Deadline: 28-Nov-22
The Office of Private Sector Exchange (BridgeUSA) of ECA will announce an open competition for the administration of the FY2023 BridgeUSA Africa Polytechnic Collaboration Initiative.
Purpose: In order to enhance the U.S. Department of State’s engagement with BridgeUSA exchange visitors in support of U.S. foreign policy and public diplomacy objectives, BridgeUSA will issue a cooperative agreement for $100,000, pending the availability of FY 2023 funds, to conduct the FY 2023 BridgeUSA Africa Polytechnic Collaboration Initiative.
Program Goals: The mission of BridgeUSA is to provide countless opportunities for international candidates looking to travel and gain experience in the United States. The multifaceted programs enable foreign nationals to come to the United States to teach, study, conduct research, demonstrate special skills or receive on the job training for periods ranging from a few weeks to several years. BridgeUSA’s mission – to increase mutual understanding between Americans and people of other countries – remains vital to U.S. national security and building people-to-people connections around the world. The BridgeUSA Africa Polytechnic Collaboration Initiative seeks to address the need to develop skills for a global dynamic marketplace by providing educational, technical, and industry partnerships aimed at upping the relevance and quality of training through exchange programs.
Exchanges will promote expertise and resources in technological developments especially in marginalized communities, including fundamental freedoms in the global digital space; focus on innovation among scholars so that they are better equipped to innovate in the creation of policies, programs, projects, initiatives, or products that support the practical applications in their local communities; promote diversity and inclusion as a vessel for creating an innovative society and framework for problem-solving; and, highlight U.S. industry and regulatory framework as a leading global standard.
Finally, the program will aim to build the capacity of young professionals to address challenges in their communities, specifically on issues related to occupational standards and qualifications framework; public administration; policy making; digital networks protections; diverse entrepreneurial ecosystems; and government transparency and accountability. Objectives may include but are not limited to the following:
- Provide opportunities to strengthen Sub-Saharan Africa’s technical education, economy, promote U.S. scientific norms and values, and form stronger U.S. business connections;
- Ensure women and other underrepresented groups are well-represented (technical experts, judges, journalists, and mentors), and deliver activities that address skill and resource gaps in priority entrepreneurial ecosystems, build confidence, etc.;
- Provide opportunities for exchange visitors to collaborate and share ideas, approaches, and strategies to develop solutions to pressing local and global challenges; provide a platform to promote exchange of students and faculty mobility;
- Increase Americans’ global competitiveness through new and expanded partnerships with alumni professionals from around the world;
- Strengthen the ability of digital networks protection providers to produce collections of relevant learning resources to respond to identified expertise gaps thereby strengthening resilient communities, combatting disinformation, and supporting civil society, open transparent institutions, global health, climate change, diversity and inclusion, and human rights;
- Increase the diversity of relevant and specialized technical expertise available to support local needs and integrate them into global network of like-minded professionals committed to creating positive change in their workplaces and communities;
- Create a motivated and engaged cohort of professionals and BridgeUSA alumni network, by promoting life-long learning approaches including on virtual/ digital platforms.
J-1 Categories
- Proposals should address the combination of at least five countries from the list below and stated eligible J-1 categories described below. The award recipient must have current Exchange Visitor Program designation i.e., J-1 visa sponsor or must include one current J-1 sponsor as a subaward recipient if it is not designated at the time of its application.
- The award recipient will have the primary responsibility for recruitment and selection of a diverse group of exchange visitors from the following J1 categories: Professor, Research Scholar, Short-Term Scholar, and Specialist. A brief description of each category is provided below:
- Professor: This category is for individuals who are involved primarily in teaching, lecturing, observing, or consulting at accredited post-secondary educational institutions, museums, libraries, or similar types of institutions. A professor may also conduct research, unless disallowed by the sponsor. The duration of participation for this category shall not exceed three years. An Out of Country record can be created in SEVIS after validation to identify a professor exchange visitor continuing to participate in the program activity outside the United States.
- Research Scholar: Research scholars primarily conduct research, observe, or consult in connection with a research project at research institutions, corporate research facilities, museums, libraries, accredited post-secondary educational institutions, or similar types of institutions. The research scholar may also teach and lecture ‒ unless disallowed by the sponsor ‒ provided that these activities are incidental and do not extend the period of participation beyond that maximum duration in this category (three years for the purposes of the program).
- An Out of Country record can be created in SEVIS after validation to identify a research scholar exchange visitor who is continuing to participate in the program activity outside the United States.
- Short-Term Scholar: A short-term scholar is a professor, research scholar, or a person with similar education or accomplishment coming to the United States on a short-term visit for the purpose of lecturing, observing, consulting, training, or demonstrating special skills at research institutions, museums, libraries, accredited post-secondary educational institutions, or similar types of institutions. The duration of participation in this category is not to exceed six months.
- Specialist: The purpose is to promote the interchange of knowledge and skills among foreign and American specialists who are defined as experts in a field of specialized knowledge or skills, and who visit the United States for the purpose of observing, consulting, or demonstrating their special skills. This category is intended for exchanges with experts in such areas, e.g., mass media communication, environmental science, youth leadership, international educational exchange, museum exhibitions, labor law, public administration, and library science. The exchange of specialists is seen as promoting mutual enrichment and furthering linkages among scientific institutions, government agencies, museums, corporations, libraries, and similar types of institutions. Such exchanges are primarily non-academic and provide opportunities to increase the exchange of knowledge and ideas between American and foreign specialists. Participation in this category shall not exceed one year.
Funding Information
- Award Ceiling: $100,000
- Award Floor: $100,000
- Anticipated Project Completion Date: January 1, 2026.
Eligible Countries
Under this NOFO, a single award will be issued for the following regions: East Africa and adjacent Indian Ocean Islands including Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Applicants can submit only one proposal.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible Applicants U.S. public and private academic and cultural institutions, exchange-of-persons, and other notfor-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit applications for this competition. Applicants must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of application.
- All applicants must also have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number and be registered in SAM.gov.
- Other Eligibility Requirements
- The following additional eligibility requirements apply to this NOFO announcement:
- All proposals must comply with the requirements stated in the NOFO, POGI (if applicable), and the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI); non-compliance will result in your proposal being declared technically ineligible and given no further consideration in the review process.
- For this program: Only one proposal will be considered by ECA from each applicant organization. In cases where more than one submission from an applicant appears in grants.gov, ECA will only consider the submission made closest in time to the NOFO deadline; that submission would constitute the one and only proposal ECA would review from that applicant.
- U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) that represent consortia or other combinations of accredited U.S. community colleges, or accredited specialty colleges such as HBCUs may submit only one proposal to cooperate with BridgeUSA under this competition.
- For this NOFO, the term polytechnic is defined as an institute of technology. In many countries, it is also known as technological university; university of technology; technological educational institute; technological college; vocational training institute; polytechnic university or just polytechnic. All these names commonly refer to institutions of tertiary education e.g., universities or colleges that specialize in engineering, technology, applied science, and natural sciences. In many countries, polytechnics focus mainly on applied skills or experiential learning. Polytechnic education combines the in-depth study found at universities with practical, technology-based skills training. Polytechnics offer flexible learning pathways and a more affordable education for students across East Africa.
- Please note: Applicant organizations are defined by their legal name, and EIN number as stated on their completed SF-424 and additional supporting documentation outlined in the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) document.
- The following additional eligibility requirements apply to this NOFO announcement:
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=343837