Deadline: 23 May 2019
The Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan has announced an open competition for eligible organizations to submit applications to carry out a program to provide undergraduate degrees to Afghan students, primarily women.
PAS intends to issue an award for a period of 60 months (base period) with options for two additional 12-month periods (option periods one and two). Each option year would support a new cohort of students. The students supported in the base period should begin their studies no later than the 2020-2021 academic year. Most American-style undergraduate programs require four years of instruction for a student to achieve an undergraduate degree; this is PAS’s preferred timetable. However, PAS will also consider proposals that include scholarships for up to five years – including one year of pre-academic instruction (if needed) and four years of academic study pursuant to an undergraduate degree. The year of pre-academic study would prepare students for academic and personal success, including an assessment of academic skills, and if necessary, both remedial studies, and host country familiarization.
This project seeks to provide Afghan women with an American-style, liberal arts, English language-based undergraduate education in Afghanistan, the Middle East, Central Asia, the Indian sub-continent, or the East Asia-Pacific region. This educational opportunity will enable Afghan scholars to actively participate in the Afghan workforce and serve as positive agents of change upon completion of their studies.
Objectives
- Provide female Afghan scholars with a four-to-five-year undergraduate education, following a U.S.-style curriculum, with instruction in English. Every effort should be made to fill all available scholarship slots with qualified female candidates. In the event a sufficient number of female scholars cannot be identified, male scholars who are alumni of USG programs may be considered as candidates with PAS approval.
- Include participants from multiple regions of Afghanistan.
- Provide Afghan students with a healthy physical, social, and intellectual environment.
- Strive to graduate all students who matriculate.
Award Information
- Base Period: The floor for the base period is set at $750,000. The ceiling for the base period is set at $4,000,000.
- Option Period One: The floor for option period one is set at $750,000. The ceiling for the base period is set at $4,000,000.
- Option Period Two: The floor for option period two is set at $750,000. The ceiling for option period two is set at $4,000,000
Eligible Applicants
- Eligibility is open to institutions of higher education that offer American-style, co-educational or women-only, English language-based undergraduate education in Afghanistan, the Middle East, Central Asia, the Indian sub-continent, or the East Asia-Pacific region. Individuals are not eligible to apply.
- Organizations may subaward/contract with other entities, but only one entity may be the prime recipient of the award.
- When sub-awarding/contracting with other entities, the responsibilities of each entity must be clearly defined in the proposal.
How to Apply
All application materials must be submitted electronically via the given website.
For more information, please visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=314277