Zimbabwean-U.S. Program for Academic Collaborations (ZUPAC)

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The Public Diplomacy Section at the U.S. Embassy in Zimbabwe announces an open competition for organizations to implement the Zimbabwean-U.S. Program for Academic Collaborations (ZUPAC) to promote international academic and research exchanges between Zimbabwean and U.S. higher education institutions, focusing on research commercialization, technology transfer and innovation, internalization of higher education institutions and other relevant topics. ZUPAC will support selected Zimbabwean and U.S. higher education administrators, academics, researchers, and key personnel to participate in virtual and in-person learning visits, professional development sessions and/or academic speaker programs. Priority Region: Project activities must take place in Zimbabwe and/or the United States and be directed at Zimbabwean and U.S. audiences/participants Program Objectives: The grantee will work with the Public Diplomacy Section to support the section’s University Partnerships Initiative (UPI) and Higher Education programs. Specifically, the grantee will facilitate academic, research and professional exchanges between the United States and Zimbabwe to strengthen linkages between the two countries. The grantee will work closely with the Public Diplomacy Section to recruit and support exchange up to 25 participants over the course of 18 months. Prospective grantees will support recruitment of participants and hosting partners, liaise with Zimbabwean and U.S. universities for participants’ scope of work and coordinate travel and lodging logistics for selected participants; hosting logistics and submission of debrief reports. Successful grantee must have experience working with international exchange programs, good working relations with Zimbabwean universities and some knowledge of the U.S. higher education system. Grantees must demonstrate ability to responsibly manage funds, coordinate logistics, and produce high quality programs and financial reports. Participants and Audiences: Zimbabwean and U.S. academics and higher education policy makers and leadership THIS NOTICE IS SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY OF FUNDING. D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION 1. To Request Application Package: Email [email protected]; an automatic reply with the application forms will be sent. Forms are also available at www.grants.gov 2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Content of Application – the proposal should: · Clearly serve the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity; · Be specific and concise in describing the who, what, why, when, where, how and cost aspects of the project; · Provide all documents in English; and · Include a budget narrative and a budget table in U.S. dollars breaking down costs per unit rates, quantities as well as totals. Application Forms required: · Completed application (form attached) · Detailed projected budget (form attached) · SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – Organizations) or SF-424-I (Application for Federal Assistance – Individuals) · SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs) · SF-424B (Assurances for Non-Construction programs) Attachments · Letters of support from program partners describing the roles and responsibilities of each partner · If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, your latest NICRA should be included as a PDF file. If you do not have a NICRA, indirect and overhead costs can’t be over 10% of the budget. · Official permission letters, if required for program activities. 3. Required Registrations: All organizations (not individuals) applying for grants must obtain these registrations. All are free of charge: · www.SAM.gov registration which will generate a unique entity identifier (UEI) · NCAGE/CAGE code 4. Submission Dates and Times PD Harare will accept proposals starting December 8, 2022. All applicants should submit their proposals prior to January 31, 2023 for consideration. 5. Other Submission Requirements All application materials may be emailed to [email protected] (with “Democratic Principles Grant Proposal” in the subject line). E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION 1. Criteria Each application will be reviewed and rated based on evaluation criteria outlined below. Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea: The program idea is well developed and focused with detail about how program activities will be carried out. It articulates why the project is important to advancing Zimbabwe. The proposal includes a reasonable implementation timeline, an identified target audience and outcome measures. Goals and Objectives: Goals and objectives are clearly stated. Project approach is clearly matched to goals and likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results. Embassy Priorities and American Component: Applicant has clearly described how the project’s stated goals are related to and support U.S. Embassy Harare PD’s priority areas. The required U.S. component of the project is clearly articulated. Budget: The budget justification is detailed, with a narrative description that matches the budget numbers. There is a budget spreadsheet showing per unit cost breakdowns, subtotals, and totals in U.S. dollars. Estimated expenses are reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results. The budget is realistic, accounting for all necessary expenses to achieve proposed activities. Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: The monitoring plan articulates realistic key indicators, outputs, outcomes, and milestones to indicate progress toward goals outlined in the proposal. It describes how and when indicators will be measured. The evaluation plan describes measures to be used in assessing the outcome and impact of the project. The plan may address potential pitfalls and possible contingencies to correct the course of the project. Sustainability: The proposal addresses follow-on activities that will sustain and continue the positive impact of the project after its completion. Organizational Capacity: The organization has expertise in its stated field and has the internal controls in place to manage federal funds. This includes a financial management system and a bank account and understanding of the Zimbabwean entrepreneurship ecosystem and experience in implementing complex programs. 2. Review and Selection Process Applications are reviewed on a competitive basis by the Public Diplomacy Grants Committee on the technical and substantive criteria above, depending on availability of funds. Organizations whose applications are not selected for funding will be notified via email no later than September 30, 2023. All qualified proposals will remain on file for up to 12 months for the committee for consideration at any time, if funds become available. If you wish to receive an update on the status of your proposal, please email [email protected] with the Subject line: “Request for Update on my Submitted Proposal [Title/Date of submission].” F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION 1. Federal Award Notices The grant award or cooperative agreement will be written, signed, awarded, and administered by the Grants Officer. The award agreement is the authorizing document and it will be provided to the recipient for review and signature by email. The recipient may only start incurring program expenses on, not before, the start date shown on the grant award document signed by the Grants Officer. If a proposal is selected for funding, the Department of State has no obligation to provide any additional future funding. Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the discretion of the Department of State. Issuance of this Funding Opportunity announcement does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. government, nor does it commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals. Further, the U.S. government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received. Payment Method: Payments will be made via electronic funds transfer. 2. Administrative and U.S. National Policy Requirements Terms and Conditions: Before submitting an application, applicants should review all the terms and conditions and required certifications which will apply to this award, to ensure that they will be able to comply. These include: · 2 CFR 200, 2 CFR 600, Certifications and Assurances, and the Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions, all of which are available at: https://www.state.gov/m/a/ope/index.htm. · Note the U.S. Flag branding and marking requirements in the Standard Terms and Conditions. 3. Reporting Requirements Recipients will be required to submit financial reports and program reports. Reports will include an accounting for expenditure of amounts already received before the next tranche of funds can be released. The award document will specify how often these reports must be submitted. G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact PD Harare at [email protected] . Note: Once an application has been submitted, State Department officials and staff — both in the Department and at embassies overseas — may not discuss this competition with applicants until the entire proposal review process is completed.