Funding Opportunities
Higher Education Solutions Network
Deadline: February 24, 2012
External Deadline:
Sponsor: USAID
U.S. Agency for International Development Higher Education Solutions Network
Institute Contact: Gail Spatt, 404.385.8334 or spatt@gatech.edu
Sponsor Website: http://universityengagement.usaid.gov/
There is no current solicitation for this funding opportunity. When the next solicitation is released, this page will reflect the relevant updates. For planning purposes, EVPR office instructions to the campus from the last solicitation appear below:
US Agency for International Development (USAID) Higher Education Solutions Network – Limited Submission Opportunity
RFA: http://universityengagement.usaidallnet.gov/sites/default/files/rfa_-final.pdf
Program Website: http://universityengagement.usaid.gov/
Program Synopsis
The intent of this program is to harness the knowledge, research, and creativity found on higher education campuses to further increase the effectiveness and efficiency of USAID’s development programs while reducing the costs over time.
The Centers will help USAID and the larger development community (1) better define development problems and constraints to their solution, (2) identify, test, and create potential and existing solutions to those problems, and (3) then encourage entrepreneurship, experimentation, and innovation in addressing those problems, with the overall goal of improving the effectiveness of the Agency’s development efforts. The Centers will provide the Agency, and the larger development community, with data and analysis in support of development policy and programming. They will apply science and technology and engineering for development – supporting experimentation, creativity, and the incubation of new solutions and new technologies for addressing global problems. And finally, the Centers will provide a venue for students, faculty and the broader academic community to engage in development around critical global problems and encourage problem-focused, multidisciplinary approaches to development.
USAID anticipates funding Consortium Centers at between $4-5 million per year and Single Institution Centers at between $1-2 million per year over a five year period. Applications above a maximum amount of US$25 million for Consortium Centers and US$10 million for Single Institution Centers over a five-year implementation period will not be considered.
Internal Process
Georgia Tech may submit no more than three applications as the lead application for this program. Of those three applications, GT is restricted to two individual institution center applications and one application serving as the lead (primary) on an application composed of a group of institutions competing for a “consortium level” award. There is no limit on the number applications GT can participate as a non-lead collaborating partner. To aid in selecting the three applications that can represent GT, we will hold an internal selection process, as detailed below.
GT applicants interested in this opportunity must submit a white paper of their proposed projects (not to exceed 2 pages) and biosketch of the PI and CO-PIs (submitted as one PDF) via e-mail to research@gcarnegie.gatech.edu by Friday, February 24, 2012. Please put USAID in the subject line of the e-mail. White papers should address the following and indicate if it is a Center or Consortium level application:
From Section IV.5.1.3.4 Program Concept Note:
- Summarize the technical approach, including how the proposed center or consortium meets the goals, purposes, and characteristics of a center described in the RFA in sections 1.3-1.8.
- Describe the opportunity to improve the efficacy of international development efforts, with a particular focus on USAID’s efforts as outlined in the 2011-2015 Policy Framework.
- Describe how the Center will integrate with USAID in Washington and in its Missions.
- Describe how the Center engages and partners with the developing world.
- Explain how this approach is different from existing activities and programs, but generates creativity and novelty to advance development.
- Provide a concise summary of the program description, program methodology, organizational capability, and expected results.
- Describe how proposed partnerships will enhance the activities and/or support sustainability of the Center State the bottom line funding request from USAID and the bottom line funding secured from other sources.
- Explain how this program builds on resources at the institution, and its partners, as well as its past performance with the developing world to accomplish these goals.
From Section IV.5.1.3.5 Concept Note Budget Summary:
- Budget summary table stating the total funding requested from USAID and the total funding secured by the applicant from its own resources or other sources (state sources, amounts and type of additional support (cost-share and leverage) for the proposed program.
- The budget, for the purposes of the GT white paper, can be in narrative form.
The Offices of the International Initiatives and the Executive Vice President for Research will convene a committee to make a recommendation on which proposals will represent Georgia Tech. PIs will be notified in early March.