7200AA18RFA00004 LASER.pdf

Issue Date: December 6, 2017

Deadline for Question/Clarifications: December 20, 2017 at 12:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

Closing Date: January 24, 2018

Closing Time: 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

Subject: USAID Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: 7200AA18RFA00004

Program Title: Long-term Assistance and SErvices for Research (LASER)

Ladies/Gentlemen:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking applications for a cooperative agreement from qualified U.S. and Non-U.S. Higher Education Institutions (HEI) to fund a program entitled

Long-term Assistance and SErvices for Research (LASER). Eligibility for this award is restricted to organizations meeting the HEI definition references in Section A and the eligibility requirements in Section C of this NFO.

Subject to the availability of funds an award will be made to that responsible applicant(s) whose application(s) best meets the objectives of this funding opportunity and the selection criteria contained herein. While an award(s) is anticipated as a result of this notice of funding opportunity (NFO), USAID reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted.

For the purposes of this NFO the term "Grant" is synonymous with "Cooperative Agreement"; "Grantee" is synonymous with "Recipient"; and "Grant Officer" is synonymous with "Agreement Officer". Eligible organizations interested in submitting an application are encouraged to read this funding opportunity thoroughly to understand the type of program sought, application submission requirements and evaluation process.

To be eligible for award, the applicant must provide all information as required in this NFO and meet eligibility standards in Section C of this NFO. This funding opportunity is posted on www.grants.gov, and may be amended.

Potential applicants should regularly check the website to ensure they have the latest information pertaining to this notice of funding opportunity. Applicants will need to have available or download Adobe program to their computers in order to view and save the Adobe forms properly. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the entire NFO has been received from the internet in its entirety and USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion process. If you have difficulty registering on www.grants.gov or accessing the NFO, please contact the Grants.gov Helpdesk at 1-800-518-4726 or via email at support@grants.gov for technical assistance.

The successful Applicant will be responsible for ensuring the achievement of the program objectives. Please read each section of the NFO.

Please send any questions to the point(s) of contact identified in section D. The deadline for questions is shown above. Responses to questions received prior to the deadline will be furnished to all potential applicants through an amendment to this notice posted to www.grants.gov.

http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov

Issuance of this notice of funding opportunity does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the

Government nor does it commit the Government to pay for any costs incurred in preparation or submission of comments/suggestions or an application. Applications are submitted at the risk of the applicant. All preparation and submission costs are at the applicant’s expense.

Thank you for your interest in USAID programs.

Sincerely, Roderick D. Watson

Senior Agreement Officer

U .S. Agency for International Development

Office of Acquisitions & Assistance, Special Initiatives and Development Partners

1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, SA-44 Rm 506-B

Washington, DC 20523

7200AA18RFA00004 - Long-term Assistance and SErvices for Research (LASER) Page 3

SECTION A: PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

1. Introduction

2. Background- Global Development Lab and Research

3. LASER Scope

Desired Program Outcomes

Desired Program Activities

4. Substantial Involvement by USAID

5. Management and Key Personnel

6. Performance Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan

SECTION B: FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

1. Estimate of Funds Available and Number of Awards Contemplated

2. Start Date and Period of Performance for Federal Awards

3. Substantial Involvement

4. Title to Property

5. Authorized Geographic Code

6. Purpose of the Award

SECTION C: ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

3. Other

SECTION D: APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Agency Point of Contact

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

SECTION E: APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Review and Selection Process

2. Criteria

SECTION F: FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices

2. Administrative & National Policy Requirements

3. Reporting Requirements

SECTION G: FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACT(S)

SECTION H: OTHER INFORMATION

CERTIFICATIONS, ASSURANCES, OTHER STATEMENTS OF THE RECIPIENT AND

SOLICITATION STANDARD PROVISIONS

7200AA18RFA00004 - Long-term Assistance and SErvices for Research (LASER) Page 4

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS USED IN THIS NFO

ADS Automated Directive Services

AO Agreement Officer

AOR Agreement Officer Representative

APS Annual Program Statement

BEO Bureau Environmental Officer

CDR Center for Development Research

CLA Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting

CRM Climate Risk Management

DDL Development Data Library

DEC Development Exchange Clearinghouse

DUNS Data Universal Numbering System

HEA Higher Education Act

HEI Higher Education Institution

HESN Higher Education Solutions Network

LAB U.S. Global Development Lab

LASER Long-term Assistance and SErvices for Research

LMIC Low and Middle-Income Country

LOC Letter of Credit

M/B/IO Missions, Bureaus, and Independent Office

MEL Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

MSI Minority-Serving Institution

MTDC Modified Total Direct Costs

NGO Non-Governmental Organization

NICRA Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

OMB White House Office of Management and Budget

PIEE Programmatic Initial Environmental Examination

PPI Past Performance Information

RTAC Research Technical Assistance Center

SAM System for Award Management

STIP Science, Technology, Innovation, and Partnership

RCE Request for Categorical Exclusion

RFA Request for Applications

TIN Taxpayer Identification Number

U.S. United States

7200AA18RFA00004 - Long-term Assistance and SErvices for Research (LASER) Page 5

SECTION A: PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

1. Introduction

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through the Center for Development

