International Project Grants

About This Scholarship

The AAUW International Project Grants are awarded by the American Association of University Women specifically to alumnae of the AAUW International Fellowship program who wish to return to their home countries and lead community-based initiatives that advance gender equity for women and girls. For Ghanaian women who have previously held AAUW International Fellowships and are now building careers and community impact at home, this grant provides a meaningful mechanism to fund grassroots work that addresses the specific barriers facing Ghanaian women and girls — whether in education, economic empowerment, health, safety, or professional advancement.

These grants are not large in absolute terms, but they carry significant credibility. AAUW's name and endorsement lend legitimacy to grant-funded projects and can serve as anchor funding that unlocks additional support from other donors. Successful projects funded through AAUW International Project Grants have ranged from girls' STEM coding programmes and women's entrepreneurship hubs, to community-level advocacy addressing gender-based violence in educational institutions and workplaces.

International Project Grants support community-based initiatives that advance gender equity for women and girls and that are led by AAUW International Fellowship Alumnae. These grants equip and empower alumnae to do so within the context of their home countries and communities by making funding available to them in order to apply their academic expertise and leadership skills in a way that has a direct, positive impact on women and girls.

Tips for Ghanaian and African Applicants

• Eligibility is restricted to AAUW International Fellowship alumnae: This grant is not open to the general public. If you have not previously held an AAUW International Fellowship, apply for that program first — the Fellowship specifically supports women from eligible countries (including Ghana) pursuing postgraduate study in the United States.
• Community-based and impact-driven proposals are most competitive: AAUW values projects with clear, measurable goals and genuine community partnerships. Avoid proposals that are primarily academic or research-oriented without direct community benefit.
• Connect your academic expertise to your project: The grant is specifically designed to help alumnae apply their graduate-level knowledge to community challenges. Show how your specific training — whether in public health, education, law, economics, or another field — directly informs your proposed project.
• Seek guidance from Ghanaian AAUW alumni: Connecting with other Ghanaian AAUW International Fellowship alumnae will provide practical insight into what makes a competitive grant proposal in the Ghanaian and West African context.

International Project Grants are awarded exclusively to individuals.

Applicants must be or identify as a woman

Applicants must be an AAUW International Fellowship alumna and have successfully completed the academic program for which they received a fellowship and all related reporting requirements by June 30th of the year of application.

Applicants must reside and implement the proposed project in their home country for the duration of the grant period.

Applicants must be the primary project director, with control over all programmatic, budgetary, administrative and editorial decisions.

Citizenship & Immigration Status

Grant recipients must be non-U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Selection Criteria

A project’s clear alignment with advancing equity for women and girls and ability to directly and positivity impact these stakeholder groups.

Strength of project rationale – the project meets a demonstrable local need

A clear project design with specific target outcomes and proposed activities and outputs logically connected to the project’s goals.

Project proposals must reflect how community/stakeholder participation is considered in the project’s design.

Demonstrated capacity of the alumna to deliver quality programming and meet established goals and the feasibility of in a time frame and within a budget that is hat is feasible and reflects stakeholder participation

Reflect a commitment to learning and evaluation by (1) incorporating monitoring/evaluation methods that enable assessment of project outcomes; and (2) describing how results and/or learnings from project implementation with stakeholders and/or the communities which the project intends to serve.

International Scholarship & Tuition Services (ISTS) serves as the application portal for AAUW International Project Grants. Please follow the steps below to start the application process:

Review the eligibility criteria to ensure you are eligible

Click the Apply Now button below to access the application and create an ISTS account. If a program key is requested, please use the following program key: AAUW-IPG

Follow the instructions provided in the Applicant Guide.

For any inquiries related to the application process or if you encounter technical issues, please contact AAUW@applyists.com or call (866) 795-4892.