Young Trilateral Leaders (YTL) Regional Workshop on Emerging Technologies

Funding Opportunity Title: Young Trilateral Leaders (YTL) Regional Workshop on Emerging Technologies

Funding Opportunity Number: PD-SEOUL-FY25-10

Deadline for Applications: Tuesday, September 2, 2025, 11:59 p.m. (GMT+9)

CFDA Number: 19.040 – Public Diplomacy Programs

Type of Funding: FY25 Smith Mundt Public Diplomacy Funds

Total Amount Available: $75,000

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

AL Number, funding type, and other award details may be subject to change prior to finalization.

Executive Summary

The U.S. Embassy Seoul announces an open competition for a cooperative agreement to implement a regional workshop and accompanying virtual engagements on critical and emerging technologies, under the 2026 Young Trilateral Leaders (YTL) Network program. Launched following the 2023 Camp David Trilateral Leaders’ Summit and the 2024 U.S.–ROK–Japan Trilateral Global Leadership Youth Summit, YTL aims to build a strong network of trilateral youth champions from the United States, Republic of Korea, and Japan who work across borders to tackle some of the Indo-Pacific’s biggest security, economic, and civic engagement challenges. 

The 2026 programmatic year will center on a regional workshop that brings together Korean and Japanese youth with American peer experts to collaborate on pressing issues related to critical and emerging technologies. The workshop will highlight American innovation and excellence in technology, while fostering collaboration to address the Indo-Pacific region’s most pressing security and economic challenges. Participants will explore how cutting-edge U.S. technologies and expertise can be leveraged to strengthen regional security, enhance economic resilience, and promote shared prosperity.

Goals and Objectives

Proposals must include an American element or connection with U.S. experts, organizations, or institutions and should clearly explain the applicants’ previous experience running similar programs across the Republic of Korea, Japan, and the United States.

The purpose of this program is to advance U.S. leadership in critical and emerging technologies while strengthening trilateral cooperation through youth-led engagement. By fostering peer-to-peer collaboration and policy-relevant dialogue, the program will showcase American innovation and expertise, promote U.S. technology exports, and reinforce shared values that underpin regional security and prosperity. Expected outcomes include:

• Increased understanding among participants of U.S. technological leadership and its impact on the Indo-Pacific region’s security, economic resilience, and democratic institutions..
• Strengthened professional and personal ties among youth from the three countries.
• Follow-on collaboration and knowledge-sharing beyond the workshop.

Potential topic areas include, but are not limited to:

• AI’s impact on democratic institutions and education systems

• Quantum computing

• Semiconductors

• Games and immersive technologies as collaborative spaces

• Leveraging new technologies to encourage youth civic participation

• Space exploration

Key Activities

• In-person Workshop: Must take place in a city outside the Seoul metropolitan area in 2026 in the Republic of Korea.
• Virtual Engagements: Pre- and/or post-workshop online sessions to prepare participants, provide technical background, and sustain connections.

Language: English. Programs whose exclusive goal is English teaching will not be considered.

Participants / Beneficiaries

·        Korean, Japanese, and American college students and young professionals aged 20–35.

·        Background or demonstrated interest in critical/emerging technologies.

·        Fluent English; able to collaborate in a trilateral setting.

·        U.S. participants must be residing in the ROK or Japan at the time of the program.

·        The total number of participants should align with available budget; travel, lodging, and other relevant costs should be included in the applicant’s budget.

Substantial Involvement:

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul, in coordination with the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, will maintain substantial involvement throughout the planning and implementation of the program. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Participating in the design of virtual and in-person program content, including speaker recommendations and session structure
• Reviewing and approving participant recruitment materials, selection criteria, and final participant lists
• Providing remarks and supporting programming during the in-person summit
• Coordinating with regional youth initiatives (e.g., YSEALI, YPL, and YSALI) on potential participant contributions
• Collaborating on the design and monitoring of follow-on activities
• Promoting the program through Embassy social media and outreach platforms

Note: Not mandatory, but you may use the templates provided here:

Proposal Template / Budget Template

All application materials must be submitted by email to [email protected]