Women in STEM Mentorship Program

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FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE


U.S. MISSION IN MOROCCO PUBLIC DIPLOMACY GRANT PROGRAM
Notice of Funding Opportunity for Fiscal Year 2023

Funding Opportunity Title:  Women in STEM Mentorship Program
Funding Opportunity Number:  PAS-MOROCCO-FY23-05
Deadline for Applications: April 24, 2023
Assistance Listing Number:  19.040
Email: Rabatgrants@state.gov

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The U.S. Embassy Morocco is pleased to announce an open grant competition to award a cooperative agreement to organize a Women in STEM Mentorship Program. The Embassy’s Public Affairs Office invites proposals from established Moroccan associations, committed, and organized civil-society organizations to implement a Women in STEM mentorship program, an initiative designed to address the underrepresentation of women in the STEM fields.  The program will foster a community of women in STEM and will provide a platform for young women to connect with each other, share their experiences and support one another.

Please follow all instructions below.

Priority Region: Morocco

Program Objectives

The program’s goals and objectives are to:

1. Increase the representation of women in STEM fields: The program aims to increase the number of women pursuing careers in STEM by providing mentorship support and resources to young women interested in these fields.

2. Promote gender equality in STEM: The program aims to address the barriers and biases that prevent women from participating in STEM fields and to create a more inclusive and equitable environment for women in STEM.

3. Enhance the employability of young women in STEM: The program aims to provide young women in STEM with the skills and experiences needed to succeed in the workforce and to increase their chances of getting hired in STEM fields.

4. Promote STEM education and awareness: The program aims to promote STEM education and awareness among young women and to encourage more girls to pursue studies in STEM fields.

The applicant must meet the specific criteria below:  

  • Project design and preparation: The Recipient will define, in consultation with the U.S. Embassy, the project scope, main outcomes and outputs including participants, projects, and participants’ profiles. The recipient will also handle all project logistics including venues, training dates, facilitators, trainers, and volunteers. 
  • Call for applications: The Recipient will advertise the application to become a mentor and mentee using social media and direct engagement and outreach through their own youth networks. The Recipient will also develop and implement a competitive established recruitment process to select 200 female university students, create mentor-mentee teams, and make sure each team of mentor’s recruits and works with 15 mentees to develop pertinent technology projects. 
  • Design of training: The Recipient will provide continuous training and support to the teams and complement the trainings with team building and leadership activities.  
  • Program delivery: The Recipient will organize a three-day training of trainers for a selected number of mentors. Four months later, the recipient will organize regional and national events where teams will benefit from additional training and will pitch their projects. 
  • Program locations and logistical support: The Recipient will select target (under-represented, under-served and at-risk) cities/regions/populations for recruitment and delivery of the training in coordination with the Public Affairs Section.  The Recipient will be responsible for all logistics for the trainings including securing training facilities, hotel accommodation for staff and trainers, and arranging for the procurement of meals and supplies. 
  • Monitoring and evaluation: The Recipient will develop a monitoring and evaluation plan. This M&E plan will consist of pre-training and post-training surveys to measure the impact of the program on the beneficiaries in consultation with PAS. The recipient will be responsible for sending an update about the participants’ projects six months after the national competition. 
  • Sustainability: The Recipient will develop a sustainability plan to maintain close contact with participants and provide mentorship to the beneficiaries and include them in future events.

Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals that use a mix of interactive activities and learning experiences to help participants develop their skills.  All proposals should contain a proposed syllabus covering the title and content of sessions and how each relates to the overall program objectives. Proposals should also include a detailed explanation of how applicants will be recruited and a description of how program activities will bring about the intended results.

All program activities should have a strong American focus.  Curriculum modules should include U.S. models, examples, and precepts. 

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Length of performance period: 10 to 12 months

Number of awards anticipated: 1 award.

Award amounts: The award may range from a minimum of $60,000 to a maximum of $70,000.

Type of Funding: FY23 Smith Mundt Public Diplomacy Funds

Anticipated program start date:  October 2023

This notice is subject to availability of funding.

Funding Instrument Type:  Cooperative agreement. The Public Affairs Office will be actively involved in the award implementation. U.S. Embassy staff will:

    1. Provide standardized logos/branding guidelines for promotional materials.
    2. Approve marketing materials and participating in promotional activities of the program and utilizing the U.S. Mission’s social media platforms and media contacts.
    3. Approve the selection of the venue.
    4. Approve participant and trainer recruitment and selection plans.
    5. Assist in identifying and contacting alumni of U.S. government exchange program, representatives of U.S. companies, and U.S. Mission personnel as potential speakers or trainers.
    6. Review and approve proposed program speaker and trainer rosters and activity/workshop/site visit topics and formats.

Program Performance Period: Proposed programs should be completed in twelve months or less. The Department of State will entertain applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the initial budget period on a non-competitive basis subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S. Department of State.

C. ELIGILIBITY INFORMATION

  1. Eligible Applicants

The following organizations are eligible to apply:

  • Only Moroccan associations and committed and organized civil-society organizations with full SAM registration and experience executing youth STEM programs will be eligible to receive funding.
  • U.S. organizations and NGOs are not eligible.
  1. Cost Sharing or Matching

There is no minimum or maximum percentage required for this competition. 

  1. Other Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a unique entity identifier as well as a valid registration on www.SAM.gov. Please see Section D.3 for information on how to obtain these registrations.  Individuals are not required to have a UEI or be registered in SAM.gov.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Submit all forms as PDFs in electronic format to Rabatgrants@state.gov no later than April 24, 2023, at midnight. All questions about this NOFO should be addressed to: Rabatgrants@state.gov

Please follow all instructions below carefully. Proposals that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or fail to comply with the stated requirements will not be reviewed.

  1. Content of Application

• Applications are due by April 24, 2023.

• The proposal should be $60,000-$70,000.

• Acquisition of a UEI number and a SAM.gov registration is required.

• The project should not have an intended start date before October 2023.

  • The proposal clearly addresses the goals and objectives of this funding opportunity.
  • All documents are in English.
  • All budgets are in U.S. dollars.
  • All pages are numbered.
  • All documents are formatted to 8 ½ x 11 paper, and
  • All Microsoft Word documents are single-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, with a minimum of 1-inch margins.
  • All proposals must adhere to the policy explained in the Women in STEM Mentorship Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) including the “eligibility requirements.” Please review these requirements carefully.

The following documents are required and the first 6 can be found on our website:

•SF424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
•SF424A (Budget Information)
•SF424B (Assurances)
•Project Narrative Form (in English)
•Applicant Organizational Information Form
•Detailed proposed program
•Budget Proposal (in USD) (please use $1 = 10 MAD as exchange rate)
•CVs for Director and key project personnel (you provide in English)
•Final registration papers for the organization (وصل نهائي) (you provide)

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE GO TO Docs and Forms for Applicants > NOFO – Women in STEM – Full Notice

By | 10 March, 2023 | Topics: News

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