Legal Education Exchange Program | INL21CA0038 KOSOVO TRAINING SOI

Opportunity Information: Apply for INL21CA0038 KOSOVO TRAINING SOI

The Legal Education Exchange Program (Funding Opportunity Number INL21CA0038) is a U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) grant opportunity designed to strengthen legal education in Kosovo through a targeted faculty exchange and capacity-building effort. The main goal is to improve how law is taught at Kosovar universities by shifting toward more interactive, student-centered teaching methods that actively build law students critical thinking and legal writing skills. The program emphasis is on helping faculty engage students more proactively and train them to work thoughtfully with real legal sources, including teaching materials, court cases, statutes, and other legal documents, in ways that mirror practical legal analysis.

INL is seeking proposals that build the capacity of law faculty across both public and private law universities in Kosovo. Key activities highlighted include training law professors in interactive teaching methods specifically aimed at developing critical thinking, delivering seminars and trainings (including workshops and lectures), developing new academic or training curricula and instructional materials, conducting needs assessments and evaluations to understand gaps and measure progress, and supporting strategic or institutional planning that helps universities sustain improvements over time. Another important objective is to connect Kosovar faculty with experienced U.S. academics and professionals so they can gain broader global perspectives on legal education and pedagogy. Ultimately, these improvements in legal education are framed as a way to strengthen Kosovo citizens access to justice services by helping produce better-prepared graduates and more effective legal professionals.

While INL encourages creative proposals, the opportunity description provides a clear example of the type of approach they view as promising: a bilateral faculty exchange program. One component would bring U.S.-based law professors to Pristina to mentor Kosovo law faculty and support hands-on improvements in teaching practice. A second component would support a cohort of Kosovar faculty traveling to the United States for one-semester exchange visits at a U.S. law school, where they would observe and learn teaching methods used in U.S. legal education and return with approaches they can adapt to their home institutions. The expectation is that the exchange would be practical and instructional, focusing on classroom methodology and tools that directly improve student engagement, analysis, and writing.

The award is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning the government typically expects substantial involvement in shaping or overseeing the project during implementation compared to a standard grant. The program falls under the Law, Justice and Legal Services activity category and is associated with CFDA number 19.703. The posted award ceiling is $300,000, and the opportunity listing indicates an expectation of awards (the exact number is not clearly specified in the provided text). The opportunity was created on May 12, 2021, with an original closing date of June 4, 2021.

Eligibility is broad and includes both U.S.-based and overseas organizations. Eligible applicants include U.S.-based nonprofit/non-governmental organizations, U.S.-based educational institutions with IRS 501(c)(3) status, overseas-based nonprofit/non-governmental organizations, and overseas-based private or state educational institutions. Applicants were required to submit a Statement of Interest (SOI) by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 4, 2021, via email to the listed INL contacts: Amy Schmisseur (schmisseural@state.gov) and Najar Starr (StarrND@state.gov).

• The Bureau of International Narcotics-Law Enforcement in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Legal Education Exchange Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.703.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-05-12.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-06-04. (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 $300,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for INL21CA0038 KOSOVO TRAINING SOI

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: