Public Discover
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Request for Statements of Curiosity: DRL FY22 Web Freedom Annual Program Assertion Spherical 2
Statements of Curiosity for this solicitation are due on: Friday, January 13th at 11:59PM EST.
I. Requested Aims for Statements of Curiosity
Inside every of the under Web Freedom funding themes, DRL The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) publicizes a Request for Statements of Curiosity (RSOI) from organizations all in favour of submitting Statements of Curiosity (SOI) for packages that help Web Freedom. DRL’s objective is to guard the open, interoperable, safe, and dependable Web by selling basic freedoms, human rights, and the free circulation of knowledge on-line via built-in help to civil society for expertise, digital security, coverage and advocacy, and utilized analysis packages. DRL invitations organizations all in favour of potential funding to submit SOI purposes outlining program ideas that replicate this objective.
PLEASE NOTE: DRL strongly encourages candidates to right away entry SAMS Domestic or www.grants.gov with a purpose to get hold of a username and password. For directions on the right way to register with SAMS Home for the primary time, please confer with the Proposal Submission Directions for Statements of Curiosity at: https://www.state.gov/bureau-of-democracy-human-rights-and-labor/programs-and-grants/.
The submission of a SOI is step one in a two-part course of. Candidates should first submit a SOI, which is a concise, 3-page idea notice designed to obviously talk a program concept and its targets earlier than the event of a full proposal software. The aim of the SOI course of is to permit candidates the chance to submit program concepts for DRL to judge previous to requiring the event of full proposal purposes. Upon overview of eligible SOIs, DRL will invite chosen candidates to broaden their concepts into full proposal purposes.
SOIs that transfer ahead to be funded primarily based on this Discover ought to count on program actions to start no sooner than August or September of 2023 pending the provision of funds. That is the final DRL Web Freedom Annual Program Assertion for packages in a position to start actions in 2023.
Overview:
Precedence Areas:
SOIs centered globally or centered on any area will probably be thought-about. Purposes ought to prioritize work in Web-repressive environments.
SOIs concerning expertise improvement ought to have clear regional human rights use-cases and deployment methods for the goal area(s). SOIs centered on digital security, advocacy, and analysis must also have region- or population-specific targets and priorities which can be knowledgeable by clear discipline information and experience.
Web Freedom Funding Themes:
SOIs should tackle the Aim(s) of a number of of the Web Freedom Funding Themes: expertise, digital security, coverage and advocacy, and utilized analysis. Every of the Funding Themes is described intimately under. Purposes that don’t tackle the Objectives(s) of Funding Themes won’t be thought-about aggressive.
Funding Theme-specific steerage and necessities could be discovered within the following subsections of every Funding Theme: Objectives(s); “Issues of Curiosity;” “To be eligible packages should;” “To be eligible packages should NOT;” and “Actions that aren’t usually thought-about aggressive embrace, however should not restricted to”.
Aim(s): The upper-order targets to which a proposal should contribute with a purpose to be eligible for funding below a particular Funding Theme. A powerful SOI will embrace a transparent articulation of how the proposed mission actions contribute to the Aim(s) of a number of Funding Themes.
Present Issues of Curiosity embrace, however should not restricted to: Issues of curiosity point out a subset of present overarching challenges or threats to Web freedom of notable curiosity for consideration. SOIs that don’t tackle a number of of those “issues of curiosity” will not be penalized nor disqualified from the aggressive course of.
To be eligible packages should: A definitive checklist of the kinds and strategies of actions that proposed packages below a particular Funding Theme MUST meet with a purpose to be eligible for funding. These necessities are along with the kinds and strategies of actions outlined within the “Key Program Issues” part that all packages MUST embrace with a purpose to be eligible for funding.
To be eligible packages should NOT: A definitive checklist of the kinds and strategies of actions that proposed packages below a particular Funding Theme MUST NOT embrace with a purpose to be eligible for funding. These necessities are along with the kinds and strategies of actions outlined within the equally titled subsection below “Key Program Issues” that all packages MUST NOT embrace with a purpose to be eligible for funding.
Actions that aren’t usually thought-about aggressive embrace, however should not restricted to: Steering on the kinds of actions that earlier panels have NOT usually thought-about aggressive. Whereas a SOI won’t be instantly excluded from consideration if it comprises parts recognized on this subsection, it’s unlikely to obtain a panel’s advice for a full proposal. This steerage is offered along with the steerage outlined within the equally titled subsection below “Key Program Issues” which applies to all packages.
Funding Theme #1: Expertise:
Aim(s): Develop, enhance, and implement applied sciences to help uncensored and safe entry to the worldwide Web and/or to help the targets of different Funding Themes outlined under.
Present Issues of Curiosity embrace, however should not restricted to:
- Superior surveillance, censorship, filtering, or blocking of internet sites or on-line providers;
- Web shutdowns, degradation of entry;
- Splintering of the Web;
- The repressive use of adware, particularly when used towards civil society, human rights defenders, or unbiased media.
