FINAL NOFO.pdf

MIDDLE EAST REGIONAL COOPERATION (MERC) PROGRAM

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Funding Opportunity Title: Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC)

Funding Opportunity Number: NEAAC22MERC1001

Assistance Listing Number: 19.600

Announcement Type: New

Date Opened: August 29, 2022

Deadline for Proposals: December 15, 2022

Federal Agency Contact: merc@usaid.gov

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

SECTION A: PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

I. Background

II. Achievable Objectives

III. Funding Opportunities

A. Applied Research Grants

B. Continuation Grants

C. Travel and Workshop Grants

IV. Special Call: Proposals on Climate Change

V. Overall Process and Notional Timeline

SECTION B: ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

I. Eligible Applicants

II. Equitable Participation, Benefit, and Gender Integration

III. Role of the Prime Applicant

SECTION C: PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

I. Applied Research Grants

A. Pre-Proposal Format and Requirements

B. Required Documents

C. Submitting the Pre-Proposal

II. Continuation Grants

A. Proposal Format and Requirements

B. Required Documents

C. Submitting the Proposal

III. Travel and Workshop Grants

A. Proposal Format and Requirements

B. Required Documents

C. Submitting the Proposal

SECTION D: PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION

I. Applied Research Grants

Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC) Program

II. Continuation Grants

III. Travel and Workshop Grants

SECTION E: FUNDING LIMITATIONS, RESTRICTIONS, AND OTHER

CONSIDERATIONS

I. Awards to Commercial Firms or For-Profit Organizations

II. Audit Requirements

III. Compliance with Applicable Federal Funding Regulations and DOS Terms and

Conditions

SECTION F: FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

I. Award Notices

II. Reporting Requirements

III. Federal Registrations

IV. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

V. Applicant Vetting as a Condition of Award

VI. Special Provision for Performance in a Designated Combat Area (SPOT) Requirements

VII. Branding and Marking Requirements for Grantees

VIII. Sub Awardee Reporting Requirement

SECTION G: AGENCY CONTACTS

SECTION H: DISCLAIMER

SECTION I: BUDGET GUIDANCE

I. Personnel

II. Equipment

III. Materials and Supplies

IV. Travel

V. Other Direct Costs

VI. Indirect Costs

VII. Cost Share

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A: SF-424 INSTRUCTIONS

APPENDIX B: BUDGET TEMPLATE

SECTION A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

I. Background

Following the Camp David accords, a Congressional initiative brought about the Middle East Regional

Cooperation (MERC) Program to be implemented by the U.S. Agency for International Development

(USAID). The program began in FY 1979, was included in the Foreign Aid Bill for FY 1981, and continues to be the subject of a Congressional directive in the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related

Program Appropriations Act (SFOAA) to support cooperative projects of a scientific and technological nature between the United States, Israel, and Middle East countries. Since 1999, MERC has been managed through an Inter-Agency Agreement between USAID and U.S. Department of State (DOS).

The MERC Program is funded as assistance to promote Arab-Israeli scientific cooperation, technology-led development, and capacity building. Emphasis is given to research and technology subjects of regional importance and relevance to the development of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Benefits should target developing countries in the region and populations of limited income.

Strong, direct Arab-Israeli cooperation is required for proposals receiving funding under the MERC

Program. Involvement of U.S. partners and support for the participation of individuals or institutions from outside the Middle East and North Africa (e.g., Europe) is not a key feature of the MERC Program, but may be considered for modest roles in exceptional cases to meet an essential technical need that is not available in the region. Applicants must be prepared to provide a well justified case for non-regional partner participation, and accept that MERC may not support the participation of any non-regional partners.

The overall goal of the MERC Program is to enhance research and development cooperation between Israel and its Arab neighbors – in support of achieving a comprehensive and lasting Middle East peace.

II. Achievable Objectives

1. Support applied, actionable research that generates results relevant to regional development.

2. Foster the implementation of research results and innovations to improve quality of life and achieve development impact in the MENA region.

3. Build science and technology capacity in developing countries in the MENA region.

4. Increase direct Arab-Israeli cooperation by establishing strong working relationships that last beyond the life of the project.

III. Funding Opportunities

The MERC Program funds peer-reviewed, collaborative, scientific research projects on development topics between Israel and its Arab neighbors across the MENA region. As part of this Notice of Funding

Opportunity (NOFO), MERC is seeking to fund proposals in the following categories:

1. Applied research grants: Multi-year, joint Arab-Israeli projects

2. Continuation grants: Funding to extend existing or recently ended MERC awards

3. Travel and workshop grants: Support for workshops, meetings, and researcher exchange

Carefully read each section in its entirety to understand the unique requirements of each category.

Applicants (both institutions and individual investigators) may submit more than one proposal to one or more categories. Proposals to the MERC Program are not restricted to a particular technical sector;

however, under this current NOFO, the program has a special interest in proposals aligned with the U.S.