Research (CDR) in the U.S. Global Development Lab (Lab) plans to invest in a five-year Cooperative Agreement with a Higher Education Institution (HEI) to support a project entitled Long-term

Assistance and SErvices for

Research (LASER). This Cooperative Agreement aims to support the discovery and uptake of university-sourced, evidence-based solutions to development challenges. The Period of Performance will be 5 years, subject to performance and availability of funds. The anticipated budget includes a ceiling of $70,000,000 (estimated up to $14,000,000 per year). Under that ceiling, and subject to the availability of funds, core funds from LAB/CDR are anticipated to be $10,000,000- $20,000,000 over five (5) years ($2,000,000 - $4,000,000 per year) with any additional funds beyond that coming from other Centers within the Lab as well as other USAID Missions, Bureaus, and Independent Offices (M/B/IOs) based on their programmatic needs. Of the expected $2-4M in annual core funds, USAID estimates that approximately 30-40% of the yearly core funding will be dedicated to support recipient-directed identification of crucial development research questions and subsequent design, solicitation, and execution of research activities. USAID anticipates that the remainder of the core funds will cover operating, management, and implementation costs of the LASER Award, including the management and support of a broad international network of researchers and HEIs available to identify and respond to key research questions.

Through LASER, USAID seeks to leverage and support international university networks, inclusive of universities from both the United States (U.S) and lower-middle income countries (LMIC), to improve development research opportunities, evidence generation, and uptake by development actors and policy makers.

As part of the Cooperative Agreement, USAID will support a recipient to identify new research questions, fund research activities, translate research results into development impact, and build capacity of local higher education institutions and researchers. USAID seeks to support a recipient with a defined plan to achieve these goals, with the specific details and workplan proposed by the recipient, in consultation with USAID. USAID specifically seeks to support an implementing partner whose workplan includes the creation, engagement, and/or growth of a large, international network of university researchers, centers, and institutes across disciplines that can 1) independently identify and address new and impactful research questions with high relevance to the international development community AND 2) partner with USAID Missions, Bureaus, and

Independent Offices (M/B/IOs) to address unique research needs identified by USAID.

Additionally, USAID seeks to increase the human and institutional capacity of LMIC HEIs through LASER. This will occur as they engage in collaborative research opportunities with U.S. researchers and receive technical

1 For purposes of this RFA, a higher education institution is defined as follows: “A tertiary education institution is an organization that provides educational opportunities that build on secondary education, providing learning activities in specialized fields. It aims at learning at a high level of complexity and specialization. Tertiary education includes what is commonly understood as academic education but also includes advanced vocational or professional education. This may include public or private universities, colleges, research institutes, training institutes [including teacher training institutes], etc.”

2 From the standpoint of CDR, “long-term” refers to research projects whose implementation (from awarding of funds to delivery of research products) ranges from approximately 1-5 years.

3 The term research, as defined by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and referenced in the USAID Scientific

Research Policy, refers to systematic and creative activities undertaken to increase the knowledge base, including understanding of humankind, culture, environment, and society, and the application of this knowledge base to devise new interventions.

https://www.usaid.gov/policy/scientific-research

7200AA18RFA00004 - Long-term Assistance and SErvices for Research (LASER) Page 6 assistance in research translation through the implementing HEI. Through the LASER-implementing HEI and its network, USAID will engage local stakeholders to identify and refine critical development research questions and conduct research projects that address those questions. This is to ensure that the entire research system - from universities to policy-makers and civil society - will become engaged, capacitated contributors to the success of the research project. The resulting LASER network will not only generate new knowledge for USAID, but also leave behind a sustainable union of collaborating U.S. and developing country institutions. These collaborations will be characterized by equitable university partnerships, improved academic focus on development challenges, and stakeholders that are better equipped to use research to further their development outcomes.

The project will be linked to, and coordinate with, its sister project, the Research Technical Assistance Center

(RTAC) (see Section 2: Background for description of RTAC). These projects will both contribute to USAID’s

Higher Education Solutions Network (HESN), a university-based programming portfolio which seeks to improve

USAID’s partnerships with universities as thought partners in solving today’s greatest development challenges.

