Research Technical Assistance Center (RTAC)

USAIDs LAB/CDR team seeks to develop a Research Technical Assistance Center to support scientific and research-based technical assistance (TA) needs for the Agency by leveraging the technical and research expertise of the higher education community. Anticipated activities include: creation of evidence-to-action policy briefs, technical reports, strategic research agenda setting and research activity consultations, coordination of university-based researchers for expert panels or convenings, sector-focused trainings, and other short-term technical assistance (STTA) or related TA.

Of note, this Contract will be a sister-activity to the Long-term Assistance and SErvices for Research (LASER), which will likely be a Cooperative Agreement focused on providing long-term TA and research support for the Agency. RTAC will be expected to coordinate with LASER as needed and be available to publish products from LASER work on a proposed RTAC information-sharing platform.

RTAC will provide timely research-based technical assistance that facilitates USAID's capability to make quick, evidence-based programming decisions by leveraging the technical expertise of the higher education community. Anticipated activities include: creation of evidence-to-action policy briefs and technical reports; strategic research agenda setting and research activity consultations; coordination of university-based researchers for expert panels or convenings and sector-focused trainings; and provision of additional technical assistance support. CDR anticipates that the successful RTAC Prime will establish and maintain a network of individual graduate students, faculty, and researchers with current academic affiliations, who would apply directly to the RTAC Prime to participate as a part of the RTAC Partner Pool. These individuals would then be available to serve as individual technical advisors, via subcontract agreements, upon whom USAID can call on for support across a wide variety of technical sectors as needed.

To maintain fairness throughout this competitive process and per the notice of funding opportunity; there will be no face to face or phone conversations/meetings relative to the RTAC solicitation. Please submit all questions concerning this RFP via e-mail to Trenae Bonner at tbonner@usaid.gov with a copyto both the Administrative CO Roderick Watson at rwatson@usaid.gov and labcdr_feedback@usaid.gov, no later than 12 pm EST on February 9, 2018.