Government priority on climate change (see SECTION A, PART IV below).

This NOFO does not constitute an award or commitment on the part of the U.S. government to make any awards, nor does it commit the U.S. government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a proposal.

A. Applied Research Grants

The MERC Program seeks pre-proposals pertaining to applied research and technology development within the broad areas of the natural, physical, and social sciences and engineering. Pre-proposals under this category should present collaborative applied research projects on topics of regional development relevance between Israel and its Arab neighbors. Pre-proposals should relate to regional problems that benefit from cross-border cooperation.

As MERC uses the scientific peer review process to evaluate full proposals, avoid topics that are not traditionally subject to peer review. Investigators are encouraged to employ mixed-methods research, economic evaluations, and the use of digital technologies in their work where appropriate. Examples of the types of development impacts MERC aims to achieve include but are not limited to: economic growth that increases incomes of the disadvantaged, improved environmental management, increased food production, water conservation and efficient use, and improved delivery of health services through better treatments or health management strategies.

MERC emphasizes training, outreach, and dissemination of research results that ideally impact management and policy-making in MENA. Travel and training within the MENA region are encouraged to achieve the purposes of a well-conceived proposal and support direct Arab-Israeli cooperation. Equipment, modest improvement of facilities, communications, publications, and dissemination of results are supported as they directly relate to the proposal’s objectives. MERC may also support additional "people to people'' components beyond a research and development program, such as outreach activities, training, or extension in support the proposal’s objectives.

The consortium of applicants may be bi-lateral (one Israeli and one Arab country partner) or may have many partners from multiple Israeli institutions and/or multiple Arab countries and institutions, but must include at least one Israeli and one Arab country partner.

The following activities and costs are NOT ALLOWED under this announcement category:

• Basic research

• Activities that appear partisan or that support individual or party electoral campaigns

• Projects which solely or predominantly represent the development of physical infrastructures, core support for organizations, or delivery of services, including:

o Construction of laboratories or clinics o Delivery of health services o Delivery of educational services o Social development programs o Establishment of private enterprises and projects of a commercial or profit-making nature

• Projects lacking an innovative approach, or primarily constitute:

o Planning studies or case studies o Operations research, surveys, evaluations, and baseline data collection o Routine geographical mapping o Literature reviews o Social welfare projects

• Paying to complete activities begun with other (non-MERC) funds

• One-time events, such as stand-alone conferences and one-off round tables

• Entertainment costs (e.g., receptions, social activities, ceremonies, alcoholic beverages, guided tours)

Pre-proposals that include any of these activities or costs may not be advanced for review and may be deemed ineligible for funding under this announcement.

Estimated Award Ceiling: $1,000,000

Estimated Award Floor: None

Cost-Sharing or Matching: No minimum or maximum percentage is required for this competition;

however, institutions in Israel and other affluent countries are expected to provide cost share in order to offset comparatively higher salaries and costs. MERC funds should be preferentially targeted to ensure the full participation of the students and research staff in participating countries that are less economically advantaged.

Estimated Length of Project: 2 to 5 years

Applicants with complex, multi-partner concepts that justify a proposal budget in excess of $1,000,000 may present a “phased” work plan with well-defined deliverables and outcomes at the conclusion of each phase.

This combined work plan and budget may be in excess of $1,000,000 over several years, but each individual phase should not be in excess of $1,000,000. The pre-proposal should present the first phase, but briefly describe the objectives and anticipated outcomes of the subsequent phase(s).

MERC anticipates inviting approximately 15 pre-proposals from this category to submit full proposals.

Applicants under this category are required only to submit a pre-proposal as described in SECTION

C. If a full proposal is invited, guidelines for preparing the full proposal and specific invitation conditions will be provided to the applicants.

Requests for funding to extend beyond the initial budget period will be entertained on the basis of a successful proposal for a Continuation Grant (next section).

B. Continuation Grants

Applicants with current or recently ended MERC awards may submit proposals to be evaluated as

“continuation grants” (formerly known as “fast track”), skipping the scientific peer review process.

Continuation grants provide support for the implementation, commercialization, broader dissemination, or uptake of project results from MERC-supported research. Depending on the type of project and results obtained, MERC would favor private sector partnerships, a focus on end-user adoption of technology, or tailoring outcomes to be useful to regulators in government agencies.

This option can also be used to propose the incorporation of an additional country partner to a current award, or to propose an additional objective(s) be added on to a current award as supported by preliminary findings.

Concepts proposing new objectives or methodologies that were not previously subject to scientific peer review may be required to submit a new pre-proposal (PART A). Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with MERC prior to submission to ensure proposals are suitable for consideration for continuation funding.

