NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITYFederal Awarding Agency: U.S. Embassy, Sarajevo, Office of Public AffairsFunding Opportunity Title: EDUCATIONUSA COUNTRY COORDINATING AND STUDENT ADVISING – SARAJEVOAnnouncement Type: Initial AnnouncementCatalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 19.900Application Deadline: June 30, 2016Total Funding: USD 28,000, Pending Availability of FundsAnticipated Award Date: September 2016Anticipated Project Completion Date: October 2017Eligible Applicants: Individual or NGOThe United States Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), acting through the Office of Public Affairs (OPA), is pleased to announce a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the following program:EDUCATIONUSA COUNTRY COORDINATING AND STUDENT ADVISING – SARAJEVOThe awardee will serve as country coordinator for EducationUSA in BiH, and conduct EducationUSA Student Advising in Sarajavo and surrounding areas, coordinating regular events with American Corner Sarajevo and American Corner Zenica.EducationUSA is a U.S. Department of State network of over 400 international student advising centers in more than 170 countries. The network promotes U.S. higher education to students around the world by offering accurate, comprehensive, and current information about opportunities to study at accredited postsecondary institutions in the United States. In addition, EducationUSA assists the U.S. higher education community in their overseas enrollment outreach and development of recruitment strategies and provides information on the complex U.S. higher education system to foreign governments and institutions. With the goal of increasing student mobility between the United States and BiH through EducationUSA advising, project proposals will be evaluated by the U.S. Embassy based on compliance with proposal guidelines and mandatory components, evaluation of qualifications, evidence of clearly formulated goals, low project implementation costs, project sustainability, and capacity to carry out the project.The deadline for submission of proposals/supporting documentation is June 30, 2016. SUMMARY OF RESULTS:Provision of advising services in cooperation with the Regional EducationUSA Advising Coordinator (REAC) and the U.S. Embassy liaison for educational advising, including the following functions:• Maintain active contact with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and OPA regarding EducationUSA developments and strategy in BiH, including providing reports and statistical analysis on developments in higher education and exchange programs in BiH.• Coordinate program activities for all EducationUSA advising centers in BiH and link advising centers to other relevant organizations and programs (American Corners/Centers, College Board, Educational Testing Service, Overseas Association of College Admissions Counselors, U.S. government exchange programs, U.S. institutions of higher education, education tour providers, and other).• Serve as a point of contact on BiH advising and higher education for U.S. university representatives.• Coordinate and administer Opportunity Program scholarships, subject to availability of funds.• Promote virtual advising and coordinate webpage integration and consistency for BiH advising centers. Maintain information for BiH Country Profile and database of EducationUSA Advising Centers with current contact information, and ensures relevant data is current on the ECA’s website.• Supports advisers to complete the EducationUSA training process and ensure compliance with ECA website and statistics-reporting requirements and mentor advisers in their professional development.• Assist with monitoring of center activities through site visits, email, and phone communication.• In cooperation with OPA and REAC, determine needs in BiH for EducationUSA training, resources, and/or supplemental funds for special projects.• Work with local advisers to create new, more effective advising and outreach models.• Provide accurate, comprehensive, and current information on higher education in the United States and educational advising services to students, scholars, and professionals seeking to study in the United States. Information will be provided in person and via e-mail, telephone, virtual advising, and approved social networks in both local language and English. Advising services will include, but not be limited to, frequently scheduled group orientation sessions for the public, individual consultations, and assistance to advisees with all aspects of the college/university admissions process.• At all times, follow the Principles of Ethical Practice for Educational Advising given by the U.S. Department of State’s Educational Information and Resources Branch.• Hold at least 50 student outreach events in communities within a two hour drive of Sarajevo, reaching at least 20 communities in the Republika Srpska and Federation, including regular events with American Corners in Sarajevo and Zenica, coordinating locations with OPA.• Maintain an EducationUSA library with resources provided by ECA and other reliable sources.• Produce educational advising materials such as handouts, site list for specific fields of study, Power Point presentations, and other guidance materials as needed.• Develop and implement an extensive outreach program, pre-departure orientations, and special seminars and workshops. Maintain close contact with secondary school counselors and university international offices.• Participate in program planning and in the implementation of special advising programs such as the Opportunity Fund project to assist academically talented, economically underprivileged students to gain access to U.S. higher education with financial aid.• Foster opportunities for interaction between departing and returning students and scholars; develop activities and programs to use returning grantees and alumni as resources.• Assist U.S. institutions of higher education in understanding the local educational system and provide timely responses to inquiries from U.S. universities.• Assist accredited U.S. higher education institutions with recruiting efforts in the host country. As needed, organize and implement an EducationUSA Fair for accredited U.S. colleges and universities.• Develop and monitor social networking groups as needed and assist in maintaining the EducationUSA web site in BiH.• Develop and/or assist with frequent webinars on appropriate advising topics for students and other appropriate audiences.• Develop an annual plan and budget for the EducationUSA center; to include an outreach plan and strategies to publicize the EducationUSA center and its services. When allowable and necessary, develop a plan for income-generating activities.• Stay abreast of information pertaining to U.S. higher education and the profession of educational advising.• Remain updated in technology related to and used for educational advising.• Maintain statistics and submit monthly statistical and narrative reports to the host organization, REAC, OPA, and to ECA through the on-line statistical program on the EducationUSA website.• Maintain contact and liaise with the REAC, OPA, and other agencies and organizations engaged in educational advising in and outside the United States.• Respond to inquiries or requests for assistance from ECA, OPA, and REAC.• Collaborate with U.S. grantees in the country to promote the U.S. educational system.• Coordinate with other local EducationUSA centers in BiH for adequate coverage and to avoid overlap.GRANT APPLICATION GUIDELINES:IMPORTANT: Funding decisions will be made pending the availability of funds. The U.S. Embassy reserves the right to cancel this public call for proposal at any time without any commitment to any applicant.• All proposals must be completed in English. Proposals are to be submitted on a specified application form only. Potential applicants should request the application form by emailing
[email protected]. Please use the same e-mail address to send your completed project proposal by required deadline.• Proposals may not exceed ten (10) pages in length in Times New Roman Size 12 font. • All fields in the grant application form must be filled in. • Project duration may not exceed twelve (12) months.ANY APPLICATION NOT MEETING THE ABOVE MENTIONED REQUIREMENTS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR FUNDING.In preparing your application, please be aware that you may not receive confirmation of whether your proposal will be selected for funding for several weeks. We expect to inform applicants of the status of their proposals within two months of the closing of this Notice of Funding Opportunity. CONTACT INFORMATION:Email:
[email protected]: + 387 33 704-285, 704-333Fax: + 387 33 704-432.