A.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The U. S. Embassy Abuja of the U. S. Department of State announces an open competition for U. S. based universities to submit applications for a cooperative agreement to organize a conflict resolution training program and university partnership exchange to find sustainable

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solutions to the farmer-herder conflict in Nigeria during the 2020-2022 academic years.

Please carefully follow all instructions below.

Program Objectives:
The U. S. Embassy in Abuja, through the Bureau of African Affair’s University Partnership Initiative (UPI), will fund a grant to organize a conflict resolution program and university partnership exchange towards finding sustainable solutions to the farmer-herder conflict in Nigeria during the 2020-2022 academic years.

The partnership will focus on developing a partnership(s) between a U.S.-based university and one or more Nigerian university to advance the U. S. Mission goal of promoting peace and prosperity.

Priority will be given to proposals that promote principled approaches to resolving underlying land use issues, supports conflict/dispute resolution mechanisms, livestock sector reforms, food security, fosters peaceful co-existence between farmers and herders, and that supports the Nigerian government’s peace and unity initiatives with accurate information and consistent guidance.

This funding opportunity seeks to facilitate professional exchanges between Nigerian university professionals with experience in farmer/herder conflict resolution and U.S.-based University experts with experience in land use issues and/or conflict resolution to support key Nigerian institutions to better manage land-use issues and promote the peaceful resolution of conflicts, especially the farmer/herder conflict.

In coordination with Embassy Abuja, grant recipient will design and implement a conflict/dispute resolution program for up to six (6) Nigerian university experts and a partnership exchange for developing strategies to deal with the farmer-herder conflict in Nigeria.

Programming components may include but are not limited to the following:
·Workshops in Nigeria focused on exploring the critical issues related to the farmer-herder conflict.

Virtual exchanges will be one priority topic to tailor the program to the realities of the COVID-19 era.

·The selection of up to six (6) Nigerian higher education officials for mentoring.

·Reciprocal exchange where the Nigerian administrators will visit their mentor’s campus for a two-week fellowship individualized to each mentees’ unique needs.

·Participants will be able to request program funding for a senior administrator from their institution to join them for a few days at their mentor’s campus and/or at the convention event.

·A one-day symposium on the conflict resolution program and the international partnership to hold in Abuja in the fall of 202 1. This is an expected output from the mentees upon return to Nigeria.

·A white paper presentation addressing the key issues and higher-level policy and planning recommendations that could be presented to the Government of Nigeria.

This paper should be prepared for eventual publication.

If international travel continues to be impractical, the selection of mentors with first-hand experience in Nigeria or similar settings will be prioritized. If global conditions allow, mentors will visit Nigeria for one week to learn about their partner institution(s) and to speak with the full cohort. Visits will be scheduled non-concurrently over the academic year to maximize impact. Mentors will connect electronically with their partner(s) throughout the year and host their partner’s fellowship.

Throughout the program, Nigerian University officials will receive training on grant writing and have the opportunity to compete for funding of up to $20,000 per project for proposals that either directly or indirectly address land-use issues or conflict resolution related to the Farmer-Herder conflict.

Participants and Audiences:
Jointly with grantee, U. S. Embassy Abuja will participate in selecting a diverse cohort of Nigerian university officials.

This program will also actively engage senior administrators within the Nigeria higher education system and U. S. institutions of higher learning.

B.

FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION Length of performance period:
20-24 months Number of awards anticipated:
1 award Award amounts:
maximum of $200,000 Total available funding:
maximum of $200,000 Type of Funding:
Grant Anticipated program start date:
October 15, 2020 This notice is subject to availability of funding.

Funding Instrument Type:
Grant.

Program Performance Period:
Proposed programs should be completed before September 1, 2022, but flexibility may be required because of public health considerations.

C.

ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION Eligible Applicants U.S.-based public or private educational institutions are eligible to apply.

For-profit and non-profit organizations are NOT eligible for this grant.

Cost Sharing or Matching U.S.-based institutions are strongly encouraged to provide some measure of cost sharing through the execution of the program.

Other Eligibility Requirements In order to be eligible to receive an award, all institutions must have a unique entity identifier (Data Universal Numbering System/DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet), as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov.

Please see Section D.

for information on how to obtain these registrations.

Applicants are only allowed to submit one proposal.

D.

APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION 1. Address to Request Application Package Application forms required below are available at ng.usembassy.gov and grants.gov 2. Content and Form of Application Submission Please follow all instructions below carefully.

Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will be ineligible.

Content of Application Please ensure:
· The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity · All documents are in English · All budgets are in U. S. dollars · All pages are numbered The following documents are required:
1. Mandatory application forms · SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations) · SF424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs) 2. Summary Page: Cover sheet stating the applicant name and organization, proposal date, program title, program period proposed start and end date, and brief purpose of the program.

