Donor: Agency for International Development
Mar 22, 2022
The United States Government, as represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation (DDI), and USAID/Liberia, has announced Grants for The Higher Education for Conservation Addendum to the Higher Education for Leadership, Innovation, and Exchange (HELIX), a New Partnerships Initiative (NPI) Annual Program Statement (APS), hereafter known as the HELIX APS.
Purpose
The goal of the USAID/Liberia Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) 12 is to “Foster self-reliance by spurring private sector led economic expansion through a focus on catalyzing reforms and cultivating a healthy, productive and educated workforce.” This activity will support attainment of this goal through Intermediate Result (IR)
“Natural resources sustainably, equitably and productively managed” and IR 3.3 “Quality of education services improved.” With the goals and intermediate results of the Liberia CDCS in mind, the purpose of this activity will be to build and strengthen the skills and capacity of future forest and biodiversity leaders in Liberia, to conserve Liberia’s forests and biodiversity and support local communities and economies through strengthening higher education capacity.
This purpose is supported by the following objectives:
Integrate priority soft skills into existing, revised, and new curricula to ensure students understand skills in different contexts and are continually developing these skills.
Improve faculty and staff capacity to teach, model, and exemplify soft skills as well as provide a conducive learning environment for soft skills development.
Create and promote internship and other work-based learning opportunities to promote soft skill development and expand outreach efforts in local communities and with the private sector to expand awareness of natural resource conservation practices and career opportunities.
Establish an enduring partnership between a Liberian institute of higher education and a US-based Historical Black College or University (HBCU) that will provide opportunities for cross learning, exchanges and collaboration on environmental challenges in the Liberian or international context.
Principles
Gender Equity, and Social Inclusion (GESI)
Positive Youth Development
Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA)
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Countering Malign Actors
Scale and Sustainability
Resilience.
Funding Information
USAID/Liberia anticipates awarding one (1)
Award up to $5.0 million under this Higher Education for Conservation Addendum to the HELIX APS.
The actual number of assistance awards, if any, under this Addendum is subject to the availability of funds and the interests and requirements of USAID/Liberia, as well as the viability of eventual Applications received.
Geographic Focus
USAID/Liberia anticipates that ultimately the Higher Education for Conservation activity will contribute to USAID’s Mission and objectives through successful achievement of one or more of the following outcomes and focal areas as leverage points in higher education programming:
Increase Capability, Contributions, and Quality of Individuals
Enhance Sustainable and Self-Reliant Institutions of Higher Education
Strengthen Higher Education Systems to Ensure Long-lasting Impact
Advance the Higher Education Evidence Base for Learning
Lay the Foundation for an Enduring Partnership with a US Based Historically Black College or University (HBCU).
Eligibility Criteria
USAID defines “Implementing Partners” as U.S. and non-U.S. non-governmental organizations that can design and implement assistance activities outside the United States. All Implementing Partners must be legally registered entities under applicable law and eligible under the relevant laws to receive funding from a foreign source. Individuals, unregistered, or informal organizations are not eligible to be Implementing Partners. NPI provides further details on eligibility, depending on the approach to partnership.
All eligible interested organizations are restricted to submitting only one Concept Note as the Prime Applicant. If more than one Concept Note is received with the same Prime Applicant, USAID will seek written clarification from the relevant entity regarding which Concept Note should be considered for review.
Note: Please note that Applicants can serve as sub-awardees or supporting partners on multiple Concept Notes under an Addendum.