U.S. Talent Program for the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Canada

About this funding opportunity

The U.S. Department of State’s Embassy Ottawa announces an open competition to implement a program to connect U.S. citizen talent, including subject matter experts, artists and cultural professionals, and current and former American athletes and coaches, with Canadian audiences and institutions on topics of strategic importance to the United States. Recipients should be prepared to identify and recruit U.S. citizen experts in the following strategic areas, in addition to arts, cultural, and sports experts that showcase American excellence:

· U.S. prosperity and economic security (e.g. supply chains; digital policy; trade; transboundary water issues, etc.).

· Defense (e.g. defense spending, procurement; NORAD modernization; Arctic domain awareness and deterrence, etc.).

· Border security (e.g. combatting illegal trafficking, smuggling, migration, etc.).

· Freedom of speech (e.g. exposing censorship, promoting transparency etc.).

· Artificial Intelligence (e.g. promoting American AI exports, building enabling infrastructure, countering foreign influence in emerging technologies, etc.).

Programs will be conducted in-person and/or through virtual platforms. The proposal should outline how the grantee would address both options. In-person programs will generally range from two days to one week in length. Virtual programs will usually take place on a single specified date and time and may be part of a continuing series. U.S. talent will address topics identified by the U.S. Mission to Canada that will advance Administration and U.S. Mission to Canada strategic goals.

Topic areas: Public Policy and Governance, Security and Defense, Arts and Culture.

Funding amount

This cooperative agreement provides $100K-$200K in funding, up to $200K per award.

Deadline

Applications are due Jul 31, 2026. Confirm the exact closing time on the official program page before applying.

Who can apply

This opportunity is open to the following applicant types:

• University
• NGOs

Eligibility

The program did not publish a separate eligibility statement. See the official opportunity page for the full eligibility criteria.

Agency

U.S. Talent Program for the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Canada is administered by U.S. Mission to Canada (CAN), listed via Grants.gov.