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The Public Diplomacy (PD) Section of the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia encourages U.S. organizations to apply for the Media Education Program – “Strengthening Journalism Education in Georgia” for media educators and administrators. Applicants must have a demonstrated expertise in developing and implementing programs related to journalism training, designing and carrying-out study tours for university administrators and media professionals, and organizing trainings at U.S. schools of journalism/mass communication. Expertise and established relationships with higher education institutions/journalism schools in Georgia will be considered favorably. The grantee is expected to coordinate the solicitation process of the program participants, including placement at a U.S. school of journalism/mass communication, with PD Section. To mitigate risk because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, grantee will be asked to work with PD Section Tbilisi to enable alternate or supplemental virtual delivery of certain segments of the program in the event of COVID-19 travel restrictions. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Public Diplomacy Section (PD) of the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi is pleased to announce an open competition for a Media Education Program (MEP) – “Strengthening Journalism Education in Georgia.” U.S. non-profit/non-governmental organizations and accredited American higher education institutions may submit proposals to manage a year-long project to support the professional development of Georgian media educators from public and private higher education institutions through a robust professional study tour at U.S. schools of journalism, media and mass-communication, with complementary site visits to U.S.-based media organizations and journalism education associations, e.g., Journalism Education Association, etc.. Additional means for achieving objectives of the program may include participation in annual conventions or conferences promoting excellence in journalism education and media literacy. Proposals should include a component to engage approximately 40 MEP alumni through the MEP Alumni Association. This might include a micro-grant opportunity to encourage alumni projects that advance journalism education and media literacy. The applicant should work closely with PD Section throughout the grant period to identify Georgian participants. The project will award $249,900 to defray the costs of a two- week intensive study tour for up to 10 participants. Applicants should include provisions for non-English speaking participants and secure international travel insurance for duration of the study tour. OBJECTIVES The purpose of the Georgian Media Education Program is to support the professional development of media educators, strengthen journalism programs in Georgian HEIs through adopting the best practices of journalism education in the United States, and establish collaborative linkages between Georgian and U.S. schools of journalism. These visits should also demonstrate the important role quality journalism education plays in establishing and maintaining a vibrant press corps and accountable democracy. The program should focus on introducing MEP participants to the latest trends in journalism education, multimedia and media literacy. In today’s consumer-driven and media saturated world, it’s becoming increasingly important for teachers to understand how to teach media literacy. Media educators can play a significant role in helping students understand the differences in media outlets, the messages they receive and ethical methods for producing their own content. Apart from consultation meetings with professors and media administrators, campus tour and intensive hands-on trainings at a selected U.S. school of journalism/communication, participation in events and workshops organized by professional journalism organizations should help achieve the program objectives. Exposure to emerging media tools, instruments, and digital platforms would enable selected Georgian media educators to learn modern practices in journalism education and to successfully adopt them in their professions. The program will also enable media professionals to examine technological advances in an American university and the influence it has on expanding academic opportunities for the educational achievement. The MEP has provided professional development to three previous cohorts comprising about 40 journalism educators, who remain active through a newly developed alumni association. MEP proposal may entail a component that ensures continued alumni engagement. Funds up to $15,000 can be encumbered to support a micro-grant competition through which alumni may submit proposals that will strengthen their programs. The program envisages exchanges in both directions – a combination of trips to the United States for Georgian participants and trips to Georgia of American partners, who will be engaged in active trainings on specific topics identified in consultation with MEP participants. For the visits to Georgia, activities should focus on completing those activities conducted in the United States and increasing the professional capacity of the Georgian participants and their colleagues who may not travel to the United States. EXPECTED RESULTS The program should emphasize hands-on experience that will build the professional expertise of Georgian media educators and contribute to strengthening journalism education in Georgia. It will also help journalism professors get acquainted with strategies for teaching media literacy and supporting students in developing skills that allow them to effectively evaluate content from a variety of media sources. The program may include such topics as: · Curriculum and instruction (including course design and curriculum development for BA and MA programs in journalism and mass communication, multimedia journalism, digital media and strategic communications); · Assessment of student learning outcomes; · Course evaluation and accreditation of media programs; · Modern textbooks, journalism coursework and curriculum designs, e-libraries; · Media Literacy teaching/ resources and increasing digital literacy skills; · Social media and Multimedia teaching; · Online programs for journalism, development of online course design; · Faculty development; Journalism Education Association: JEA mission and standards of media education; · Student internship and support; · Teaching academic writing for journalism students; · Media school partnerships and student exchanges; · Multidisciplinary teaching and use of integrated methods (academic research combined with practical work); · Current trends and “hot button” issues in journalism education Applicants may propose other project topics/activities not specifically mentioned in this solicitation if the activities reinforce the impact of the project. A detailed program timeline for the entire grant period that outlines how components unfold and complement each other must be included in the proposal. The names of proposed Georgian participants must be reviewed and approved in advance of U.S. travel by the Public Diplomacy (PD) Section of the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi. PD Section anticipates that the majority of Georgian participants will not have working-level competency in English. The applicant should describe the provisions (interpretation, international travel insurance, visa B1/B2 fee, meals and incidental expenses) that will be made for the proposed study tour participants.

