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.