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Phase III Request for Applications (RFA)
  
Date Issued: January 11, 2007
Closing Date: March 23, 2007
HED anticipates making up to six (6) awards of up to $250,000 each, incrementally funded over a two-year period, contingent on USAID funding.
Last Updated: Jan 2007
Terms of the Solicitation
Return to main TIES RFA page
Terms of the Solicitation
Eligibility
Cost Share
Execution of Awards
Post Award Briefings
Annual HED Conference
TraiNet Requirements
Health and Accident Insurance
Reporting
EligibilityHED welcomes applications from the member institutions of ACE, AACC, AASCU, AAU, NAICU, and NASULGC, and from other regionally accredited, degree granting, U.S. higher education institutions. U.S. colleges and universities may apply individually, or in partnership with other institutions. HED encourages applications from or with the participation of minority-serving institutions.
Institutions with current or completed TIES awards are eligible to submit applications that propose distinct new activities that offer innovative approaches to focus areas described in the RFA. New applications cannot simply be extensions of previous awards.
USAID encourages the involvement of certain Mexican partners. Click here for more information.
Cost Share
The minimum suggested total cost share from all U.S. partners is 25 percent of the requested award amount. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate their ability to leverage additional resources from other sources. Reported cost share must be auditable. Non-auditable contributions may not be used to meet the minimum, but can be indicated separately and attached to the budget detail form.
Partnerships among higher education institutions with private sector partners are encouraged. Applicants should itemize all cost sharing, including waivers of tuition and other academic costs, faculty release time, stipends, professional development funds, internship value, travel, supplies, equipment, other direct costs, indirect costs, etc.
Cash and in-kind contributions will be accepted as part of the applicant’s cost sharing when such contributions are: (a) verifiable from the applicant’s records; (b) not included as contributions for any other federally-assisted program; (c) reasonable for the accomplishment of partnership objectives; and (d) not paid by the federal government under another grant.
In-kind contributions may include, but are not limited to: waivers of tuition and fees for students participating in academic exchanges; donation of library and classroom materials to the partner; ICT infrastructure and Internet Service Provider subscription subsidy for the partner and exchange students; faculty salaries; travel and/or per diem for faculty and administrators to participate in professional exchange and development programs; provision of internships for students hosted by the U.S. partner(s) and American students hosted by the partner(s); and, indirect costs. Contributions not meeting the terms of “cost share” should be indicated in a separate statement of contributions.
Approximately $16.8 million in USAID/Mexico funds for TIES partnerships has leveraged over $18.3 million in cost share contributions. USAID/Mexico encourages similar commitments from TIES Phase III partnerships.
Execution of AwardsAwards will be executed as subagreements between the designated U.S. university, college, community college, or consortium, and the American Council on Education (ACE), through the Higher Education for Development (HED) office, under USAID Cooperative Agreement AEG-A-00-05-00007-00. The institution recommended for award will receive a draft version of the subagreements to review. The Awardee will be expected to submit a marking plan as part of the subagreement that clearly indicates the support provided by USAID for activities conducted under the award.
Please note that no HED award or cost share funds may be expended prior to a fully executed (i.e., signed by both parties) subagreement between ACE/HED and the designated U.S. institution unless preaward expenses have been approved as a part of the negotiation of the subaward. Activities are expected to commence immediately after the subagreement is executed.
Award funds will be disbursed to the designated U.S. university, college, community college, or consortium, based on the applicant’s implementation of the work plan, stated budget, and submission to ACE/HED of financial, tax, and narrative progress reports. It is the designated U.S. institution’s responsibility to provide disbursements (reimbursements) for its collaborating partner(s) in accordance with the agreed-upon activity schedule and budget.
Post Award BriefingsPartnership directors, and/or their designees, are required to participate in two post award briefings. The first briefing, conducted in a virtual format, will review reporting, monitoring and evaluation requirements. The second briefing via a conference call will address general requirements of the award.
Annual HED ConferenceApplicants must budget for attendance at a TIES conference in Mexico in June 2007 and an annual HED conference in Washington, DC in August 2008. Conferences are 2.5 days in length. Partnerships are expected to send one representative from the U.S. institution(s) and one representative from the Mexican institution(s). Additional project personnel may attend, subject to approval by HED, if they are funded by other sources.
TraiNet RequirementsTo comply with the Department of Homeland Security, U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Department of State, and USAID regulations regarding tracking and monitoring of Exchange Visitors, foreign nationals whose costs are paid, fully or partially, directly or indirectly using USAID program funds for training, non-training, and invitational travel, must enter the U.S. on a J-1 visa (non-immigrant Exchange Visitor visa) processed under one of USAID’s two program numbers, unless otherwise waived according to the procedure in ADS 252.3. J-2 visa applications for family members are not supported per USAID policy. USAID expects that all DS-2019 documents (paperwork needed for J visas) and in-country or third country training be processed through the USAID Training, Results and Information Network (TraiNet) system. Institutions may not directly access the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) to issue DS-2019 documents internally. Information regarding USAID’s J-1 visa requirements may be found on-line at the Participant Training website. Administrators must adhere to the regulations detailed under TraiNet, Visa Compliance System (VCS), the Student Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), and USAID’s Automated Directives System (ADS) 252-Visa Compliance for Exchange Visitors, and 253-Training for Development. U.S. institutions should allow at least 4-6 weeks for the processing of visas when planning activities in the United States.
TraiNet management requires a significant commitment of staff time and applicants are encouraged to take this into consideration when developing the program budget.
USAID Health and Accident Coverage (HAC) Insurance ProgramThe U.S. institution is responsible for enrolling each participant traveling to the United States or a third country in the official USAID Health and Accident Coverage (HAC) insurance program. Participants entering the United States on J-1 visas are required to obtain HAC from the official USAID vendor. Institutions may not use award funds to cover their own institutional HAC insurance. Click here for information on the USAID HAC insurance program. The cost of HAC for participants must be included in the budget.
ReportingAwardees will be required to submit to HED:
- Quarterly progress reports via e-mail;
- Financial expenditures and cost sharing reports at least quarterly;
- A final narrative report (due 30 days after the
conclusion of program activities); and
- Final financial reports (due no later than 90 days after
the subagreement closing date).
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