NOFO - Future Cybersecurity Leaders Exchange.pdf

U.S. Embassy London Public Affairs Section

Funding Opportunity Title: Future Cybersecurity Leaders Exchange

Announcement Type: Grant (new)

Funding Opportunity No: DOS-London-PD-2018-01

CFDA: 19.451, Special Intl. Exchange Grant Programs

Opening Date: 1/12/2018

Closing Date: 2/13/2018

Project Title: Youth Cybersecurity Summer Camp Exchange

Funding Range: $60,000 - $75,000

SUMMARY The Embassy of the United States in London invites eligible organizations to submit proposals to develop and implement 14-day exchange program in the United States for eight 16 year-old youth participants (age as of

July 1 st , 2018) from the United Kingdom, to be selected by our UK government partners. The program will provide both a brief touring component designed to provide a well-rounded introduction to a range of cybersecurity challenges and exploration of U.S. public and private sector approaches, as well as a residential

‘summer camp’ component with a focus on practical training and collaborative skill building activities.

Strictly subject to availability of funds, the Embassy expects to select one program implementer for a grant award from $60,000 up to $75,000.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES Click here to enter text.

Identify future cyber leaders in the U.S. and the UK;

Build foundational ties between future U.S./UK cyber leaders;

Provide a hands-on introduction to a wide range of cybersecurity challenges;

Ensure participants receive a high-level and well-rounded look at cybersecurity, including ethics, privacy concerns and other alternative viewpoints;

Provide insight into the relationship between industry, government and other sectors;

Inspire more young women and members of under-represented communities to enter the field;

Provide a cultural introduction to the U.S. and the UK;

Facilitate continued relationships between participants;

Empower participants to share what they have learned.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The Cultural Affairs Section at U.S. Embassy

London plans to carry out a two-way youth cybersecurity exchange between the

United States and the United Kingdom. This grant seeks an implementing partner for the portion of the program to be delivered in the United States only. An implementing partner for the UK portion of the program has already been identified. Eight UK participants will travel as a group to the U.S., spending a few days in the Washington, D.C.-area to meet with relevant officials from government, think tanks, NGOs and other communities, and the remainder of the program completing a cybersecurity ‘summer camp’ focusing on practical training, skill development, and collaborative ‘hands-on’ activities. The implementing partner would be expected to arrange all logistics (e.g. flights, accommodation, transport, visas) as well as the 14-day agenda of meetings and cultural events, including identifying an appropriate organization to host the training portion which will make up the majority of the 14-day program. The overall program should introduce them to the cybersecurity challenges facing a broad range of public and private sectors and provide hands-on training to enhance their cybersecurity skills in an engaging and fun way for a youth audience.

Suggested meetings/resources may include (but are not limited to):

U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Coordinator for Cyber Issues, and

Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Office of Cybersecurity;

U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Cybersecurity Center of

Excellence (NCCoE), National Institute of Standards & Techn0logy (NIST);

National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC), and Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, National Protection and

Programs Directorate (NPPD), U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Brookings Institution and other D.C.-based think tanks

ANTICIPATED TIMELINE

March 2018: Grant is awarded

April 2018: Program and logistical planning

May 2018: UK participants are selected

June 2018: Program itinerary is finalized; UK participants attend U.S. Embassy pre-departure orientation and visa appointments

July 2018: UK participants travel to United States

September 2018: De-briefing session with UK participants

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Applications must be include all of the information listed in the Public Diplomacy

Grants Program Application form.

The deadline for receipt of applications is 2/2/2018. U.S. Embassy London reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal configurations, budgets, and/or participant numbers in accordance with the needs of the program, the availability of funds, and concurrence of the applicant.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The Embassy Public Diplomacy Grants Committee will use the following criteria to evaluate proposals received in response to this funding opportunity:

Executive Summary: The executive summary must succinctly describe the need for the program with regards to: location, the extent and nature of the program and a breakdown of the associated costs.

Strategic Objectives and Program Description: A clear overview of the program and its background, as well as goals and objectives of the program should be indicated in the proposal. The Embassy Public Diplomacy Grants Committee will closely consider whether the overall objectives lead to the goals of the program. Applicants should describe what they propose to do and how they will do it. The proposed activities must directly relate to meeting the goals and objectives, and applicants should include information on how they will measure activities’ effectiveness. The Grants Committee will evaluate the activities planned in terms of their relevance to the current situation and the program goals and objectives, the feasibility of the proposed activities and their timeline for completion, and the extent to which the impact of the program will continue beyond the conclusion of the funding period.