LASER and RTAC address a clear need for increased collaboration between USAID and the international university community. LASER and RTAC allow for rapid access to scientific advisement, world-class evidence generation, joint ownership of and commitment to research, and effective translation of research results into actionable policy or program recommendations. LASER will meet this need through timely facilitation of USAID research partnerships with researchers that have deep technical and/or geographic expertise in areas relevant to the development research need. Additionally, LASER partnerships will be characterized by participatory engagement between USAID, local stakeholders, and the international research community. Ultimately, a successful LASER program fulfills CDR’s Science Objective: Increase the use of scientific research for improved development outcomes, by creating a network of universities and researchers with increased understanding of USAID and expertise in solving development challenges.

2. Background- Global Development Lab and Research

Lab Mission

The Center for Development Research (CDR) is part of the US Global Development Lab (Lab) and supports the

Lab’s two-part mission to:

1. Produce breakthrough development innovations by sourcing, testing, and scaling proven solutions that impact millions of people; and

2. Accelerate the transformation of the development enterprise by opening development to people anywhere with good ideas, promoting new and deepening existing partnerships, bringing data and evidence to bear, and harnessing scientific and technological advances.

Lab Approach

The Lab operates under a set of guiding principles. The Lab aims to be:

● Open and Inclusive - Drawing upon the ingenuity of people from around the world.

● Evidence-based - Investing based on strong evidence of impact.

● Catalytic - Attracting the support of others to enable sustainable development solutions that reach massive scale.

4 The term “local” refers to actors, organizations, and systems within USAID partner countries.

7200AA18RFA00004 - Long-term Assistance and SErvices for Research (LASER) Page 7

● Agile - Creating fast feedback loops that enable continuous learning and performance improvement.

Lab Objectives

The Lab is focused on Science, Technology, Innovation, and Partnership (STIP) as our primary tools to reach key development outcomes. We work across USAID and with the broader international development community to find innovative approaches and solutions. When a new solution or approach proves effective, we endeavor to mainstream it across USAID and with our partners to increase its impact. As such, the Lab’s programming is aligned around five objectives:

● Science: Increasing the use of scientific research to improve development outcomes and make better policy and programming decisions.

● Technology: Advancing the use of enabling technologies and data-driven approaches to empower underserved communities and improve development effectiveness.

● Innovation: Increasing the adoption of high impact development solutions and the effective use of innovation models and design practices.

● Partnerships: Advancing the use of private sector engagement, new collaborative approaches, and cultivation of entrepreneurial ecosystems to accelerate and scale development impact.

● Agency Integration: Increasing the effective integration of STIP by Missions and Bureaus to advance

USAID’s sustainable development results and priorities.

The Lab recognizes the value of leveraging the international university community across the range of Lab objectives. We anticipate that CDR-led higher education mechanisms will contribute to all the major objectives of the Lab, in addition to the unique strategies and objectives of partner M/B/IO's across the Agency.

Strategically, CDR believes that outcomes associated with these pathways will be best achieved by improving use of research at USAID and accelerating local scientific potential through building strong and equitable research partnerships with higher education institutions in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) . Through the planned solicitations described below, the Lab will partner with USAID M/B/IO's to integrate research across the

USAID Program Cycle: in strategic planning, project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and learning/adapting. This will involve matchmaking between the research needs of a given USAID M/B/IO and the capabilities of the broader research community. Additionally, the Lab endeavors to partner with other development actors and leverage external resources to overcome barriers that local researchers and institutions face in conducting and using research. This could involve direct support to local researchers, institutions, or regional associations. This may also involve working with USAID Missions to assess local research potential and helping to unlock local resources (i.e. from host country governments or private sector) or fostering partnerships across regions (including other developed and developing countries).

5The USAID Research Policy defines capacity development in the context of research as “a process of change in which people and organizations improve their potential to design, manage, support and conduct research and to engage with stakeholders to ensure that research is used to inform policy and evidence-based practice. Capacity development also extends to the enabling environment for research which includes a country’s policy for supporting and funding science, how it prioritizes areas for research and how it uses evidence in decision making.“ As such, it is important to consider capacity development at three levels: individual, institutional, and enabling environment.

https://www.usaid.gov/ads/policy/200/201

7200AA18RFA00004 - Long-term Assistance and SErvices for Research (LASER) Page 8

Just as USAID seeks to work with a diversity of stakeholders in addressing key development challenges, the

Agency also seeks to ensure inclusive participation within the landscape of university-led programming. This includes representation from female researchers, minority-serving institutions (MSIs) , and institutions from

LMICs. Given their perspectives and relationships with local beneficiaries and stakeholders, these groups are uniquely well-positioned to identify contextually-relevant research questions and solutions, as well as promote the translation and uptake of research findings to support policy/decision-making. To achieve these objectives, the

Lab envisions launching a suite of new research-based programming in FY 2018 under the university-based

HESN portfolio. CDR is tentatively planning and preparing three solicitations, outlined below, with LASER being the focus of the present Request for Applications (RFA):

1. Long-term Assistance and SErvices for Research (LASER) - CDR envisions expanding our support of long-term research efforts (typically > 1 year) that address specific development needs via the LASER

Award. Through LASER, USAID will leverage the intellectual prowess, knowledge, and in-country experience of our university partners to co-create research solutions to pressing development challenges.

The LASER implementing partner will be responsible for supporting a large and varied network of university researchers, organizations, and faculty (in the U.S. and in USAID partner countries) to partner with USAID missions, bureaus, and independent operating units (M/B/IO’s). Through the LASER Prime and Network, CDR will engage local stakeholders to identify and refine critical development research questions and then fund research projects that address those questions so that the entire research system -from universities to policy-makers and civil society - can be engaged, educated, and contribute to the success of the research project. Co-creating research projects with USAID and other development actors will help researchers maximize their impact by addressing questions that are pressing and actionable to development actors and are primed for translation to development practice or policy. The resulting

LASER network will not only generate new knowledge for USAID, but also carry forward a sustainable union of collaborating institutions. These collaborations will be characterized by equitable partnerships with developing country universities, improved academic focus on development challenges, and stakeholders that are better equipped to use research to further their development outcomes.

2. Research Technical Assistance Center (RTAC) - The envisioned RTAC contract will provide timely research-based technical assistance that facilitates USAID’s capability to make quick, evidence-based programming decisions by leveraging the technical expertise of the higher education community.

Anticipated activities include: creation of evidence-to-action policy briefs, and technical reports; strategic research agenda setting and research activity consultations; coordination of university-based researchers for expert panels or convenings and sector-focused trainings; and provision of other emergent technical assistance support. CDR anticipates that the successful RTAC Prime will establish and maintain a network of individual graduate students, faculty, and researchers with current academic affiliations. Those interested in participating in this network would apply directly to the RTAC Prime. These individuals

6 The USAID MSI Program’s mission is to facilitate an environment where U.S. MSIs become USAID partners by successfully competing for USAID awards and by engaging in U.S. foreign assistance activities. The USAID MSI Program provides support to minority-serving U.S. higher education institutions interested in USAID programs and activities and promotes the interests, capabilities, and experience of MSI's within USAID. MSI's include Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving

Institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving

Institutions (AANAPISIs). For more information on MSI's please follow this link - https://www.usaid.gov/partnership-opportunities/universities/minorityserving-institutions.

7200AA18RFA00004 - Long-term Assistance and SErvices for Research (LASER) Page 9 would then be available to serve as individual technical advisors, via subcontract agreements, upon whom

USAID can call on for support across a wide variety of technical sectors as needed.

3. Science, Technology, Innovation and Partnership Annual Program Statement (STIP APS) -

Expanding on our initial set of HESN awards, CDR will seek to engage the international academic community broadly across STIP programmatic emphases. CDR envisions publishing an Annual Program

Statement (APS) in which CDR, the Lab, and other USAID M/B/IO's would be invited to submit addendums or specific priorities in support of cross-cutting development challenges that can be tackled by a “whole of university” approach with university partners. Universities and/or university-containing consortia (including private sector, foundations, etc.,) would then have the opportunity to respond to specific addendums, stating how they would work across sectors and with in-country partners to develop and test interventions that could change the curve of development.

3. LASER Scope

Desired Program Outcomes

CDR anticipates that LASER will contribute to development impact through successful achievement of the following three major program outcomes:

● Generate Targeted Evidence through Innovative Research Approaches: Through LASER, the Lab will support research that responds to priority questions identified independently by the implementing partner and through consultation with USAID M/B/IO's across the Agency. Beyond traditional, single sector questions, e.g. water, environment, or energy, this research programming could also focus on integrated, cross-sectoral questions to fill knowledge gaps that traditional sector-based USAID research programming structures may not fully address. These research questions could include many interrelated development challenges such as (but not limited to): the impact of water availability on wildlife conservation and ecological services or the interrelationship between land-tenure rights and countering violent extremism. The area of programming could also involve funding tools and methods to conduct development research with more agility, speed, and accuracy. Consistent with the Lab’s approach to in-country engagement and co-creation, research questions and resulting research teams should maximize and leverage expertise/insight from in-country partners, beneficiaries, and end-users at all stages of the project (from design to dissemination of results).

● Facilitate the Translation of Research to Impact: Through LASER, the Lab will support programming that helps make research actionable so that development actors understand and apply research into their development work. This outcome represents an extension beyond the generation of research to the subsequent translation and use of research. Research findings and knowledge products are often not effectively applied to development problems. The Lab seeks to fill this gap by facilitating synthesis and translation of research, increasing access to research results, and promoting greater communication between researchers and other actors involved in development. This will involve activities that help identify and refine research questions through stakeholder consultations prior to initiation of a research activity, to ensure that the activity is responding to a demonstrated need and the outputs will be articulated and formulated in usable ways. Involving stakeholders early will facilitate translation of the research to https://www.usaid.gov/hesn

7200AA18RFA00004 - Long-term Assistance and SErvices for Research (LASER) Page 10 impact through dissemination meetings, policy briefs, new standard operating procedures, etc., while strengthening the capacity of participating individuals and institutions to purposefully serve as drivers for research-to-impact. Additionally, the Lab seeks to promote activities related to knowledge management, communications, and/or convening around research products and the policies or practices that those products inform.

● Accelerate Local Scientific Potential: LASER is designed to achieve these outcomes through an emphasis on building strong, equitable partnerships between USAID, U.S. universities, and LMIC institutions of higher education. Specifically, the LASER cooperative agreement is intended to build international research collaboration opportunities through participation of LMIC institutions in the

LASER network, direct technical assistance to network LMIC institutions, and engagement of local stakeholders in problem identification, research, and translation processes. Likewise, LASER is also designed to allow USAID M/B/IO's to easily fund the LASER Recipient to address research questions of mutual interest, particularly through the involvement of LASER network institutions within the LMIC of interest where possible.

Desired Program Activities

Through LASER, USAID seeks to improve the generation, translation and utilization of development-relevant research. Recognizing the inherent value of universities to such efforts, USAID expects to enter into a

Cooperative Agreement to support the creation and/or expansion of a broad network of universities and university-affiliated researchers to:

1) independently identify key development challenges;

2) convene key stakeholders to co-design and conduct high quality research activities to address those challenges, as well as others identified by USAID M/B/IO's;

3) translate the results of that research into development-relevant policy recommendations, program modifications, or implementation plans;

4) increase the human and institutional capacity of LMIC HEI’s to serve as equitable partners in these activities.

This Cooperative Agreement will support the efforts of at least one (Prime) implementing partner HEI or consortium with similar goals and a defined plan on how to achieve them. While the Prime must be a Higher

Education Institution (HEI) , additional consortia partners or subawardees are not required to be higher education

7 A “Consortia” application in the context of this RFA refers to applications that are submitted on behalf of multiple organizations aiming to collaborate as the primary conveners or organizations of the overall LASER Network. Consortia applications are welcomed under this RFA; however, one eligible entity must still be identified as the Prime Recipient (see eligibility requirements in Section C). The other consortia partners will serve as subawardees to the Prime (if the relationship is monetary in nature) or as thought partners/advisors to the Prime (if the relationship is non-monetary in nature). The Prime recipient will be responsible for managing and coordinating its partners as it seeks to achieve the goals stated above. In this context, the definition of “consortia” should be limited to organizations that will receive formal subaward budgets and/or scopes of work based on the applicant's proposed technical approach and cost application and should not include those organizations that are going to be included in the LASER Network and available for potential future work.

8 For purposes of this RFA, higher education institutions are defined as follows: “A tertiary education institution is an organization that provides educational opportunities that build on secondary education, providing learning activities in specialized fields. It aims at learning at a high level of complexity and specialization. Tertiary education includes what is commonly understood as academic education but also includes advanced vocational or professional education. This may include public or private universities, colleges, research institutes, training institutes [including teacher training institutes], etc.”

7200AA18RFA00004 - Long-term Assistance and SErvices for Research (LASER) Page 11 institutions. CDR recommends the use of consortium or subawardee arrangements when the addition of these organizations strengthens specific elements or capabilities within the application. It is important to note, however, that the LASER Network that this consortia subsequently supports must be composed solely of researchers formally affiliated with an HEI.

Figure 1: LASER Process. This diagram outlines the relationships and process that USAID seeks to support to identify crucial unresolved questions in development research, fund the resulting research activities, and translate the results for impact.

Specific LASER activities that USAID seeks to support under this Cooperative Agreement include:

1. Formation and curation of a technically and geographically diverse network of individual university researchers, centers, and institutions. USAID seeks to support a network with the following characteristics:

a. Contains the expertise needed to co-create research projects with USAID across all the major technical sectors and in all of the major regions in which USAID programs activities. Because social science and business perspectives are critical to ensuring that the outcomes of development research activities are taken up by communities, the LASER recipient should include social science and business experts in the network.

b. Inclusive recruitment via rolling or periodic open admission process to promote the inclusion of new members and expertise, with eligibility and ultimate approval subject to review by the

Recipient and USAID. USAID may also elect to recommend researchers, universities, and / or institutions to be considered for inclusion in the Network.

c. Network management plan that allows for research collaborations and proposals to be effectively designed, executed, managed and accounted for in a timely fashion. Emphasis on representation from a diverse group of researchers either as lead researchers or as research team members, https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do https://www.usaid.gov/where-we-work

7200AA18RFA00004 - Long-term Assistance and SErvices for Research (LASER) Page 12 including female researchers and researchers from MSIs and LMICs. The Network management plan should also develop intra-network relationships that accelerate the research potential of

LMIC Network members and promote enduring independent research and thought leadership capacity of participating LMIC higher education institutions and researchers beyond the life of the award.

2. Identification of key questions in international development research. USAID seeks to support a

Prime partner who also has independent interest in discovering and outlining key research questions and challenges in development that could be addressed through research activities or methodological improvements in the practice of development research. USAID has learned that research has greater uptake and impact when interested stakeholders are consulted early and often in question identification and refinement. The extent of that consultation is often research-topic-dependent and can range from phone calls with targeted individuals, to large, multi-party convenings. With this understanding, USAID has particular interest in supporting a Prime partner that:

a. Incorporates stakeholder (particularly local stakeholder) involvement in the identification and/or refinement of research questions;

b. Convenes development actors, stakeholders, and network institutions to identify key, unresolved development challenges and proposes research solutions where warranted;

c. Assists USAID M/B/IO's in uncovering and refining questions of interest based on M/B/IO-identified research needs, paying special attention to principles of good development; and

d. Develops scopes of work that may be used for research calls to the LASER Network to address these identified and refined research questions.

3. Funding research awards to Network members. USAID seeks to support a Prime partner to solicit and fund research proposals from the LASER Network in response to research calls that address questions that the Prime and / or USAID have identified and refined. USAID anticipates that the LASER Prime will

1) use core funds to issue research calls to the LASER Network that address research questions that were identified by the LASER Prime and 2) collaborate with USAID M/B/IO's to issue USAID-funded research calls to the LASER Network that address research questions of USAID interest in collaboration with the LASER Prime. It is expected that the Prime establish a standard operating procedure to:

a. Solicit Requests for Applications (RFAs) from its network of researchers/universities for each research activity;

b. Review and select the most appropriate RFA response. When addressing needs identified by

USAID M/B/IO’s, the recipient should select the most favorable applications, based on evaluation criteria established in collaboration with the USAID M/B/IO, for final review and approval by the funding M/B/IO. Once selected, the Prime should issue the appropriate subaward documents to enable work to begin through the identified university/research partner.

c. Incorporate research translation and dissemination planning from project start, including budgeting for appropriate communications, publications, data repository, journal publication costs, and any other resources needed to ensure the data are accessible and have maximum impact.

d. Maximize participation of in-country/host partners to promote local involvement while accelerating local scientific potential. This is envisioned to include technical assistance or training http://digitalprinciples.org/

7200AA18RFA00004 - Long-term Assistance and SErvices for Research (LASER) Page 13 to LMIC researchers, institutions, or other organizations to increase local capacity to manage and execute rigorous research awards (as needed).

e. As needed and appropriate, design, organize, manage, and award prizes (specifically Innovation

Incentive Award prizes pursuant to Section 7034(d)(4) of the Department of State, Foreign

Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, FY17, and other relevant authorities) and prize-like competitions designed to support research, acceleration, and innovation consistent with the purpose of this RFA.

4. Translation and dissemination of research findings. Translation includes creation of products such as policy briefs, presentations, or other media with relevant political/social contexts and actionable policy or programmatic recommendations. USAID seeks to support a Prime that proposes core functionality focused on supporting and building the capacity of LASER researchers in creating policy or practitioner-friendly outputs. These should allow for easy uptake and utilization of the information in the context of the development practitioner’s work. This could include, but is not limited to:

a. Core-funded technical writers/communicators who could either directly translate primary research into policy-relevant documents, presentations, or other media for researchers or build the capacity of individual researchers or institutions to complete this work independently;

b. Trainings, small convenings, or media events to disseminate research findings and/or help policy makers or practitioners apply research findings;

c. Development and support of a LASER public portal (website) that showcases the translated media materials in an open and accessible way. This could be the same portal through which the

Prime solicits researchers for their network, announces subaward RFA announcements, and publishes other research outputs like primary literature and research data

d. Coordination with the sister-project RTAC, to the extent that such coordination facilitates the completion of mutual translation/communication objectives.

