Proposal Submission Instructions Rangel 2018.pdf FINAL for Posting.pdf

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

2018 Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship Program and the 2018 Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Summer

Enrichment Program

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INFORMATION

The information contained herein is to assist you as a general reference for completion of the proposal submission. It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all of the material submitted in the grant application package is complete, accurate, and current. Please read the complete announcement carefully.

Once the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) deadline has passed, HR/REE staff may not discuss this competition with applicants until the proposal review process has been completed.

Applicant organization is requested to submit a narrative and proposed budget outlining a comprehensive strategy for the administration and implementation of the 2018 Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship and the 2018 Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Summer Enrichment Program supported with concrete examples of demonstrated success in managing a program of this complexity. The comprehensive program strategy should reflect a vision for the program as a whole, interpreting the goals of the program with creativity, as well as providing innovative ideas and recommendations for the program.

Eligible submissions are those that are: 1) Submitted electronically via Grants.gov (www.grants.gov) or Grant Solutions (www.grantsolutions.gov) by the designated due date and time and 2) heed all instructions contained in the NOFO and the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI). Emailed, mailed or faxed applications will be considered ineligible.

DEADLINE

The proposal must be submitted through Grants.gov (www.grants.gov) or Grant Solutions (www.grantsolutions.gov) no later than March 20, 2017 by 5:00 pm EST.

There are no exceptions to the above deadline. Applications uploaded to the site after the application deadline date will be automatically rejected by the system and will be technically ineligible.

http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grantsolutions.gov/

ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION INFORMATION

The U.S. Department of State requires the proposal to be submitted electronically via Grants.gov (www.grants.gov) or Grant Solutions (www.grantsolutions.gov). It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the proposal has been received by www.grants.gov or www.grantsolutions.gov in its entirety. HR/REE bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes.

Applicant using www.grantsolutions.gov or www.grants.gov for the first time should complete their New Organization Registration as soon as possible. This process must be completed before an application can be submitted.

A valid DUNS (Data Universal Numbering System) number and SAM (System for Award Management – formerly Central Contractor Registration (CCR) are required for submission of an initial application on www.grants.gov or www.grantsolutions.gov.

Upon completion of a successful electronic application submission, the Grants.gov or GrantSolutions.gov system will provide the applicant with a confirmation page indicating the date and time (Eastern Time) of the electronic application submission as well as an official Application Number. This confirmation page will also provide a listing of all items that constitute the final application submission.

Please save this page for your records.

Please refer to the Grants.gov website and GrantSolutions.gov website, for definitions of various "application statuses" and the difference between a submission receipt and a submission validation. We strongly recommend that you not wait until the application deadline to begin the submission process through Grants.gov/GrantSolutions.gov. HR/REE will not notify you upon receipt of electronic applications.

Grants.gov Help Desk For assistance with www.grants.gov accounts and technical issues related to the system, please contact Applicant Support at support@grants.gov or call 1-800-518- 4726 or 1-606-545-5035. Customer Support is available 24/7 except federal holidays.

GrantSolutions.gov Help Desk:

For assistance with www.grantsolutions.gov accounts and technical issues related to the system, please contact Applicant Support at help@grantsolutions.gov or call http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grantsolutions.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grantsolutions.gov/ http://www.grantsolutions.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/

1-866-577- 0771 or 1-202-401-5282. Customer Support is available 8 AM – 6 PM EST, Monday – Friday, except federal holidays.

CONTENT AND FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION

The entire electronic application package may be downloaded from the grants.gov or grantsolutions.gov. Please read all information before downloading.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

Technically eligible submissions are those which: 1) arrive electronically via www.grants.gov or www.grantsolutions.gov by the designated due date/time;

2) heed all instructions contained in the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI), including length and completeness of submission; and 3) do not violate any of the guidelines stated.

For technical accuracy applications should ensure:

1) All pages are numbered, including budgets and attachments,

2) All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper

3) All Microsoft Word/pdf documents are single-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.

4) Completed and signed SF-424, SF-424A (Budget Summary)

5) Table of Contents (not to exceed one [1] page in Microsoft Word/pdf) that includes a page-numbered contents page, including any attachments.

6) Executive Summary (not to exceed two [2] pages in Microsoft Word/pdf) that includes:

a) Name and contact information of the Project Manager

b) A one-paragraph scope of work or synopsis of the program and its expected results

c) A concise breakdown of the project’s objectives and activities

d) The total amount of funding requested and program duration and

e) A brief statement on how the project is innovative, sustainable, and will have a demonstrated impact.