Budget: Costs should be reasonable and realistic in relation to the program activities. Applicants are encouraged to provide as much detail as possible so that the committee may determine the extent to which the request represents an efficient use of USG resources. The budget should be consistent with the narrative description of the program and should reflect the applicant’s understanding of the allowable cost principles established by Title 2 CFR 200.306 (part 230) on cost principles for non-profit organizations. The Embassy will accept a ten percent

(10%) management fee unless an organization has an applicant has a Negotiated

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA).

https://uk.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2016/01/US_Embassy_London_Grant_Proposal_Template_Jan2016.docx https://uk.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2016/01/US_Embassy_London_Grant_Proposal_Template_Jan2016.docx

The program proposals should include cost estimates for the participants’ international travel. Please factor flights for all participants to travel from a variety of locations across the United Kingdom. Please also make every effort to hold the international flights with a group rate immediately following the award of the grant. All Federal Government-financed international air transportation must be accomplished by U.S. Flag air carriers or U.S. code-sharing to the extent that service by those carriers is available.

Proposals should include domestic travel for eight UK participants to attend a pre-departure briefing and visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in London. Domestic travel cost estimates should factor reasonable train or airfare for each participant plus a parent or chaperone, traveling from a variety of locations across the United

Kingdom. A one-night hotel stay may be required for participants traveling from distant locations to London to attend the pre-departure briefing (to be determined on a case-by-case basis).

Participants’ lodging in the U.S. should be double occupancy, when available, with no mixed gender rooms. Insurance should be included for all participants, meeting at least the following requirements: (1) medical benefits of at least $50,000 per accident or illness; (2) repatriation of remains in the amount of $7,500; (3) expenses associated with the medical evacuation to home country in the amount of

$10,000; and (4) a deductible not to exceed $500 per accident or illness. Per diem based on specific city rate(s) should be included.

Cost Sharing: Grantees are encouraged to consider cost-sharing possibilities in order to increase community and stakeholder engagement in the project; however, cost sharing will not be a deciding factor. Cost-sharing can take the form of both allowable direct and indirect costs. For accountability, the recipient must maintain records to support all costs claimed as part of the cost-share agreement. Such records are subject to audit. Please refer to 2 CFR 200.306 Cost Sharing or

Matching.

Performance Indicators and Monitoring Plan: Proposals should have a clear monitoring and evaluation plan to ensure proper implementation of the program.

Eligibility: All Federal assistance recipients must have a Dun & Bradstreet

Number (DUNS) and a CCR (CAGE) number and an active account with the

System for Award Management (SAM) prior to funds disbursement.

To obtain a DUNS number, please follow the steps below:

1. Go to http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/pages/CCRSearch.jsp.

2. Select the country where your organization is physically located.

3. Complete and submit the form.

Organizations will need to provide basic information, including physical and mailing addresses, name and title of the chief executive, primary Standard

Industrial Code (SIC), and annual revenue. Typically, organizations can complete this process in one day and have a DUNS number emailed to them. For technical difficulties in obtaining this number, please contact D&B at: govt@dnb.com.

System for Award Management (SAM) - SAM is a U.S.-government wide registry of vendors doing business with the U.S. federal government and requires annual renewal. The system centralizes information about grant applicants/recipients, and provides a central location for grant applicants/recipients to change organizational information. More information about SAM.gov and useful guides for setting-up a new account, updating an existing account, or renewing an expired account can be found at here. Foreign-based applicants are strongly encouraged to review these guides when creating an account with

SAM.gov. Further, applicants must maintain an active account, with current information, while its application is under consideration for funding. To keep an active SAM.gov account, Applicants must renew it at least once each year. If an account expires, the Organization cannot submit a grant application until it is renewed. To create a new account, please follow the steps below:

1. Go to http://www.sam.gov.

2. Select Create User Account, and then select Create an Account on the left-hand side of the screen under Individual Account Details. Organizations must have

DUNS number and a CAGE number (US Domestic Organizations) or a NCAGE number (Foreign Organizations), to register or update an entity.

3. Complete and submit the online form.

If the applying organization already has the necessary information on hand (see the

SAM User Guide), the online form takes approximately one hour to complete, depending upon the size and complexity of the applying entity. Because of the different steps in the process, it can take anywhere from three to fourteen days to complete the process of creating an account with the system.

http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/pages/CCRSearch.jsp mailto:govt@dnb.com http://statebuy.state.gov/fa/Pages/SAMInfo.aspx http://www.sam.gov/

For help with SAM.gov, please visit their support page at: https://www.fsd.gov or contact them at: (+1) 334-206-7828.

DISCLAIMER

Applicants can expect to be notified of the status of their application within sixty days of the submission deadline. Issuance of this funding opportunity does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the United States Government. It does not commit the USG to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals. The USG reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received. If a proposal is selected for funding, the U.S. Embassy in London has no obligation to provide any additional future funding in connection with the award.

Authority: Overall grant-making authority for this program is contained in the

Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Public Law 87-256, as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of the Act is “to enable the Government of the United States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries...; to strengthen the ties which unite us with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United States and other nations...and thus to assist in the development of friendly, sympathetic, and peaceful relations between the United States and other countries of the world.”

CONTACT INFORMATION

Should additional information be required, please contact the U.S. Embassy in

London at LondonGrants@state.gov.