3. Proposal: The proposal should contain sufficient information that anyone not familiar with it would understand exactly what the applicant wants to do.

You may use your own proposal format, but it must include all the items below.

·Proposal Summary:
Short narrative that outlines the proposed program, including program objectives and anticipated impact.

·Introduction to the Organization or Individual applying:
A description of past and present operations, showing ability to carry out the program, including information on all previous grants from the U. S. Embassy and/or U. S. government agencies.

· Problem Statement:
Clear, concise, and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed and why the proposed program is needed.

· Program Goals and Objectives:
The “goals” describe what the program is intended to achieve.

The “objectives” refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals.

These should be achievable and measurable.

· Program Activities:
Describe the program activities and how they will help achieve the objectives.

· Program Methods and Design:
A description of how the program is expected to work to solve the stated problem and achieve the goal.

Include a logic model as appropriate.

· Proposed Program Schedule and Timeline:
The proposed timeline for the program activities.

Include the dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events.

· Key Personnel: Names, titles, roles, and experience/qualifications of key personnel involved in the program.

What proportion of their time will be used in support of this program? · Program Partners:
List the names and type of involvement of key partner organizations and sub-awardees.

· Program Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: This is an important part of successful grants.

Throughout the timeframe of the grant, how will the activities be monitored to ensure they are happening in a timely manner, and how will the program be evaluated to make sure it is meeting the goals of the grant? 4. Itemized Budget and Budget Justification Narrative:
After filling out the SF-424A Budget (above), use a separate sheet of paper to describe each of the budget expenses in detail.

Other Information:
Guidelines for Budget Submissions below for further information.

5. Attachments:
1-page CV or resume of key personnel who are proposed for the program Letters of support from program partners describing the roles and responsibilities of each partner.

If your organization has a NICRA and includes NICRA charges in the budget, your latest NICRA should be included as a PDF file.

Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) Required Registrations:
Any applicant listed on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in the System for Award Management (SAM) is not eligible to apply for an assistance award in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR, 1986 Comp., p.

189) and 12689 (3 CFR, 1989 Comp., p.

235), “Debarment and Suspension.” Additionally, no entity listed on the EPLS can participate in any activities under an award.

All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the EPLS in SAM to ensure that no ineligible entity is included.

All organizations applying for grants (except individuals) must obtain these registrations.

All are free of charge:
Unique entity identifier from Dun & Bradstreet (DUNS number) NCAGE/CAGE code www.SAM.gov registration Step 1:
Apply for a DUNS number and an NCAGE number (these can be completed simultaneously) DUNS application:
Organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet.

If your organization does not have one already, you may obtain one by calling 1-866-705-5711 or visiting http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform NCAGE application:
Application page here:
https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx Instructions for the NCAGE application process:
https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf For NCAGE help from within the U.S., call 1-888-227-2423 For NCAGE help from outside the U.S., call 1-269-961-7766 Email NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil for any problems in getting an NCAGE code.

Step 2:
After receiving the NCAGE Code, proceed to register in SAM.gov by logging onto:
https://www.sam.gov.

SAM registration must be renewed annually.

Submission Dates and Times Applications are due no later than September 30, 202 0. Other Submission Requirements All application must be submitted by email to PASAbujaGrants@state.gov using the subject line “U.S.-Nigeria Exchange on Farmer-Herder Conflict Resolution Project”.

Please note that there is not a required template or format.

E.

APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION Criteria Each application will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the evaluation criteria outlined below.

Quality and Feasibility of the Program Idea:
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:
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:
Goals and objectives are clearly stated, and program approach is likely to provide maximum impact in achieving the proposed results.

Budget:
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:
Applicant demonstrates it can 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:
Program activities will continue to have positive impact after the end of the program.

Review and Selection Process A Grants Review Committee at U. S. Embassy Abuja will evaluate all eligible applications.

Selected application(s) may also be reviewed by the Bureau of African Affairs.

Federal Awardee Performance & Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) For any Federal award under a notice of funding opportunity, if the Federal awarding agency anticipates that the total Federal share will be greater than the simplified acquisition threshold on any Federal award under a notice of funding opportunity may include, over the period of performance (see §20 0. 88 Simplified Acquisition Threshold), this section must also inform applicants:
i.

That the Federal awarding agency, prior to making a Federal award with a total amount of Federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently FAPIIS) (see 41 U.S.C.

2313); ii.

That an applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through SAM and comment on any information about itself that a Federal awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM; iii.

That the Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in §20 0. 205 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.

F.

FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS If you have any questions about the grant application process, please contact: Public Affairs Section, PASAbujaGrants@state.gov