NOFO Women in STEM + Climate - Questions and Answers (updated).pdf

Updated April 25, 2022

Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues (S/GWI) Notice of Funding Opportunity

(NOFO) Women Overcoming the World’s Climate Crisis with STEM (WOW CCs)

Applicant Questions and Responses

Q1: Please clarify further, for our understanding that women employed with higher educational institutions, for instance, Pakistani universities are eligible to apply for this grant or not.

A1: As noted in the notice of funding opportunity, page 2 "applicants must propose work equal to the planned funding amount in no fewer than two countries in the East Asia Pacific Region."

Pakistan is not in the East Asia Pacific Region and, therefore, activities proposed in Pakistan are not eligible for funding. The current priority countries for this notice of funding opportunity are listed on page 3. Applicants are strongly advised to propose activities in two or more of these priority countries.

Eligible applicants are organizations only, including U.S. or foreign-based non-profit/non-governmental organization or private, public, or state institutions of higher education.

Q2: Could S/GWI please provide a definition of “women-led organization” for the purpose of this NOFO (i.e. the staffing and/or governance must include a certain percentage of women)?

A2: For the purpose of the NOFO, women-led organizations include organizations with women in leadership positions. While no set percentage of women is required, applicants may choose to describe the characteristics of the organization’s leadership in the application..

Q3: The NOFO includes illustrative activities at both the national level (within one country), as well as at the regional level (across multiple countries). Could S/GWI indicate if there is a preference for an emphasis on activities at the national or regional level?

A3: The illustrative activities are not required. Rather, they provide examples of the types of activities that may meet the objectives of the NOFO. S/GWI does not weigh proposed activities at the national or regional level more or less favorably. However, the overall project plan should provide linkages across the proposed countries to ensure a coordinated project design and project learning.

Q4: The list of priority countries are all in the East Asia and Pacific region, and applicants must propose work equal to the planned funding amount in no fewer than two countries in the East

Asia Pacific region. However, language on page 2 of the NOFO indicates that additional countries may be selected, including from other regions. In addition, on page 20 of the NOFO indicates that applicants should demonstrate potential for global expansion. Could S/GWI please

Updated April 25, 2022 clarify if there is an expectation that additional countries will be added later from outside the

East Asia Pacific region? If so, could the prime implementer identify a partner organization to support those activities?

A4: Applicants are required to propose activities in two or more of the priority countries in the

East Asia Pacific region as noted in the notice of funding opportunity, page 2. Additional countries - including from other regions – may be selected during project implementation, pending availability of additional funding. Choices related to sub-grantees would be made at a future time. The prime awardee many submit requests for new subaward agreements as needed throughout the period of performance of the award.