Note: Each funding opportunity description is a synopsis of information in the Federal Register application notice. For specific information about eligibility, please see the official application notice. The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html. Please review the official application notice for pre-application and application requirements, application submission information, performance measures, priorities and program contact information. For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an application, please refer to our Revised Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 27, 2021. Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to promote postsecondary completion for students close to completion, whether for students currently enrolled in higher education, students who are no longer enrolled because of challenges they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and close to completion, or both. Institutions may opt to supplement or expand evidence-based and data-driven activities to support retention and completion for both groups. This program aims to improve student outcomes, including retention, transfer, credit accumulation, and completion, by augmenting evidence-based activities that are already underway at eligible institutions of higher education (IHEs). Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.116M.

Strengthen the Relationship: The Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Mission to South Africa of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for Federal financial assistance to support projects that strengthen ties and build relationships between the United States and South Africa. PAS welcomes proposals from South African organizations with a U.S. partner. U.S. organizations may also submit proposals, so long as they have a South African partner. Project Objectives: PAS is seeking proposals that address one or more of the following challenges from a public diplomacy perspective. Public Diplomacy (PD) seeks to promote partnerships and information/knowledge exchange between the Americans and South African publics and institutions to enable more effective, mutually beneficial cooperation with the United States globally, benefitting the U.S. national interest and the national security as well as South Africa. PD aims to identify and fund programs and projects that broaden and deepen dialogue and empower cooperation between American citizens and institutions – including civil society and educational organizations – and their South African counterparts. 1. Adapting to Climate Change and Implementing a Just Green Energy Transition The Challenge: Mitigating and adapting to climate change is a key policy priority for the global community. Climate change is already altering ecosystems, economies, and livelihoods. Floods, drought, and water shortages, driven by climate disruptions, have been severe over the last few years, with parts of the world facing water scarcity issues and others suffering devastating floods. As we move from fossil-fuel based energy production to renewables, livelihoods based on fossil fuels will shift, requiring social safety nets and reskilling to build resilience in these communities. A just transition aims to realize a quality life for those impacted by a transition from fossil fuels to renewables. PAS seeks proposals that will create exchanges of information and experience, as well as partnerships between Americans and South Africans. Projects may generate awareness and promote shared action/collaboration on mitigating and adapting to climate change. Projects may also facilitate the response to the evolving climate crisis with an emphasis on identifying shared challenges and solutions in implementing a just transition to green energy sources. Project proposals should identify a primary audience that the project seeks to influence. An audience related to a just energy transition in South Africa might be, for example: vocational students; secondary school or university educators; start-up entrepreneurs; leadership in community organizations; civil society representatives or government officials working on climate and energy issues. While a project may mention or incorporate multiple groups of people, a proposal must identify a single countable primary audience composed of human beings. Proposals should estimate how many people are in the primary audience. Note that short-term impact may lay the groundwork for longer-term outcomes. Priority project areas include: fostering economic opportunity and facilitating a green energy transition; sustainable waste management and recycling; urban and peri-urban clean water solutions; climate change adaptation; or urban gardening and greening. 2. Promoting Equity, Social Justice, and Social Cohesion The Challenge: The Black Lives Matter protests in the United States in 2020 quickly grew into mass protests in the United States and around the world, including Africa. Citizens and civil society organizations raised concerns about social injustice that had manifested as racial violence, economic inequality, and non-inclusive historical narratives. The United States has since seen increases in anti-Black, anti-Asian, and anti-Semitic violence but also efforts by government, business, and civil society to address questions of inequity and discrimination within American society. In South Africa, violent social unrest in July 2021, centered predominantly in KwaZulu Natal and Gauteng, led to the loss of two million jobs and a substantial contraction in the South African economy. These events have highlighted continued racial and social cleavages within South Africa, raising important questions around social and economic inequality in the current post-Apartheid era. In response to these events, PAS would like to create safe spaces for dialogue and exchange on topics that address equity, racial justice, and social inclusion in an effort to create greater social and economic security for all citizens. PAS seeks proposals that build on shared American and South African goals to promote respect for human rights and advance racial equity, social justice, and social