Deadline: 31 March 2020
The U.S. Embassy Tokyo Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out an exchange program focusing on the English language for Japanese and Korea high school to improve English language capacity for participants and to encourage stronger Japan-Republic of Korea (ROK) relations and U.S.-Japan-ROK trilateral cooperation.
Priority Areas
The Embassy welcomes proposal that addresses these issues and is particularly interested in supporting the following priority areas:
- Strengthen the participants’ conversational English and cultural understanding;
- Foster leadership among Japanese and other country’s/countries’ high school students and cultivate pedagogical exchange among the diverse group of teachers, with the overarching aim of promoting cultural exchange;
- Develop students’ cross-cultural awareness and instilling a strong belief in the importance of the trilateral relationship;
- Promote understanding and support for U.S. policies, goals and values.
Funding Information
- Awards may range from a minimum of $5,000 to a maximum of $40,000;
- Total available funding: $40,000.
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 Regions: United States, Japan, and Republic of Korea.
Eligibility Criteria
- All programs must include U.S., Japan, and ROK participants, as students, teachers, and/or mentors. The target audience of the programs should be both Japanese and Korean high school students.
- 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=324011