The French in Higher Education program is officially accepting proposals for its 2024-25 edition.

Are you a French professor at a US-based university or college? Are you interested in implementing transformative projects, Francophone job fairs, and/or internship programs in your department and need help financing it? Look no further, the French in Higher Education grant program could be the perfect fit for you.

Villa Albertine, the Institute for Culture and Education, and the Albertine Foundation are offering grants to support innovative projects, including job fairs and internship programs, in French and Francophone studies at US post-secondary institutions. The aim is to enhance the quality of French programs and boost enrollments.

Grant amounts vary from $2,000 to $20,000, with matching funds encouraged but not mandatory.

Selected projects will exemplify how dynamic, resilient, and useful learning French is today. The funding shall be used to initiate mid-to-long-term changes through innovation and/or immersive internship programs. Impact needs mainly to happen at the department or program level, via the implementation of what can be considered best practices in the field.

In 2023, 21 universities received a grant for innovative projects ranging from the development of a professional center for internships in partnership with the Alliance Française to the design of a French for Health Professions and Humanitarian Aid course, through the creation of a France and Africa Ambassadors program featuring study abroad alumni. If you want to learn more about the very diverse projects that were selected, check out the summary of all projects!

All US post-secondary institutions can apply, and applications must be supported by department heads or deans. Selected projects should begin between March 2025 and September 2025 and last a minimum of 2 years.

Interested in learning more about this grant opportunity? Check out our guidelines, and make sure to apply by November 30!

Contact

Elisa Alvarez, Higher Education Program Officer – elisa.alvarez@villa-albertine.org