7) Proposal Narrative (not to exceed fifteen [15] pages in Microsoft Word/pdf).

Applicant may submit multiple documents in one Microsoft Word file/pdf, i.e.

Table of Contents, Executive Summary, Proposal Narrative, and Budget Narrative in one file or as separate, individually-submitted files. Proposal Narrative should be clear and concise and include sufficient detail about the program activities.

8) Detailed Line-Item Budget and summary budget (in Microsoft Excel or similar spreadsheet format) using OMB approved budget categories (see SF-424 A) for the entire period of performance (May 2017- September 30, 2020). Costs must be in U.S. Dollars. Funding requested should total the exact amount of $3,675,000.

9) Detailed Line-Item Budget and summary budget (in Microsoft Excel or similar spreadsheet format) using OMB approved budget categories (see SF-424 A) for the first installment/initial five months of the program. Costs must be in U.S.

Dollars. Funding requested should total the exact amount of $160,000.

10) Budget Narratives (preferably in Microsoft Word or pdf) that includes an explanation/justification for each line item in the detailed budget spreadsheet, as well as the source and description of all cost-share offered. For ease of review, it is recommended that applicants key the budget narrative to the categories in the detailed budget. Personnel-related costs should include a clarification on the roles and responsibilities of key staff and percentage of time devoted to the project. In addition, it is recommended that budget narratives address the overall cost-effectiveness of the use of federal funds. Separate budget narratives must be submitted for the entire period of performance (May 2017- September 30, 2020) and for the first installment/initial five months of the program.

11) If your organization has a negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA) and includes NICRA charges in the budget, your latest approved NICRA should be included. This document will not be reviewed by the panelists, but rather used by the Grants Office staff if the submission is recommended for funding. Hence, this document does not count against the submission page limitations.

12) COST SHARE - Cost-sharing is the portion of program cost not borne by the awarding agency. DOS does not require cost-sharing, cost-share is voluntary and will not be used as a factor during the merit review of applications. Cost-share may be in the form of allowable direct or indirect costs and offered by the applicant and/or in-country partners. The values of offered cost-share should be reported in accordance with the applicable cost principles outlined in 2 CFR

200.306 Cost Sharing or Matching. Federal funding from other USG agencies may not be claimed as cost-share. Cost-share must be justified and approved by the awarding agency (prior approval), documented, and accounted for.

PROPOSAL

Proposals should address succinctly, but completely, the elements described below and must follow all format requirements. All proposals must contain an executive summary, proposal narrative, detailed budget to include a line-by-line account of each cost category and budget narrative. Proposals should be submitted in Microsoft Word or PDF format.

A proposal that does not meet the requirements of this announcement and the proposal submission instructions will not be considered. A proposal that requests less than the award floor or more than the award ceiling will be deemed technically ineligible.

Failure to furnish all information or comply with stated requirements will result in disqualification from the competition. Applicant must set forth full, accurate, and complete information as required by this invitation. The penalty for making false statements in proposals to the USG is prescribed on 18 U.S.C.1001.

BUDGET

o Budget Guidelines (for details, see the Budget Guideline document)

HR/REE has provided summary and detailed line item budget templates, for referential, use as part of the solicitation package.

These templates are designed to serve as examples of the format for complete budget submissions and are NOT exhaustive. Individual line items included in each applicant’s budget should reflect specific program activities.

Applications will not be considered complete unless they include budgets that respond to the solicitation guidelines. Complete budgets will provide a detailed line-item budget outlining specific cost requirements for proposed activities, accompanied by a budget narrative explaining each line item, as well as a summary budget.

Complete applications will include a budget narrative to clarify and justify individual line-items (i.e., calculations of how the costs were derived per month or year, their necessity, and overall contribution to the program’s cost effectiveness).

Please note: Recipients under DOS-funded projects are responsible for complying with all applicable tax treaties and federal, state, and local laws on tax withholding and reporting for project participants.

Before grants are awarded, DOS reserves the right to reduce, revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of the DOS’s program and availability of funds.

o Other Budget Information (this list is not exhaustive)

DOS does not pay for the following, under any circumstances:

• Incurred before or after the specified dates of the grant (unless prior approval received);

• Projects designed to advocate policy views or positions of foreign governments or views of a particular political faction;

and,

• Alcoholic beverages.