MERC will review each grantee’s progress in meeting grant requirements, including timely submission of required reports, and compliance with all terms and conditions of the award; timely submission of a request for continuation funding; the availability of funds; and evaluate whether continued funding would be in the best interest of the MERC Program.

The same activities and costs disallowed under the Applied Research Grants category are also disallowed under this announcement category.

Estimated Award Ceiling: $500,000 however, institutions in Israel and other affluent countries are expected to provide cost share in order to offset comparatively higher salaries and costs. MERC funds should be preferentially targeted to ensure the full participation of the students and research staff in participating countries that are less economically

Estimated Length of Project: 1 to 3 years

C. Travel and Workshop Grants

Proposals to support joint Arab-Israeli workshops, meetings, or exchange of researchers may be considered under this category. MERC acknowledges the relatively limited opportunities for scientific exchange between Arab and Israeli scientists and seeks to support forums that advance dialogue on regional scientific issues, develop new partnerships, or deliver training on a topic relevant to regional development. Preference will be given to proposals that cite the development of new pre-proposals to the MERC program as a key outcome, engage students and early career researchers, meaningfully engage policymakers and stakeholders, and are organized in the Middle East region.

It would be suitable to propose one prime recipient/grantee and no sub-recipients under this category, provided the prime intends to organize an activity that is joint Arab-Israeli and directly cover the associated costs for participants.

Examples of potential activities that would be considered under this category include:

• A multi-day training program focused on bringing together early career researchers to develop specific skills or know-how related to a regional development priority

• A meeting of stakeholders to discuss research gaps in a particular sector with relevance to regional development

• A workshop of researchers and stakeholders with shared interests to identify potential areas for cross-border scientific cooperation

• An Israeli institution hosting a visiting researcher from an Arab country (or vice versa) for a couple months to learn a new technique and develop a research partnership

Estimated Award Ceiling: $100,000 however, institutions in Israel and other affluent countries are expected to provide cost share in order to offset comparatively higher salaries and costs. MERC funds should be preferentially targeted to ensure the full participation of the students and research staff in participating countries that are less economically

Estimated Length of Project: One activity, event, or exchange to be completed within one year of the award.

MERC anticipates advancing approximately 3 proposals from this category for funding consideration.

VI. Special Call: Proposals on Climate Change

As part of this NOFO, in alignment with the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 27) priorities, and in order to achieve the ambitious goals of USAID’s 2022-2030 Climate Strategy, MERC is particularly interested in receiving proposals of relevance to climate change.

The implications of climate change are especially severe in the MENA region, with impacts including rising temperatures, floods, droughts, and desertification. These in turn are increasing water and food insecurity, threats of emerging infectious diseases, agricultural pests, and social inequality. Promoting environmental stewardship and science and technology-based innovation is essential for tackling climate change, building resilient healthy communities, preserving natural resources, supporting equitable and sustainable economic growth, and promoting peace in the MENA.

With this special call, MERC aims to promote Arab-Israeli partnerships and innovative approaches that address climate mitigation (reducing and sequestering greenhouse gas emissions) and adaptation (reducing climate vulnerability and improving resilience to climate impacts) priorities in the MENA.

Applicants who wish to respond to this special call may apply for an applied research grant, continuation grant, or travel and workshop grant (as described above) and should aim to integrate as many as possible of the following foundational principles from USAID’s Climate Strategy into their proposals:

• Evidence, technology, and innovation: Generate evidence and spur innovation to identify and deploy effective climate solutions.

• Nature-based solutions: Engage in research that supports the conservation, restoration, or management of areas with a climate adaptation and/or climate mitigation benefit. This covers research on natural areas and/ or research that supports reconciliation ecology in human dominated habitats.

• Locally led development: Design a technical work plan and relevant outreach activities to yield outcomes that are locally led, owned, and implemented, as well as tailored and context appropriate.

• Equity and inclusion: Plan to engage local, marginalized, and underrepresented groups as agents of change.

• Private-sector engagement: Partner with the private sector to expand the scale, impact, and sustainability of research outcomes.

This special call for proposals should not discourage applicants from submitting proposals on any other topic within the natural, physical, and social sciences and engineering.

V. Overall Process and Notional Timeline

SECTION B. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Proposals will be screened to determine whether they meet the program eligibility requirements detailed below. Proposals that do not demonstrate that they meet all eligibility requirements described below may not be advanced for review and may be deemed ineligible for funding under this announcement. Proposals cannot be revised or amended once the competition deadline has passed.

Please contact merc@usaid.gov if you have questions about eligibility.

I. Eligible Applicants

Only proposals developed jointly by Arab and Israeli investigators are accepted. All proposals must include at least one institutional partner in Israel and one in an Arab country/territory eligible to receive U.S.

foreign assistance. Proposals involving three or more regional partners are also allowed and encouraged.

The proposal may be submitted by any party in the collaboration. Partners may come from academic, private sector, non-governmental, or governmental institutions.

Subject to change based on U.S. federal law and country-specific restrictions on funding, the following countries/territories are eligible to apply as Arab partners: Algeria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, West Bank

& Gaza.

MERC projects involving Israel and another relatively affluent Arab country (e.g., Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) must include a developing country from the region as a partner and/or a beneficiary of the products and processes developed by the research in order to achieve development impact. These affluent countries must adhere to budgetary restrictions, such as cost-sharing in support of salaries and cost of living, maintain the spirit of Arab-Israeli cooperation opposed to primarily engaging foreign expatriates, and target benefits and outcomes of the project to countries and populations of limited income. Satellite or portal campuses of foreign (e.g., U.S., India) institutions are not considered eligible Arab partners.

MERC does not encourage the involvement of U.S. partners nor participation of individuals or institutions from outside the Middle East and North Africa region (e.g., Europe). U.S. partners may be considered for modest roles in exceptional cases to meet an essential technical need that is not available in the region.

Applicants must be prepared to provide a very well justified case for the participation of partners or individuals from outside the MENA region, and accept that MERC may not support the participation of any non-regional partners. The use of any non-regional partner to lead or administer the overall project is discouraged.

II. Equitable Participation, Benefit, and Gender Integration

MERC is committed to an anti-discrimination policy in all of its programs and activities. MERC welcomes proposals irrespective of an applicants’ race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability, and encourages proposals from organizations working with underserved communities, including women, people with disabilities, and youth.

Furthermore, research must meet standards of equity in access to research funds, participation in research, benefits from research findings, and safety in research efforts. Issues of gender equity are of special concern.

Assessment of equity in research programs will also include concern for ethnic and racial minorities and other disadvantaged and underrepresented groups.

Applicants are encouraged to address any potential biases inherent in their proposal. Consider any differences in how women, men, youth, those with disabilities, or other minority groups might engage with or benefit from a technology, product, or protocol under development, or how they might benefit or equitably participate in research, training, or outreach activities.

III. Role of the Prime Applicant

MERC’s preferred award structure is a prime recipient who receives the grant, issues sub-award agreements to sub-recipients, and transfers payments to sub-recipients. If the consortium of partners involved in the proposal would require an alternative award management structure, describe those constraints within the proposal to the extent possible. Applicants with questions about award structure are encouraged to contact merc@usaid.gov.

SECTION C. PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

A. Pre-Proposal Format and Requirements

The main body of the pre-proposal (Parts 1-11, below) must be no more than 6 pages (U.S. Letter, 8.5 x 11 inches) with one-inch margins, single spaced, using a full-size font (e.g., 12 pt Times New Roman). All proposals must be prepared in English, in the following format, and contain each of the following elements.

Additional pages (such as letters of support) may be included, but any pages beyond the 6-page limit may not be evaluated or considered as part of the pre-proposal. Do not include biographical data sheets, CVs or resumes, publications, or general institutional information such as brochures. All pre-proposals must stand on their own merit. The pre-proposal and any additional pages should be saved as one PDF document.

Submissions that do not follow the format, or are incomplete, may be declined without review.

Investigators from all participating institutions must collaborate in writing the pre-proposal. Pre-proposals are not binding agreements; therefore, signatures from institution officials are not required at the pre-proposal stage. Do not include the names of investigators/participants unless they were active participants in preparing the pre-proposal and have given their permission.

1. Title: Provide a technical, concise, descriptive title.

2. Investigators: List the full name (first and LAST name, using all uppercase letters for surname only), title, affiliation, full mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address of every investigator. Clearly identify the principal investigator at the submitting institution (i.e., prime applicant) to whom all correspondence should be addressed. If more than one investigator is listed at the other cooperating institution(s), identify the primary point of contact.

3. Overall aim and technical objectives: State the overall aim of the project in one sentence or very short paragraph. State the specific technical objectives (typically 3 or 4 objectives presented as a short list). The specific objectives should each be instrumental to achieve the overall aim of the project. Explicitly articulate the hypotheses being tested.

4. Relevance of the project to Middle East development: (approx. ¼ to ½ page) Briefly discuss the significance of the proposed research and how it will advance a practical application to development in the

Middle East and North Africa, address a key challenge in the region, and benefit a population (particularly in developing or USAID-presence countries and communities of limited income). Briefly, but clearly, describe the size/magnitude of the problem being addressed in terms of its impact on the Middle East region.

Also describe the impact the proposed project intends to achieve and mechanisms to put the research results into practice.

5. Technical background: (approx. ½ page) Provide a brief summary of earlier studies, the technical basis and starting point for the work proposed, preliminary data if available, and citations of a few key literature references, as appropriate. This summary should also clarify why the proposed research is scientifically important.

6. Technical work plan: (approx. 1 to 2 pages) Provide a detailed description of the proposed work, outlining the specific technical activities and experimental design proposed for this project. State the scientific hypotheses and how they will be tested. Be specific about which experiments you intend to do and why. Do not generalize. Similarly, describe and justify any other related technical activities you plan to include.

7. Innovation: (approx. ½ page) Provide a brief description of what is new or innovative about the proposed activity, including how it represents a significant departure from other work in this area.

8. Project structure and management: (approx. ½ page)

• Briefly describe the division of labor among partners and the capabilities and substantive contributions of each partner institution. Indicate how the capacity of institutions in the participating countries to conduct research would be enhanced by the project.

• Describe organizational and operational plans for managing the collaboration financially and programmatically. Include project meetings, technical and management committees, etc., if applicable.

• Identify which single institution would serve as the prime grantee and be responsible for technical and financial reporting. MERC’s default award structure is a prime grantee who receives the grant, issues sub-award agreements, and transfers payment to sub-recipients. If the consortium of partners involved in the project would require an alternative award management structure, note those constraints here. Applicants with questions about award structure are encouraged to reach out to

MERC.

• Involvement of U.S. partners and support for the participation of individuals or institutions from outside the Middle East and North Africa (e.g., Europe) is not a key feature of the MERC Program.

If your proposal includes a non-regional partner, summarize the critical importance of that partner, including the technical expertise they provide that is both essential to the success of the project and unavailable in the Middle East.

Tip: The pre-proposal will be reviewed by both non-technical staff (those without a scientific background) and technical staff (those with a scientific background). Parts 4-6, in particular, should be presented such that the value of the proposed research and approach can be appreciated by a general audience, but specific enough to provide technical reviewers with sufficient detail to appreciate the technical merit.

9. Joint Arab-Israeli activities planned: (approx. ½ page) Provide a brief, specific description of the planned interactions between Arab and Israeli participants. Present evidence that this project would be a true intellectual partnership. For example, would there be joint decision making, shared data analysis, direct

Arab-Israeli exchanges of personnel (e.g., scientists in residence, the training of students from other countries), joint Arab-Israeli publications, conferences and workshops in the region, etc.? List the specific face-to-face joint activities that would occur in the project itself and when they would occur. If a U.S.

partner is involved in the project, also describe how that partner will avoid becoming a buffer to direct cooperation between the regional parties.

10. Expected benefits of the project: (approx. ½ page) Identify who would be the primary beneficiaries of the information, technologies, or management practices developed by the project; if possible, include numbers affected, their socio-economic status, and gender. Also describe how impact would be assessed.

Describe how the project results would be disseminated to those beneficiaries, and in what form, to ensure that the impact of the program is realized. Provide evidence to indicate that the Arab-Israeli cooperation and project impact will be sustainable beyond the life of the project (e.g., other sources of financial support or institutional commitments; other people and organizations that will begin implementing or using research results such as extension agents, service providers, private sector, etc.).

11. Budget: (approx. ½ page) See SECTION I. BUDGET GUIDANCE. A budget template and more detailed budget guidelines will be provided to applicants invited to submit a full proposal. At this stage, applicants should prepare a budget based on realistic anticipated costs associated with the proposed work plan. The budget must be prepared in U.S. dollars, indicating projected expenses in the budget categories listed below, entering the amounts in a table like the example provided below.

• Personnel: List each individual salary or personnel cost on a separate line, using as many lines as necessary.

• Equipment, and Materials and supplies: Estimate materials costs, such as reagents and other expendables, on a separate line from equipment. Equipment is defined as any individual item over

$5,000. Items under $5,000 should be included under materials. At the full proposal stage, applicants will be required to provide price quotes for requested equipment.

• Indirect costs: See SECTION I for guidance on how to calculate indirect costs (i.e., overhead).

• Use a separate single column for each participating institution, and estimate any cost share that might be expected from each institution.

• Projects are not required to spend in every category.

• At the bottom of the budget table, include total expense (sum) by institution and by country, the overall total project cost to MERC, and specify the duration of the project (number of years).

• In a short footnote, briefly justify any requested equipment, describe the types of expenses under

“Other direct costs,” and clarify any other line items that may not be intuitive from the pre-proposal.

Example budget table

Institute 1 Institute 2 Sum

USAID Cost Share USAID Cost Share USAID Cost Share

Tip: Partners under MERC awards are expected to conduct in-person coordination meetings at least once per year. Successful applicants generally host joint training sessions on technical topics, and/or support student exchange. End-users of research products are frequently involved from the beginning of the project and are engaged via outreach presentations, demonstration days, etc.

Personnel

Position 1 (% effort, rate)

Position 2 (% effort, rate)

Equipment

Equipment item 1

Equipment item 2

Materials and supplies

Materials type 1

Materials type 2

Travel

International travel

Domestic travel

Other direct costs

Indirect costs

Totals (# of years)

If the MERC Committee recommends to invite a full proposal from the applicants, guidelines for preparing a full proposal and specific invitation conditions will be provided to the applicants.

Applicants under this category are only required to submit a 6-page pre-proposal as described above.

If the MERC Committee recommends to invite a full proposal, guidelines for preparing a full proposal and specific invitation conditions will be provided to the applicants. The full proposal will detail and expand upon the concept outlined in the pre-proposal and require signatures from the applicants and authorizing officials at the applicant institutions. As a requirement of the full proposal, applicant organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number, and an active account with the System for Award

Management (SAM) (See SECTION F, Part III. Federal Registrations for more details). Prime applicants will also need to provide a completed SF-424 as part of the full proposal.

Pre-proposals for applied research grants need not include their UEI, signatures of the applicants or authorizing officials, nor provide a completed SF-424.

C. Submitting the Pre-Proposal

Applicants must submit pre-proposals in the required format as an email attachment to merc@usaid.gov by 11:59pm EST on December 15, 2022 with the email subject “MERC Applied Research Grant Pre-

Proposal - LAST NAME” including the last name of the principal investigator. MERC will acknowledge receipt of pre-proposals by email. Hard copies are not accepted.

II. Continuation Grants

A. Proposal Format and Requirements

The main body of the proposal (Parts 1-13, below) should be approximately 10 pages (U.S. Letter, 8.5 x 11 inches) with one-inch margins, single spaced, using a full-size font (e.g., 12 pt Times New Roman). All proposals must be prepared in English, in the following format, and contain each of the following elements.

Letters of support, CVs of newly added investigators, and other supporting documentation should be included as appendices and are not counted as part of the 10-page estimate. The entire proposal and appendices should be saved as one PDF document.

Investigators from all participating institutions must collaborate in writing the proposal. Proposals are not binding agreements; however, to demonstrate commitment to the concept applicants are required to include a signature page (Part 13).

1. Title: Provide a concise, descriptive title for the proposed event or activity.

2. Contact information:

a. Investigators: List the full name (first and LAST name, using all uppercase letters for surname only), title, affiliation, full mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address of every investigator. Clearly identify the primary investigator at the submitting institution to whom all correspondence should be addressed. If more than one investigator is listed at the other cooperating institution(s), identify the primary point of contact.

b. Institutional administrative officials: Provide the full name (first and LAST name, using all uppercase letters for surname only), title, affiliation, full mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address of the officials at each investigator’s institution authorized to negotiate a legal agreement for that institution or organization.

3. Technical summary: (½ page) Provide a brief technical summary of the project, similar to the abstract for a scientific paper or meeting, structured per the following outline. Summarize each of the following components in 1-2 sentences. Ensure that it is concise yet accurately summarizes the proposed work.

a. Background: An overview of the challenge the research addresses.

b. Aims: The aim and technical objectives of the project.

c. Methodology: The approach to be taken to address the project’s objectives.

d. Expected outcomes: The anticipated deliverables and/or potential scientific and development benefits of the research.

e. Implementation: Indicate how the results will be put into practice through stakeholder engagement, trainings, workshops, technology transfer, demonstration sites, etc.

4. Overall aim and technical objectives: State the overall aim of the project in one sentence or very short paragraph. State the specific technical objectives (typically 3 or 4 objectives, presented as a short list). The specific objectives should each be instrumental to achieve the overall aim of the project. If they are not otherwise clear, it may be appropriate to explicitly articulate the hypotheses being tested.

5. Summary of prior work: (½ page) Summarize earlier studies, the technical basis and starting point for the work proposed, preliminary data if available, and citations of a few key literature references, as appropriate. Describe the outcomes under the current or recently ended MERC award that established the basis for this proposal.

6. Technical work plan: (approx. 3 to 5 pages) Describe the experimental design, methods to be used

(including any special techniques), and research protocols (including any statistical designs of experiments and statistical analyses of results). Ideally, describe the approach step-by-step. Cite appropriate references throughout. Also, include the following:

a. Technical contingencies: Potential points of failure in the work plan and associated risk mitigation measures or alternatives;

b. Time chart: Include research milestones, project meetings, training/exchanges, outreach events;

c. Location information: Present as a map or chart, for any field plots or sampling locations involved in the proposal research; and

d. Data management plan: Describe the kinds of data the project will generate, how data and/or research products will be made available to the public, industry, and scientific community, and any ethical or privacy issues associated with sharing generated data.

7. Management and cooperation (approx. 2 to 3 pages) Clarify whether the overall management structure differs from the current or recently ended MERC award and identify which single institution would serve as the prime grantee and be responsible for technical and financial reporting. (Note: It is generally preferred to maintain the prime institution from any current MERC award.) Also, include the following:

a. Joint activities: Provide a table specifying the anticipated joint Arab-Israeli activities, training or researcher exchange, and outreach with stakeholders, including their timing within the project, duration, location(s), what would occur, and number and composition of participants to the extent they can be determined at this time. Activities should be planned in one of the partner countries.

b. Facilities: Describe the institutional facilities and resources available for the proposed research.

Demonstrate that the required facilities are indeed available to accomplish the specified functions, including equipment currently in use that will be used to accomplish the goals of the proposed project. Justify the acquisition of any additional facilities (e.g., land leasing, rental space) if requested in the budget.

8. Expected benefits of the project: (approx. ½ page) Identify who would be the primary beneficiaries of the information, technologies, or management practices developed by the project; if possible include numbers affected, their socio-economic status, and gender. Also describe how impact would be assessed.

Describe how the project results would be disseminated to those beneficiaries, and in what form, to ensure that the impact of the program is realized. Provide evidence to indicate that the Arab-Israeli cooperation and project impact will be sustainable beyond the life of the project (e.g., other sources of financial support or institutional commitments; other people and organizations that will begin implementing or using research results such as extension agents, service providers, private sector, etc.).

9. Special concerns analysis: (approx. ½ page) Revisit the “Special Concerns Analysis” from the current or recently ended award and update the narrative as appropriate for this additional proposed work plan.

Specifically address any potential gender-related biases (e.g., equitable participation, benefit from the outcomes) inherent in the planned activity. Consider any difference in how women, men, youth, those with disabilities, or other minority groups might engage with, benefit from, or equitably participate in the activity.

10. Budget: (1 to 2 pages) Provide a budget table for each year of the proposed project and a summary budget table with the life-of-project budget totals. Screenshots of MS Excel Budget Template tables (see below in Part B) are appropriate to insert in this section, but the images must be legible.

11. Budget justification: (1 page) A narrative must explain how the individual items of the budget were derived and calculated. Explain the basis of the proposed costs for each line item and confirm adherence with the policies described in SECTION I. BUDGET GUIDANCE, or justify any deviation. Take great care to ensure that the budget justification matches the amounts listed in the budget spreadsheet, and that those costs also match the details of the work plan and joint activities described in the proposal.

12. NCAGE and SAM registration: The submitting institution (i.e., the prime recipient/grantee) must provide both their NCAGE code and Unique Entity Identification (UEI) from SAM.gov with their proposal package. See SECTION F, Part III. Federal Registrations for more information. Sub-recipients/awardees are not required to have a UEI number prior to the submission of a proposal but must have one prior to a sub-award being issued.

13. Signature page: Include a signature page as indicated below.

a. Investigators’ signatures: Provide signatures of the primary investigator and co-investigators from each of the cooperating institutions, affirming the following declaration:

The undersigned affirm that this proposal represents their individual and collective original work, and that they individually and collectively agree to participate in the activity as described if funded.

b. Authorizing signatures: Provide signatures of authorized officials from the institution designated to be the prime grantee, and from each institution that is proposed to receive a sub-grant, affirming the following declaration:

Each of the undersigned affirms that this proposal represents an authorized submission of the institution that the undersigned represents, that it has been prepared using the appropriate accounting and other practices of that institution, and that the institution intends to devote the specified staff, facilities, and financial resources to the project if funded.

Proposal: As described above in Part A and saved as a PDF. If provisionally approved, MERC may request revisions, or additional details or clarification to the proposal.

Budget: Review SECTION I. BUDGET GUIDANCE. Applicants should use the template provided in

APPENDIX B (“Continuation” tabs) to prepare a budget based on realistic anticipated costs associated with the proposed work plan. Submit as a MS Excel file.

SF-424: The submitting institution must provide the completed Application for Federal Assistance (SF-

424). Instructions relevant to MERC applicants are included in APPENDIX A. A fillable PDF can be downloaded here: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html

Submit the required documents in one email with attachments to merc@usaid.gov by 11:59pm EST on

December 15, 2022 with the email subject “MERC Continuation Grant Proposal - LAST NAME” including the last name of the principal investigator. MERC will acknowledge receipt of proposals by email. Hard copies are not accepted.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html

A. Proposal Format and Requirements

The main body of the proposal (Parts 1-12, below) must be no more than 6 pages (U.S. Letter, 8.5 x 11 inches) with one-inch margins, single spaced, using a full-size font (e.g., 12 pt Times New Roman). All proposals must be prepared in English, in the following format, and contain each of the following elements.

Additional pages (such as letters of support, biographies of organizers or key individuals, or relevant workshop/training materials) may be included, but any pages beyond the 6-page limit may not be evaluated by the review committee or considered as part of the proposal. The entire pre-proposal should be saved as one PDF document.

Investigators from all participating institutions must collaborate in writing the proposal. Proposals are not binding agreements; however, to demonstrate commitment to the concept applicants are required to include a signature page (Part 12).

1. Title: Provide a concise, descriptive title for the proposed event or activity.

2. Contact information:

a. Organizers: List the full name (first and LAST name, using all uppercase letters for surname only), title, affiliation, full mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address of every organizer.

Clearly identify the primary organizer at the submitting institution to whom all correspondence should be addressed. If more than one organizer is listed at the other cooperating institution(s), identify the primary point of contact.

b. Institutional administrative officials: Provide the full name (first and LAST name, using all uppercase letters for surname only), title, affiliation, full mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address of the officials at each organizer’s institution authorized to negotiate a legal agreement for that institution or organization.

3. Abstract: (3 or 4 sentences) Provide a general, summary description of the activity’s overall aims and scope. Specify whether the proposal is for a workshop, meeting, training, or a researcher exchange.

Summarize the activity’s rationale, anticipated participants, and anticipated outcomes (paraphrasing the subsequent sections below).

4. Rationale: (approx. ¼ to ½ page) Define the overall aim and specific objectives. Describe the current status of the research on the topic of focus, justify why there’s a need for Arab-Israeli cooperation on this issue, and discuss how the topic relates to Middle East development.

5. Agenda: (approx. ½ to 1 page) Provide an agenda for the activity, identifying the timeframe of the activity, topics to be covered, location, and facilities to be used. Indicate whether the activity is dependent upon occurring on a specific date or in coordination with another event. Preference is given to applicants seeking support for travel and activities within Israel and the Middle East and North Africa region.

6. Organization and structure: (approx. ½ page) Specify who will organize/administer the activity and their qualifications to do so. Specify which institution(s) will handle the management and disbursement of funds and activity logistics, travel arrangements, and their capacity to do so. Describe the roles of any additional key individuals or institutions. Note: Neither USAID nor the U.S. Department of State will assist organizers or participants in obtaining travel documents or visas.

7. Participants: (approx. ½ page) Estimate the total number of participants and indicate the country(ies) they will be joining from. If applicable, describe how participants will be contacted or recruited to participate. Activities should aim to primarily benefit participants from developing Arab countries. Travel support for individuals or institutions from outside the Middle East and North Africa (e.g., U.S., Europe), even if the activity is hosted in the MENA region, will not be considered.

a. Equitable participation and benefit: Address any potential gender-related biases (e.g., equitable participation, benefit from the outcomes) inherent in the planned activity. Consider any difference in how women, men, youth, those with disabilities, or other minority groups might engage with, benefit from, or equitably participate in the activity.

b. Contingencies: Describe any contingency plans. For example, consider the options in the event the estimated number of participants are not able or willing to attend, cancel their attendance with short notice, or an emerging situation in the region prevents cross-border travel.

8. Outcomes: (approx. ¼ to ½ page) Describe the anticipated outcomes from the activity, including submission of pre-proposals to MERC or another donor, follow-on activities, publications, or any other intended continued contact with participants.

9. Budget: (1 to 2 pages) Provide a budget table. A screenshot of MS Excel Budget Template tables (see below in Part B) are appropriate to insert in this section, but the images must be legible. Specific notes on the anticipated expenses under this funding opportunity follow:

• Personnel: Applicants may include costs associated with staff time for organization and travel coordination. Preferably these costs would be shared by the applicant institution(s).

• Activity costs: Individually itemize any facility rental fees, and materials and supplies for participants. Travel and transport costs of participants during a training, workshop, or seminar (e.g., hiring a bus to visit field sites as part of a meeting or workshop) may be included here.

• Participant costs: Separate into the categories below. If participants are joining an event from multiple international locations, it may be helpful to duplicate the participant cost section for each set of travelers from each location.

o Air travel: All U.S. federal government financed international air transportation is required by 49 U.S.C. 40118, commonly referred to as the "Fly America Act," to use U.S.

air carrier service for all air travel and cargo transportation services. Exceptions vary depending on the direction of travel and are outlined in 41 CFR 301-10.136 and 41 CFR

301-10.137. Budget accordingly. Tickets should be economy class and any exceptions must be justified and approved by MERC.

o Lodging: Rates must not exceed the U.S. Government rates.

o Per diem: Costs should be modest, and must not exceed the U.S. Government rates.

o Ground transportation: Costs associated with participant arrival/departure from the activity.

o Other expenses: May include border crossing fees, visa fees, etc.

• Indirect costs: See SECTION I for guidance on how to calculate indirect costs (i.e., overhead).

Note that the de minimus indirect cost rate may not be applied to per diem.

10. Budget justification: (½ to 1 page) A narrative must explain how the individual items of the budget were derived and calculated.