The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced a program to build mutually beneficial relationships between higher education institutions and USAID to solve major development challenges by:

• Harnessing the intellectual power of faculty, students, and staff
• Creating sustainable, creative, evidence-based, multidisciplinary approaches
• Building partnerships with the developing world to support the expansion of the role of science, technology, and engineering in solving complex development problems

Key Dates (2012):

Jan 13:     Draft Request for Application (RFA) issued by USAID
Jan 24:     Pre-solicitation Webinar:  rfa draft Webinar slides and Webinar 1 Transcript

Feb 8:       Final RFA Issued by USAID.

Mar 6        Notification to vcrsp@olemiss.edu of intent to submit an as PI on an individual partnership proposal
                  or PI on a consortium proposal with UM as the lead institution

Mar 7        ORSP will announce terms for internal competition (if necessary)
Mar 12     Concept Notes due to ORSP (if necessary)
Mar 16     ORSP will select concept papers to move forward
Mar 20     Final Concept Notes & Support and Documents due to ORSP
Mar 21     ORSP will submit concept notes to USAID
Mar 22     Concept notes due to USAID by noon

July 17:    Applications due to USAID (invited proposal only)
 

For More information:

• Final RFA
• USAID Web: www.usaid.gov/universities

To participate in an online exchange of collaboration ideas with UM colleagues, use the Wiggio UM USAID discussion group:

• Wiggio Group: UM USAID
• Wiggio Group Web address: http://umusaid.wiggio.com
• Wiggio Group e-mail address: umusaid@wiggioemail.com
• Wiggio Group Password: engagement 
• Wiggio Group Direct Link: http://wiggio.com/group_open_join.php?groupid=1164987&password=engagement&ref=833777

Questions: Jason Hale, jghale@olemiss.edu

Funding: $(TBA) of total funding for X to Y awards of up $ (TBA) per award over 5-years

• Individual partnerships: $1-2 Million annually for 5 years
• Consortium partnerships: $5 Million annually for 5 years.
  • 3-4 academic institutions, with at least one from the developing world.

Cost Sharing:

• Significant cost-share encouraged
• Leveraging through external resources strongly encouraged

Limitations: Single institution applicants may submit two applications, whereas consortium leads may only submit one application as a consortium. Institutions are free to form as many inter-institutional collaborations with consortium partners that they view appropriate and programmatically justified

Current USAID Initiatives:

• Grand Challenges for Development
• Global Health Initiative
• Feed the Future
• Global Climate Change
• Partnerships with federal science agencies (NSF, NIH, EPA, NOAA, USGS)
• Expansion of Geospatial Analysis capabilities

Goals:

• Address USAID’s need for development data and analysis
• Test and scale new models for development
• Engage new solvers and incentivize new solutions

Proposed Outcomes:

• Improve efficacy of development
• Relationships
• Culture Change