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2026 R1 RE Application

2026 R1 Reciprocal Exchange Application

About the Reciprocal Exchange
The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders—the flagship program of the U.S. Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI)—was created to invest in the next generation of African leaders.  Established in 2014, the Fellowship has supported Alumni from across Sub-Saharan Africa to develop their leadership skills and foster connections and collaboration with U.S. professionals.  The Mandela Washington Fellowship is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX.  The Fellowship’s Reciprocal Exchange component provides U.S. professionals with the opportunity to build upon strategic partnerships and professional connections developed during the Mandela Washington Fellowship.  U.S. Professionals are provided funds to implement in-person or hybrid projects in Sub-Saharan African countries to continue collaborative work with Fellowship Alumni on the continent.  U.S. professionals may include those met during the Fellowship through networking, the Summit, Professional Development Experiences, or other activities.   

Award Goal
The Reciprocal Exchange component of the Mandela Washington Fellowship aims to provide opportunities for U.S. professionals and Fellowship Alumni to form lasting partnerships and expand markets and networks between the United States and countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Award Objectives
  • The Mandela Washington Fellowship will provide grants of up to $3,000 per selected project to support hybrid Reciprocal Exchange programs or grants of up to $5,000 per selected Participant (up to four Participants) to support travel to Sub-Saharan Africa and other program-related costs during the grant period.
  • Participants and Fellowship Alumni will implement a short-term project that directly benefits individuals in the project country during implementation.  Projects should be no longer than four weeks.
  • Participants and Fellowship Alumni will expand their professional networks, gain new business opportunities, and build new knowledge or skills during their Reciprocal Exchange project planning and implementation periods.
  • Participants will actively share skills and knowledge gained during their Reciprocal Exchange with other U.S. citizens in their home communities after implementing their Reciprocal Exchange to benefit American organizations and businesses.

Reciprocal Exchange Award Timeline

  • Application Deadline: September 19, 2025
  • Notification of Award: December 2025
  • Grant Period: February 1 - June 30, 2026
Definitions
  • U.S. Professionals: U.S. citizens who collaborate with Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni to apply for a Reciprocal Exchange Award.
  • Fellowship Alumni: Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni who collaborate with U.S. professionals to apply for a Reciprocal Exchange Award.
  • Participants: U.S. professionals who are selected to receive a Reciprocal Exchange Award
  • Fellowship Alumni Collaborators: Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni who are selected to receive a Reciprocal Exchange Award.
Definition of a Hybrid Reciprocal Exchange: Hybrid Reciprocal Exchange projects aim to conduct activities in the Fellowship Alumni Collaborator’s community with the U.S. professional participating virtually via Zoom or another platform.  Hybrid Reciprocal Exchanges are an effective model to engage with hard-to-reach audiences where Participant travel may not be possible.

Financial Provisions
  • Maximum In-Person Grant Award: $5,000 per selected Participant (up to four Participants)
  • Maximum Hybrid Grant Award: $3,000
Disbursement of FundsUp to $3,000 per project will be provided to implement the Reciprocal Exchange and support approved program-related costs for hybrid projects.  Funds may be disbursed to Fellowship Alumni Collaborators for hybrid projects only.  Award funds are disbursed in two installments, contingent upon receipt of required deliverables.  Participants or Fellowship Alumni Collaborators will receive funds as a wire transfer to their personal bank accounts.  As such, Participants and Fellowship Alumni Collaborators will be asked to provide IREX with their bank information as well as a signed Terms and Conditions document, which will outline the terms for the award.

Projects with multiple Participants: In-person projects with multiple Participants are eligible for $5,000 of funding per Participant.  The grant ceiling for a project is $20,000 for up to four Participants.  The project team must select one Participant to receive the grant funds.  All intended Participants must be included in your application; additional Participants cannot be added to your project after selection. 

Procurement of Visa:
 Participants are able to procure their visas through an IREX-preferred vendor prior to travel.  IREX will cover the cost of the visa service as well as the cost of the visa fee itself.  Please note that travelers to Nigeria are not able to use IREX’s preferred vendor for their visa procurement.  Please see the budget template and the
Nigerian Embassy’s website for more information. 


Eligibility Requirements

U.S. professionals participating in the Reciprocal Exchange must be U.S. citizens currently living in the United States.  U.S. professionals may not be employees or immediate family members of employees of the U.S. Government (including a U.S. Embassy or other U.S. Government entity). 

Fellowship Alumni must be considered Alumni of the Fellowship in good standing by the U.S. Department of State.  They may not be employees or immediate family members of employees of the U.S. Government.  Fellowship Alumni must reside in the proposed project country and be present for the full duration of the project’s implementation. 

Fellowship Alumni from all cohorts are eligible to apply.  Any one individual can complete no more than two in-person Reciprocal Exchange projects.