West Virginia-Ireland Education Alliance

Request for Proposals

The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission invites proposals for participation in the West Virginia–Ireland Education Alliance, a statewide initiative established through legislative funding to strengthen academic, cultural and workforce connections between West Virginia and Ireland.

The initiative supports collaborative partnerships between one West Virginia four-year institution, one West Virginia community and technical college, and one or more partner institutions in Ireland. Through these partnerships, the Alliance aims to expand global learning opportunities for students, foster academic collaboration, strengthen workforce-aligned engagement and build long-term institutional capacity for internationalization across the state.

For the 2026–27 funding cycle, the primary focus is the development of faculty-led study abroad opportunities in Ireland, while also supporting partnership development and planning activities that can lead to broader future collaboration.

Funding is available through two categories:

• Implementation-Level Partnerships — up to $50,000 for partnerships prepared to move toward near-term program delivery and student engagement.
• Development-Level Partnerships — up to $25,000 for partnerships focused on partnership-building, academic planning and institutional coordination that support future implementation.

Proposals must be submitted by 4 p.m. EDT on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.