NOFO: Education USA Advising Services throughout India

Deadline: 18-Jul-23

The U.S. Mission in India’s Public Diplomacy (PD) Section, within the U.S. Department of State, is pleased to announce this NOFO for a cooperative agreement to administer FY2024 -2026 Education USA advising services throughout India.

The goal of this cooperative agreement is to measurably increase student mobility between the United States and India, provide advice and information to U.S. and Indian universities seeking to establish relationships or partnerships, and assist the U.S. embassy in providing information about the U.S. higher-education system to the Indian government.

The awardee would be the primary point of information for students, parents, and higher education institutions (HEIs) to learn about U.S. higher education opportunities.  They would host India’s EducationUSA network, conduct outreach, and offer virtual seminars for U.S. representatives.

This award will support the U.S. National Security Strategy, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy, the Department of State’s Bureau of South and Central Asia and USAID’s Asia Bureau’s Joint Regional Strategy, and Mission India’s Integrated Country Strategy by increasing Indian student engagement with American peers and institutions, and increasing networks and partnerships between U.S. and Indian HEIs, subsequently expanding ties between the American people and U.S. government with India.

The award recipient will support advising operations throughout India, including oversight of  physical centers and of advisers as well as virtual advising. A successful proposal will articulate how many physical centers are necessary and their locations. In close collaboration with PDS, it will formulate and implement a strategic plan to:

• Increase the number of Indian students advised who successfully apply for, gain admittance to, and attend a U.S. university;
• Coordinate and implement India-wide outreach, communications, and marketing;
• Train advisers and support their professional development;
• Create and distribute content and materials, including through the use of digital platforms; and
• Execute special programs and events to support activities.

Funding Information

• Length of performance period: 12 to 24months (not to exceed 24 months)
• Number of awards anticipated: 1 award
• Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $800,000 to a maximum of $1,000,000
• Total available funding: $1,000,000

PDS’s activities and responsibilities are as follows:

• Provide policy guidance and direction to the award recipient.
• Approve key personnel staff requirements and selections. Key personnel determined to include domestic staff contributing 50 percent or more Level of Effort (LOE).
• Approve selection and hiring of new EducationUSA advisers and EducationUSA in conjunction with the REAC.
• Provide guidance on virtual advising priorities; to include specific product and resource development, and target audience engagement.
• Review and approve annual EducationUSA advising strategic plans, soliciting input from the REAC as relevant, for submission to ECA.
• Review and approve EducationUSA plans for adviser travel requests and professional development nominations, in consultation with the REAC.
• Work with award recipient staff, consulting with the REAC as required, on substantive advising issues.
• Establish guidance for all program design templates, written and digital products, and technology resources, and social media platform management to ensure that materials and resources align with EducationUSA’s coordinated communication and marketing strategy and State Department requirements.
• Perform quarterly review of program administration under the cooperative agreement. Pending satisfactory performance in the current award year, the award recipient may be invited to submit a proposal for a non-competitive renewal award in the subsequent fiscal year.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible Applicants
  • The following organizations are eligible to apply:
    • Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations
    • Public and private educational institutions
    • Public International Organizations and Governmental institutions
    • Cost Sharing or Matching: Cost sharing or matching is not required for this funding
• Other
  • India-based organization should be F.C.R.A. compliant.
  • Applicants should be familiar with India’s Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) and confirm their ability to meet all proposed program requirements and expectations.
  • Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal per organization. If more than one proposal is submitted from an organization, all proposals from that institution will be considered ineligible for funding.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.