IREX Community Solutions Program (CSP) 2026-2027 (Fully-funded)
Overview
The Community Solutions Program is a professional leadership development initiative designed for experienced, results-oriented community leaders who focus on advancing locally driven regional economic growth and community prosperity. The program provides practical leadership training, technical skill-building, professional networking, and hands-on experience to help participants tackle economic development challenges in their home regions.
The initiative includes an approximately three- to four-month exchange in the United States, featuring a 12-week professional practicum where participants work alongside U.S. counterparts. Additionally, attendees engage in Innovation and Applied Skills Labs to study economic models and emerging technologies. After completing the U.S. exchange, participants return home to carry out a nine-month SCALE-Up Project that adapts learned U.S. models to foster local or regional economic development.
Who can apply
Applicants must be citizens of specific countries across Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, South and Central Asia, and the Western Hemisphere. Candidates must be between the ages of 27 and 39 at the time of application, live and work in their home country, and possess at least five years of experience addressing community issues with measurable local benefits.
Additional qualifications include professional-level spoken and written English proficiency, eligibility for a U.S. J-1 visa, and a commitment to return to the home country for a minimum of two years following the program to implement a SCALE-Up Project. Individuals who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, those who have applied for U.S. permanent residency within the past three years, or past U.S. Government exchange participants who have not fulfilled their two-year home residency requirement are not eligible to apply.
What you get
The program covers the financial and logistical costs of most associated expenses, including round-trip travel from the participant's home city to the United States and J-1 visa support. Participants receive a monthly living allowance intended to cover housing, meals, and other day-to-day expenses while in the United States, along with accident and sickness health coverage. The program also offers accessibility accommodations such as ADA-compliant rooms for in-person training, assistive software like JAWS, and necessary community assistance and training.
Key dates
The application deadline is November 24, 2026. Current planning dates for the U.S.-based exchange in 2027 are orientation from August 2 to August 5, the practicum from August 9 to October 29, and the end-of-program workshop from November 1 to November 4, though these dates remain subject to confirmation.