FY2023 U.S. Embassy Tokyo: The U.S.-Japan Diplomacy Academy for University Students in Northern Japan | SAPPORO PAS FY23 01 02

Opportunity Information: Apply for SAPPORO PAS FY23 01 02

The FY2023 U.S. Embassy Tokyo grant opportunity, titled "The U.S.-Japan Diplomacy Academy for University Students in Northern Japan," is a discretionary education-focused grant funded by the U.S. Department of State through the U.S. Mission to Japan, specifically administered by the Public Affairs Section at the U.S. Consulate General in Sapporo. It is designed to strengthen international affairs knowledge and practical diplomacy skills among university students in northern Japan, especially those in predominantly rural and agricultural communities who may have fewer opportunities to study abroad or engage deeply with global issues compared with students in other parts of the country. The program is framed around the idea that northern Japan is facing a more complex regional environment, including heightened tensions connected to the Northern Territories, DPRK missile activity, and increased PRC and Russian naval presence near Hokkaido and Tohoku, alongside growing economic reliance on international trade. Against that backdrop, the grant aims to help develop future regional leaders who can better understand and navigate security, economic, and values-based challenges.

At the core of the project are scenario-based "Diplomacy Academy" seminars hosted at major universities across Hokkaido and the four northernmost prefectures of Tohoku: Aomori, Akita, Iwate, and Miyagi. These seminars are intended to be fictional but realistic simulations in which students take on the roles of U.S. and Japanese diplomats. Participants are expected to study a given situation, negotiate with counterparts, and work toward solutions, mirroring real diplomatic problem-solving and intergovernmental coordination. Applicants are expected to build the seminar content around at least one of four issue areas: security and defense, trade and economic security, energy security and climate solutions, and human rights. The solicitation indicates a preference for applications that include a sample scenario drawn from one of these categories, which suggests the reviewers are looking for proposals that already demonstrate thoughtful, workable simulation design rather than broad concepts alone.

From an implementation standpoint, the award budget is capped at $40,000 per project, and that amount is described as covering travel costs for facilitators or teachers, implying the program model relies on skilled trainers who can travel to multiple campuses or locations across the region. The applicant organization is responsible for identifying and arranging student participants and securing the venue or venues, so the proposal needs to show clear relationships with universities, student groups, or networks that can recruit the right participants and handle local logistics. The program can be delivered in Japanese and/or English, allowing flexibility based on campus needs, student language ability, and the learning goals of each session, while still maintaining a strong focus on U.S.-Japan perspectives and diplomatic engagement.

The target audience is university students in northern Japan who are interested in international politics, diplomacy, negotiation, or the SDGs. The grant anticipates reaching students at major universities in the defined geography, which strongly suggests that competitive applications would present a practical plan for regional coverage (for example, multiple seminars, a circuit of campuses, or coordinated events) and a participant profile that matches the program intent: students likely to benefit from applied diplomacy training and exposure to policy tradeoffs in a realistic setting.

In terms of administrative details, the funding opportunity number is SAPPORO PAS FY23 01 02, with an original closing date of February 19, 2023, and an estimated two awards expected. Eligible applicants include a wide range of entities and individuals: public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) organizations), and individuals. The overall purpose is capacity-building through experiential learning, using structured simulations to build practical negotiation skills, deepen understanding of regional and global issues that affect northern Japan, and strengthen familiarity with the dynamics of U.S.-Japan cooperation in addressing shared challenges.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Japan in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY2023 U.S. Embassy Tokyo: The U.S.-Japan Diplomacy Academy for University Students in Northern Japan" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 21, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 19, 2023. (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 $40,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• 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, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Individuals.

Apply for SAPPORO PAS FY23 01 02

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