers to be included in the grant 
• Professional or work titles, or student level 
• Very brief CV showing relevant information regarding the traveler’s credentials for participating in the main event 
• List of any previous grants received from the US Government 
•  List of any pervious travel to the US (reasons for the travel) 
•  The RELO will not fund a traveler to the same conference, seminar, workshop, or event more than once within a three-year period, unless there is an outstanding reason for an exception (presentation of a paper is not a good enough reason) 
•  A description of the level of participation of all travelers in the proposed event(s) 
•  Preferences are given to those presenting a paper, workshop, seminar, etc. 
•  A brief summary or abstract of what the travelers will present 
•  A copy of any acceptance required for participation in the proposed event(s) 
•  Describe the expected results of participating in the proposed event(s) 
•  How will the traveler’s participation effect his or her work, or study or research? 
•  How will the traveler(s) share the information gleaned from the event(s) with his or her colleagues on his or her return to the country? 
•  Present a budget that reflects cost-sharing on the part of the traveler 
•  Cost-sharing may be personal funds or funds from other institutions used to help defray the expense of travel and participation in the proposed event(s) 
•  The RELO will not fund any travel 100%. 
•  Agree that a final written evaluation report and budget will be submitted to the RELO within 30 days upon the end of the travel.

Project Grants

•  Name of the project that is being proposed 
•  Describe the nature of the project 
•  Give the rationale for the project 
•  Describe the timeframe for the project 
•  Name of the participants in the project 
•  Professional or work titles, or student level 
•  Very brief CV showing relevant information regarding the participant(s)’s credentials for participating in the project 
•  List of any previous grants received from the US Government 
•  List of any pervious travel to the US (reasons for the travel) 
•  Describe the expected results of the project 
•  How will this project affect English Teaching in the country or region? 
•  How will others be able to see and use the results of this project? 
•  What is the expected legacy or follow-on from this project? 
•  How will the project be evaluated throughout and at the end? 
•  Present a budget that reflects cost-sharing on the part of the organizers/participants of the project 
•  Cost-sharing may be in-kind support such as equipment, space, travel, supplies, personnel, etc., as is relevant to the project, with relevant costs given 
•  The RELO will not fund any project 100%

The RELO gives preferences to grants that

•  Are well presented according to the guidelines given 
•  Will have a legacy that will support the development of English Teaching in the country
•  Show expected results that will affect a wider audience other than the participant(s) - Will be shared with colleagues in the country 
•  Show a high level of cost-sharing 
•  Are unique, creative, or show excellent rationale for funding 
•  Are for people who have not received a grant from the RELO within a three year period

To submit your proposal, please send it to us both via e-mail at relobeijing_mail@yahoo.com and through regular mail with an institutional letter head, the official seal of your institution, and your signature.