4. Substantial Involvement by USAID

Consistent with § 200.24 Cooperative Agreement and the USAID Automated Directive Services (ADS) 303.3.11

Substantial Involvement and Cooperative Agreements, USAID anticipates “substantial involvement” throughout the duration of the LASER Award. For LASER, USAID specifically anticipates reserving the right to approve the

Recipient’s Implementation Plan (Workplan), approve any changes to Key Personnel as laid out in the application/initial award, and engage in Agency and Recipient “joint collaboration and participation.”

Specifically, USAID expects to be involved in the solicitation, selection, and execution of the Recipient’s subawards managed through the award. In collaboration with the USAID Agreement Officer Representative

(AOR), USAID M/B/IO Activity Managers and technical experts are expected to participate in technical review and evaluation of applications (when desired by the M/B/IO), give final approval for subawards, review progress reports, and monitor the technical quality and achievements of activities. With respect to core activities proposed by the recipient, USAID expects to approve Annual Workplans, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) plans, and Key Personnel. Detailed breakdown of the envisioned division of roles and responsibilities between the

9 Per USAID’s Development Data Policy and the Public Access Plan, the research data, peer-reviewed publications, and technical manuscripts must also be deposited into or registered with USAID’s Development Data Library (DDL) and the Development Exchange

Clearinghouse (DEC).

https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/303.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/303.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/303.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/303.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/303.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/303.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/303.pdf https://fawiki.fws.gov/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=24707388 https://fawiki.fws.gov/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=24707388

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Recipient and USAID is as follows:

1. Subaward solicitation of Requests for Applications (RFAs):

a. Role of USAID AOR (Substantial Involvement)

i. Collaboratively, with the Recipient, identify topics of solicitation; and

ii. Review (and approve as needed) RFA solicitation documents.

b. Role of Prime Recipient:

i. Collaboratively, with USAID, identify topics of solicitation;

ii. Prepare solicitation documents. At a minimum, documents will include a clear description of the objectives, selection criteria, eligibility requirements, and appropriate deadlines. They will also request information on how the subrecipients will address gender inequality and environmental/climate issues (as applicable) in their activities.

Where appropriate, they will state any expected cost share requirements of subrecipients;

iii. Distribute and advertise solicitation. The Recipient will advertise the solicitation within the Network to inform appropriate groups who might be interested and have the organizational capability and geographic presence to effectively implement the program;

and

iv. Receive applications submitted in response to all solicitations and verify their responsiveness to the minimum criteria established for each solicitation, including prioritizing applications for USAID review and approval.

2. Review and Selection Process:

a. Role of USAID (Substantial Involvement):

i. Assist with selection of subawardee when funded through M/B/IO buy-in;

ii. Approve Prime’s selection of subawardee(s).

b. Role of Prime Recipient:

i. Determine eligibility of applicants to receive subaward;

ii. Evaluate each application against identified evaluation criteria;

iii. Select one or more applications that represent the most likely to successfully achieve the desired outcome and present the application(s) to USAID for review. As a consideration, the Prime should look highly on applications that leverage existing equipment, programs, data, and other resources;

iv. One or more representatives from the Recipient will participate in any necessary technical reviews and will summarize discussions and key points; and

v. Prepare a budget analysis to determine reasonable costs

3. Execution of subawards/subcontracts:

a. Role of USAID (Substantial Involvement):

i. Provide administrative and financial support as needed by Prime Recipient;

ii. Approve all formal subawards.

b. Role of Prime Recipient:

i. Determine financial viability and that accounting procedures meet the General Accepted

Accounting Principles for selected applicants;

ii. If requested by a USAID M/B/IO, provide technical assistance to upgrade the capacity of recipients to receive and manage USAID funds;

7200AA18RFA00004 - Long-term Assistance and SErvices for Research (LASER) Page 15

iii. Include USAID-defined requirements and processes for data collection and reporting as defined in ADS 579; and

iv. Execute subawards for successful applicants, including monitoring compliance and all relevant standard provisions with the requirements.

4. Management of subawards/subcontracts

a. Role of USAID (Substantial Involvement):

i. Review and approval of final technical deliverables provided by subaward/subcontract recipients to the Prime recipient

b. Role of Prime Recipient:

i. Track the timelines and completeness of submissions of both financial and technical reports;

ii. Collect and review reports with data results from subrecipient and submit them to

USAID;

iii. Assist subrecipients in meeting financial reporting requirements; and

iv. Coordinate with the AOR and USAID M/B/IOs in the event of administrative or financial issues related to the subawards;

v. Ensure appropriate USAID branding and marking, USAID Development Data policy, Public Access plan guidelines, and all other required provisions of the Cooperative

Agreement are followed.