To be eligible packages should:
- Be primarily based on current and confirmed open-source applied sciences, which have matured to the purpose the place they are often responsibly utilized in related repressive, fragile, or conflict-affected environments and with recognized at-risk, marginalized, or susceptible populations.
- Serve a transparent human rights use case of their software.
- Exhibit a transparent understanding of adversarial efforts that will influence the usage of a proposed expertise, and supply a method for addressing them.
- Clearly justify and help particular technical claims and justify their contribution to outcomes associated to the Aim(s) of recognized Funding Theme(s) (e.g. what particular applied sciences, protocols, and so on. are getting used; why a particular expertise is getting used as a substitute of others; how the expertise works to deal with particular recognized threats; and so on.)
- Submit applied sciences to an unbiased third-party safety audit, in keeping with DRL tips.
To be eligible packages should not:
- Be a closed-source expertise mission (printed below proprietary licenses prohibiting code reuse or adaptation).
- Suggest the event of conceptual or aspirational expertise with out an current consumer base or clear software for safeguarding human rights on-line.
- Implement applied sciences that lack applicable safety for related at-risk populations.
Actions which can be not usually thought-about aggressive embrace, however should not restricted to:
- Expertise aiming to help uncensored and safe entry to the worldwide Web that doesn’t tackle particular repressive threats confronted by the populations served and missing element describing how the expertise will tackle these threats.
- Core or surge server infrastructure and/or bandwidth assets for anti-censorship expertise.
- Enlargement of bodily Web infrastructure, overcoming basic boundaries to Web entry (i.e., the bodily availability and inherent high quality of community connections unbiased of deliberate authorities interference or focused repression).
- Incorporation of digital applied sciences (e.g. synthetic intelligence, blockchain, digital actuality) with out a clear strategic software for, and deal with, defending human rights on-line.
- Help for aspirational applied sciences that haven’t superior past the proof-of-concept stage, except these applied sciences are developed to analysis or reply to an emergent risk to Web freedom.
- Implementation of applied sciences {that a}) don’t clearly tackle the distinctive wants, challenges, and use instances of their goal populations; b) don’t replicate demand-driven improvement, or c) fail to include enter from native communities.
- Expertise geared toward introducing curated content material into censored markets.
Funding Theme #2: Digital Security:
Aim(s): Conduct packages that allow at-risk, susceptible, and marginalized populations, or those that shield them, to organize for, stop, establish, examine, and/or get hold of treatment for repressive digital assaults; or different kinds of repression (together with on-line surveillance and censorship) designed to stop these populations from exercising their human rights and basic freedoms on-line.
Present Issues of Curiosity embrace, however should not restricted to:
- The repressive use of adware, particularly when used towards civil society, human rights defenders, or unbiased media.
- Denial of service (DoS) assaults concentrating on human rights defenders, unbiased media and civil society, impacting freedom of expression.
- Digital transnational repression.
To be eligible packages should:
- Have a transparent deal with defending human rights on-line.
- Exhibit a transparent understanding of adversarial efforts and a method for addressing them.
- Handle acute repressive threats confronted by the populations served.
- Exhibit a transparent understanding of the operational dangers of working in native contexts.
- Clearly exhibit sturdy inner capability and deep experience in danger administration and operational safety, with a historical past of profitable implementation of comparable packages in high-risk environments.
To be eligible packages should not:
- Suggest or implement expertise that can not be safely and responsibly utilized in related repressive, fragile, or conflict-affected environments and with recognized at-risk, marginalized, or susceptible populations.
- Fail to specify safety coaching methodologies that will probably be deployed.
- Conduct generalized “digital literacy” coaching with out a clear influence that improves safety for beneficiaries.
- Comprise actions that concentrate on moderating and/or countering on-line content material except they explicitly prohibit their efforts to solely use strategies that don’t curtail freedom of expression (similar to on-line self-regulation by customers, privateness safety measures, and so on.).
- Deal with countering distant offline surveillance.
Actions which can be not usually thought-about aggressive embrace, however should not restricted to:
- Initiatives broadly geared toward countering efforts to limit human rights and basic freedoms that aren’t clearly centered on the on-line train of these rights or freedoms.
- Digital safety training or capacity-building packages not in response to a) a clearly articulated and actual risk; b) a particular current or predicted upcoming change in risk landscapes for the goal inhabitants; or c) a beforehand unserved at-risk group.
- The creation of recent generalized safety instructional or informational safety assets primarily containing topical content material that’s generally present in assets geared toward most people.
- The supply of instructional or informational assets completely to program individuals and never made obtainable for sharing, reuse, revision, or adaptation by different related communities and safety suppliers.
- Purchases of bulk {hardware} or bulk licenses for business encryption or expertise merchandise. As a way to be aggressive, packages that present beneficiaries with gear or providers must be discreet efforts that cut back the chance or influence of a) digital assault(s) beneficiaries have not too long ago skilled or b) particular near-term risk(s) beneficiaries are more likely to face.