cohesion. Proposals should align with the U.S. Government’s commitment to acknowledge and protect members of marginalized racial and ethnic communities, including indigenous communities, in keeping with White House Initiatives to advance racial equity and the U.S. Department of State’s Equity Action Plan. Project proposals should complement existing equity efforts, particularly those focused on women and girls, as well as LGBTQI+ persons, persons with disabilities, persons belonging to religious minorities, and members of other marginalized communities. Preference will be given to proposals that engage audiences and help them address the existing disparities and unique circumstances faced by members of marginalized communities, including those who experience compounded discrimination due to multiple and intersecting social identities. Proposals should foster dialogue, encourage civic engagement, and increase understanding about the historical injustices in the United States and South Africa to make concrete connections with contemporary applications of the lessons learned from those histories. Project proposals should identify a primary audience that the project seeks to influence. An audience related to the promotion of equity, social Justice, and social cohesion might be, for example: secondary school or university educators; leadership in community organizations; religious leaders; journalists or editors; civil society representatives; or government officials. While a project may mention or incorporate multiple groups of people, a proposal must identify a single countable primary audience composed of human beings. Proposals should estimate how many people are in the primary audience. Note that short-term impact may lay the groundwork for longer-term outcomes. Priority project areas include: Outreach to underscore connections between the struggle for equality of marginalized groups in the United States and South Africa’s liberation struggle; Exploration of the literature, culture, and histories of marginalized groups in the United States with South African audiences; or Facilitation of dialogues and exchanges which increase connections between individuals and communities in the United States and South African committed to increasing equity and social inclusion in both countries, sharing challenges and best practices from contemporary scholarship. Proposals may incorporate use of sport or art that addresses the American experience that is relevant to the South African experience. Competitive proposals will outline how the activities will resonate with South African audiences. 3. A Global Crisis: Trafficking in Persons The Challenge: Through force, fraud, and coercion, human traffickers violate the most basic right of people everywhere to freedom. Traffickers’ exploitative practices negatively impact countries like South Africa and the United States by diminishing and destroying communities, a sense of security, and the global economy. How can we use public diplomacy to combat human trafficking in South Africa, especially in the most at-risk communities? PAS seeks proposals that aim to improve the public’s ability to recognize and report TIP, to identify TIP risk factors, and to reduce demand for labor and sexual exploitation. Proposals should facilitate awareness of and generate grass-roots action on TIP-related issues in South Africa. Proposals should address recommendations in the most recent U.S. Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report for South Africa with the goal of increased public knowledge, understanding, and calls for action to prevent this abuse of human rights. Project proposals should identify a primary audience that the project seeks to influence. An audience related to the fight against trafficking in persons might be, for example: members of a vulnerable population (children, LGBTQI+ persons, refugees, migrants, or commercial sex workers); university educators; leadership in community organizations; religious leaders; journalists or editors; civil society representatives; or government officials. While a project may mention or incorporate multiple groups of people, a proposal must identify a single countable primary audience composed of human beings. Proposals should estimate how many people are in the primary audience. Note that short-term impact may lay the groundwork for longer-term outcomes. PAS welcomes proposals incorporating South African government entities as partners. Priority project areas include: Increasing the public’s understanding of trafficking in persons; Increasing TIP awareness among populations vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation; Reducing demand for labor and sexual exploitation; or Increasing the public and civil society’s reporting of TIP offenses and official complicity to appropriate South African authorities. 4. Expanding Cooperation in Higher Education and Vocational Training The Challenge: Universities, colleges, community colleges, and vocational schools are important community institutions in both the United States and South Africa. Economically, they have a role to play in identifying and addressing gaps in skills and other needs. Socially, they can effect positive change in relation to pressing political, social, and economic problems – from youth unemployment to countering gender-based violence to climate change and adaptation. Ties between American and South African institutions should enable societies in both countries to look around the corner at the challenges of tomorrow. PAS seeks proposals that strengthen existing ties and foster new collaborations between U.S. and South African higher education institutions under the University Partnership Initiative (UPI). Proposals should address the option to scale up the scope and reach of the project pending funds availability and should address potential significant involvement by PAS. Collaboration with existing U.S. Mission South Africa programs or alumni of USG-funded exchanges is encouraged. Project proposals should identify a primary audience that the project seeks to influence. An audience related to cooperation in higher education might be, for