5. General Program Oversight

a. Role of USAID (Substantial Involvement):

i. Review and approve the annual Workplan and Workplan Budget (to be disaggregated by sub-activities/buy-ins so that work and budgets can be tracked at the M/B/IO level);

ii. In collaboration with USAID M/B/IO's, the Recipient, and other stakeholders, monitor technical quality and objective achievements of subawards;

iii. Conduct post-Award monitoring activities (regular phone calls with the AOR, site visits as needed, etc.); and

iv. Provide guidance to the Recipient on budgetary issues such as subaward/subcontract funding.

b. Role of Prime Recipient:

i. Participate in meetings, events, and partnership activities that enhance the ability of the recipient to effectively manage the award; and

ii. Complete reporting requirements and participate in Award monitoring activities.

5. Management and Key Personnel

The Prime recipient will maintain appropriate contracting, financial, and quality assurance systems and structures for implementing the project. These systems will be designed to contain costs and provide an optimal balance between research question identification, research subawards/subcontracts, and research translation activities.

Applicants are requested to propose specific key personnel for the positions listed below in addition to a comprehensive staffing plan that demonstrates a balance of skills that will support the achievement of LASER’s objectives and results. The staffing pattern should reflect the minimum number of highly experienced technical

10 When merited by appropriate intellectual input into research design and/or manuscript drafting, USAID staff should be listed as co-authors on primary literature.

https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1869/USAID%20Graphics%20Standards%20Manual%20and%20Partner%20Co%20Branding%20Guide%20February%202016.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/data https://www.usaid.gov/data https://www.usaid.gov/open/public-access-plan

7200AA18RFA00004 - Long-term Assistance and SErvices for Research (LASER) Page 16 staff sufficient to conduct activities anticipated under this award. The staffing level and pattern may be modified over time if needed to provide effective support to field programs as they evolve. USAID understands that some of the LASER functions (i.e., logistics of stakeholder meetings, technical support, communications, etc.) may be managed by subcontractors/subawardees proposed as a part of the application or post-Award. Any changes to the

Key Personnel identified below will require USAID approval.

A total of four (4) key administrative LASER personnel are envisioned: the Program Director, Technical Director, Knowledge Management and Performance Monitoring Team Leader, and Research Translation / Communications

Specialist.

Program Director (FT): The Program Manager will have overall responsibility for coordination of all project activities and staff. They will have principal responsibility for representation of the project to USAID. They will be responsible for strategic direction and management, as well as mobilizing research networks and relevant assets within and across development partners. They ensure that resources are allocated and used in compliance with agreement requirements, applicable USG regulations, and appropriate standards and procedures. They will cultivate open and collaborative management relationships with the project team at USAID/Washington, as well as with the sister project RTAC.

Experience and qualifications for the LASER Program Director noted as follows:

● Master (Ph.D. preferred) degree in international affairs, public administration, public policy, or a related field. Ph.D. in other fields accepted with experience in managing development-related projects;

● Minimum ten (10) years’ experience in a senior-level management position leading, managing, and implementing development-relevant projects with research components, preferably within a university context or with university partnerships;

● Minimum of five (5) years of supervisory experience required;

● Experience interacting with U.S. government agencies with experience managing U.S. government awards (contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements) strongly preferred.

Technical Director (FT): The Technical Director will be charged with primary management of the LASER research network, ensuring appropriate representation of female researchers, and researchers from MSIs and

LMICs in the LASER network. They will also develop/promote opportunities for these subsets of researchers to participate in calls for RFAs. They will be responsible for managing day to day relationships with USAID

M/B/IO's, Network members, and CDR. They will oversee the process instituted for research problem identification with primary responsibility for negotiating mutually beneficial project descriptions. They have primary responsibility to ensure the timely drafting, issuance, management, and reporting of subawards and/or contracts issued under the Cooperative Agreement. In the fulfillment of these responsibilities, it is anticipated that the Technical director may serve a managerial role with other staff hired as necessary. They should also be able to act for - or represent - the Project Director as necessary.

Experience and qualifications for the LASER Technical Director noted as follows:

● Ph.D. in natural sciences, social science, international affairs, public administration, public policy, quantitative methods, or a related field is required; or Master’s Degree in other fields accepted with 5 years of experience in managing development-related research projects;

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● Demonstrated success in managing multiple, development-relevant, research projects and successfully taking them to completion;

● Minimum of one (1) year of overseas field experience conducting research in one or more developing countries strongly desired;

● Must have facilitated research collaborations, with experience facilitating…