Deadline: 31 March 2020
The U.S. Embassy Tokyo announces an open competition for organizations to submit proposals for an English teacher training project to improve the communicative English language teaching skills of Japanese elementary and secondary school teachers and carry out a micro-grant program for alumni of U.S. Embassy-sponsored English teacher training programs.
Program Objectives
The Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) is working to strengthen English language education from kindergarten through university. The U.S. Embassy has also set strengthening English language education as a Mission priority and is committed to providing Japanese teachers of English with Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) opportunities to improve their English teaching, with the ultimate goal of promoting more student exchange between the United States and Japan.
The Embassy welcomes proposals that address this complex issue. The proposal should detail the specific social issue being addressed, explain the approaches that are being implemented to solve these issues, and highlight its impact, effectiveness, and future sustainability.
For the microgrant administration, microgrant applicants should encourage follow-on activities and provide further professional development opportunities for alumni of U.S. Embassy-sponsored English teacher training programs.
Funding Information
- Awards may range from a minimum of $5,000 to a maximum of $150,000;
- Total available funding: $150,000.
Funding Restrictions
The following types of projects or activities are not eligible for funding:
- Projects relating to partisan political activity;
- Charitable or development activities;
- Construction projects;
- Projects that support specific religious activities;
- Fund-raising campaigns;
- Lobbying for specific legislation or projects
- Scientific research;
- Projects intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization;
- Projects seeking funds for personal use;
- Projects that require participation fee.
Priority Region: Japan
Eligibility Criteria
The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/nongovernmental organizations;
- Public and private educational institutions;
- Public international organizations and governmental institutions;
- Individuals;
- Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible.
Evaluation Criteria
Each application will be evaluated and rated using the criteria outlined below:
- Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea – 25 points: The program idea is well developed, with detail about how program activities will be carried out. The proposal includes a reasonable implementation timeline.
- Organizational Capacity and Record on Previous Grants – 25 points: The organization has expertise in its stated field and has the internal controls in place to manage federal funds. This includes a financial management system and a bank account.
- Program Planning/Ability to Achieve Objectives – 15 points: Goals and objectives are clearly stated and program approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results.
- Budget – 10 points: The budget justification is detailed. Costs are reasonable in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results. The budget is realistic, accounting for all necessary expenses to achieve proposed activities.
- Monitoring and evaluation plan – 15 points: Applicant demonstrates ability to measure program success against key indicators and provides milestones to indicate progress toward goals outlined in the proposal. The program includes output and outcome indicators, and shows how and when those will be measured.
- Sustainability – 10 points: Program activities will continue to have positive impact after the end of the program. Cost sharing will be considered here.
Review and Selection Process
A Grants Review Committee will review and evaluate all eligible applications, selecting those with the highest scores based on the criteria above for funding. All applicants will be notified by email of the committee’s decision no later than September 30, 2020.
How to Apply
- Ensure that the proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity;
- All documents must be in English;
- All budgets must be in U.S.dollars;
- Submit applications as a Microsoft Word document, single-spaced, 12- point Times New Roman font, with 1-inch margins and numbered pages electronically via email at the address given on the website.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=323942