example: South African university and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students; South African government officials in positions responsible for funding and programmatic decisions linked to South African higher education institutions; Leadership of NGOs working to improve access to higher education and higher education outcomes; Out of school and other historically underserved individuals and groups who can benefit from restored linkages to educational and vocational opportunities; or Administrators of university, TVET, or community education training centers. While a project may mention or incorporate multiple groups of people, a proposal must identify a single countable primary audience composed of human beings. Proposals should estimate how many people are in the primary audience. Note that short-term impact may lay the groundwork for longer-term outcomes. Priority project areas include: Promoting U.S.- South Africa faculty and student exchanges, particularly the development of dual degree programs that have South Africans complete their studies locally and address South Africa’s shortage of qualified academic staff and that facilitate collaboration on addressing shared challenges in the United States and South Africa; Sharing best practices and expertise in curriculum development and aligning curricula to address job market needs and skills gaps; Developing the use of instructional technology to increase access to educational opportunities, including in the context of challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic; Facilitating early-career training for academics; Joint research, especially in agriculture, food security, health, and STEM; Providing training and transfer skills in all aspects of university and TVET college administration through subject-matter exchange programs; Sharing best practices for student recruitment, retention, and job placement while battling misconceptions about the utility of TVET and community college education; or Exploring public-private partnerships, with an emphasis on commercialization, technology transfer, and job creation as well as post-graduate job placement. Proposals should address how relationships between institutions will be sustained after U.S. government-funded efforts end. Proposals that develop linkages between South African technical universities and their American counterparts are strongly encouraged.

The U.S. Embassy in Amman announces an open competition for eligible not-for-profit organizations to submit proposals to design and implement projects that leverage or build innovative digital platforms and channels to reach and engage with Jordanian youth to address one or more of the following challenges: Unemployment or underemployment of underserved youth outside Amman; lack of gender parity in the workforce, with an emphasis on women in security and justice sectors; gender-based violence, honor killings, substance use, and/or gang violence; and low rates of political participation among youth. Program Objectives: The Public Affairs Section at the U.S. Embassy in Amman is soliciting proposals from eligible organizations for innovative and inclusive whole-of-society approaches to engaging youth between 12-35 years of age that includes a component(s) of gaming/gamification and/or strategic communications campaigns in order to address factors of social exclusion and discontent among underserved or underrepresented youth in Jordanian society in an effort to help mitigate vulnerabilities to recruitment and radicalization. The program’s goals are to design audience-driven tools and projects that focus on building the critical thinking and problem solving skills of youth, aged 12-35, to ensure they are equipped with the skills and knowledge to remain proactive in identifying and addressing factors of social exclusion; push and pull factors influencing and driving recruitment efforts by extremist and violent groups; and building the skills of those most vulnerable to being exploited by malign actors, all in an effort to ensure participants are able to actively identify and mitigate rising and existing threats, and create and amplify alternative or counter narratives on identity, agency, and belonging. Proposals should outline how they support the Jordanian government’s efforts in building the capacity of youth. Successful applicants will plan to co-design audience-centric, partner-led, and contextually relevant programs and tools. Applicants should consider multi-stakeholder approaches that bring together or coordinate the actions of central and local government or law enforcement as well as civil society, religious communities, academia, the private sector, local accelerators and incubators. All proposals should include a digital media plan that provides an overview of how the awardee will leverage digital and traditional media to amplify the activities, progress, and results of the program, such as by sharing participant testimonials through podcasts or webisodes, to serve as a public awareness and prevention tool.

Note: Each funding opportunity description is a synopsis of information in the Federal Register application notice. For specific information about eligibility, please see the official application notice. The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html. Please review the official application notice for pre-application and application requirements, application submission information, performance measures, priorities and program contact information. For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an application, please refer to our Revised Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 7, 2022. Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to equitably improve postsecondary student outcomes, including retention, transfer (including successful transfer of completed credits), credit accumulation, and completion, by leveraging data and implementing, scaling, and rigorously evaluating evidence-based activities to support data-driven decisions and actions by institutional leaders committed to inclusive student success. Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.116M.