Q and A_TL Undergraduate NOFO.docx

Tomorrow’s Leaders Undergraduate Program Funding Opportunity SFOP0006333 Questions and Answers

Question: The NOFO stipulates on page 15 that the page limit of key personnel CVs is at five pages and optional documents is at ten. The evaluation criteria on page 19 seem to require the gender courses syllabi (10 points) and the CVs/Job descriptions of gender faculty members (10 points) to be submitted with the application. Will the syllabi and resumes be part of the 10 page limit imposed on optional documents as this limit is too tight for such documents if required? Please clarify.

Answer: Applications that do not include all the required documents or adhere to the application formatting as part of the Application Evaluation Criteria will not advance past the Technical Eligibility Review stage. All applicants must comply to the Application and Submission Information in the NOFO for the below required documents:

Job Descriptions / Biographical Info for Key Personnel Positions. Applicants may submit job descriptions as an alternative to CVs to fit within the allowable 5-page limit or summary CVs. Job summaries of key personnel should include responsibilities, functions, duties, education and relevant experience or other important information for this project.

Project Narrative. As part of the applicant’s project design, the application must clearly describe how each proposed activity responds to the objectives listed in the NOFO. The required documentation does not include a gender courses syllabus but does require enough information for it to be evaluated and must not exceed the allowable 25-page limit. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review both the VI. Application and Submission Information and Appendix 3 before preparing their Narrative. The complete gender courses syllabus is not a required document.

Question: Is there a specific quota to be followed for the distribution of students regionally?

Answer: Quotas will be finalized later but a tentative quota is as follows.

2020-2021

Question: Is the stipend amount of $600 fixed or is it subject to further assessment? Can the applicant propose creative ways to disburse the stipend in light of potential banking operational risks in the country?

Answer: The stipend can only be increased to accommodate the current banking exchange rate equivalent to $1 for $500 Lebanese lira.

Question: If possible, may implementing partners propose hosting the stocktaking meeting annually by rotation, or may NEA/AC propose an alternate location to DC as flying 15 persons per year for the duration of the program to the USA inclusive of all support (hotel, per diem, visa, etc.) and Fly America compliance requirements will impose a massive travel cost. Please advise. Similarly, any possibility to alter the location of the management meetings?

Answer: Should MEPI change the location of the Stocktaking session and Management Meetings in the future, we will notify grantees accordingly. For now, this planning arrangement works best for all stakeholders including implementers, whose staff are not able to obtain visas to many countries. Hosting meetings in Lebanon is challenging situation right now.

Question: The detailed budget template in the excel file seems to require only an overall cumulative budget for the project. Does NEA/AC require a yearly breakdown of requested costs, per share (Federal or cost-share), or such breakdown per year is not required?

Answer: Only the overall cumulative budget is required for the application. Additional breakdowns by year are appreciated, but not required.

Question: Appendix 4 (LOE table as referenced on pages 4 and 14) is not posted on SAMS Domestic; we appreciate providing us with the template.

Answer: The document has been posted.