Department of State – INDO-PACIFIC SCHOLAR CONNECT Grant

1.     Within five months after the project start date: Connect 40 Indian and 20 regional scholars focused on the study of the Indo-Pacific region through a series of virtual speaker engagements and focused group meetings organized over a period of five months providing them opportunities to share studies, research findings, and local knowledge about the Indo-Pacific. This will be evidenced by such material posted/shared by the participants on a digital platform created for that purpose.

2.     Within six months after the project start date: Generate/identify at least 15 collaborative research, mentoring, and partnership ideas/opportunities and create cultural bonding among these 60 scholars by bringing them together with U.S. and Indian experts for a five-day in-person residency program. This will be evidenced by post-event reports and customized surveys among participants administered before and after the residency.

3.     Within 11 months after the project start date: A select group of Indian and regional (five each, 10 total) participants will gain a more in-depth understanding of U.S. foreign policy objectives and strategies in the Indo-Pacific region through their participation in an exchange opportunity that would allow them to examine the complex U.S. foreign policy decision-making process and acquire firsthand knowledge of key institutions and public and private agencies involved in foreign policy making in the United States. This will be evidenced by post-program reports and customized surveys among participants administered before and after the exchange opportunity

4.     Within 12 months after the project start date: Monitor and report on the joint research, mentoring, and partnership plans ideated at the residency though direct messaging and focused group meetings before and after the project.

5. Within 12 months after the project start date: Develop the participants’ virtual networking platform as a knowledge repository that would attract more scholars to the network and offer them opportunities to publish studies focused on the Indo-Pacific. This will be evidenced by the number of additional members and volume of curated content populated on this site.