Funding Theme #3: Coverage and Advocacy:
Aim(s): Conducting or enabling coverage advocacy to counter legal guidelines, judicial actions, laws, requirements, firm insurance policies, and protocols that prohibit human rights and basic freedoms on-line; enabling the Objectives of the Digital Security or Expertise Funding Themes; and/or in any other case promote and broaden Web freedom.
Present Issues of Curiosity embrace, however should not restricted to:
- Web shutdowns, together with degradation of entry.
- Splintering of the Web.
- Coverage or authorized measures that prohibit human rights and basic freedoms on-line within the guise of selling cybersecurity or countering cybercrime, disinformation, defamation, hate speech.
- Digital transnational repression.
To be eligible packages should:
- Clearly establish and articulate a particular Web freedom coverage focus space for advocacy.
- Exhibit a transparent advocacy technique, clearly enumerating actions, and setting concrete targets and outcomes for coverage change.
- Articulate a transparent understanding of the native coverage advocacy context.
- Exhibit a transparent understanding of the operational dangers for working in native contexts.
To be eligible packages should NOT:
- Handle digital expertise insurance policies or laws that aren’t centered on, or with out clear direct implications for, the safety of human rights and basic freedoms on the worldwide Web.
Actions which can be not usually thought-about aggressive embrace, however should not restricted to:
- Initiatives centered on digital applied sciences (e.g. synthetic intelligence, blockchain, digital actuality) with out a clear strategic software for and deal with defending human rights on-line.
- Core help for advocacy capability improvement that doesn’t facilitate or help locally-appropriate and locally-led advocacy benefiting native members of civil society or marginalized, susceptible, and at-risk communities.
- Advocacy engagements that focus on U.S. Authorities stakeholders or allies to advertise analysis findings.
Funding Theme #4: Utilized Analysis:
Aim(s): Analysis efforts to tell and profit Web freedom globally as outlined within the Aim(s) of the above Funding Themes, or to in any other case higher perceive and counter threats to Web freedom.
Present Issues of Curiosity embrace, however should not restricted to:
- The repressive use of adware, particularly for surveillance, censorship, or repression of civil society, human rights defenders, or unbiased media.
- Web shutdowns, degradation of entry, and splintering of the Web.
- Legal guidelines, laws, insurance policies, practices, and protocols that prohibit Web freedom.
- Mitigating the impacts of on-line abuse and harassment with out curbing freedom of expression.
- Denial of service (DoS) assaults concentrating on human rights defenders, unbiased media and civil society, impacting freedom of expression.
To be eligible, Utilized Analysis packages should:
- Have a transparent and instant Web freedom Coverage and Advocacy, Digital Security, or Expertise software.
- Exhibit a transparent understanding of the operational dangers for working in native contexts.
- Present that they’re complementary to, and never duplicative of, current analysis.
- Be clear of their analysis methodologies to permit verification, peer overview, and additional analysis by others.
To be eligible, Utilized Analysis packages should not:
- Conduct purely educational analysis with no instant software to guard Web freedom for particular marginalized, susceptible, or at-risk populations.
- Conduct theoretical exploration of expertise and/or safety points that doesn’t clearly tackle a particular articulated risk to Web Freedom.
- Conduct experiments on marginalized, susceptible, at-risk, or actively focused populations.
Actions which can be not usually thought-about aggressive embrace, however should not restricted to:
- Analysis scopes that don’t point out a robust baseline understanding of the problem areas.
- Knowledge/data assortment, monitoring, or mapping actions that can’t clearly articulate how the analysis below their mission is complementary to, and/or completely different from, current information/data assortment, mapping, and monitoring tasks, and should not contributing, collaborating, and/or partnering with these current tasks.
- Using social-media monitoring instruments or different wide-scale assortment of private information with out knowledgeable consent except the mission can present a transparent dedication and capability to take action responsibly; a strong technical and operational framework for guaranteeing the security and privateness of these being monitored; and a compelling case for why this method is extra helpful, and would yield extra related data, than extra easy analysis strategies that require knowledgeable consent.
- Analysis inside expertise, coverage, or digital safety packages that doesn’t clearly contribute to the mission’s recognized targets, outcomes, and/or targets.
- Initiatives that don’t intend to make their analysis methodology, information, and/or analysis outcomes freely and publicly obtainable and accessible with out having offered compelling potential safety, authorized, privateness, moral, or technical justifications.
- Analysis that doesn’t present consideration to how its launch would possibly positively and negatively work together with fragile or high-risk native contexts or in any other case influence native human lives and pursuits.
- Knowledge/data assortment, monitoring, or mapping actions that don’t present a plan for guaranteeing longer-term sustainability of the assets created below the mission.
Key Program Issues:
The next checklist of program concerns is offered as a information to assist candidates develop responsive, sturdy program proposals.
- Initiatives ought to have a mannequin for long-term sustainability past the lifetime of the grant.
- Preferences will probably be given to tasks that create communities of apply and experience, which don’t simply embrace, however elevate, stakeholders from native communities
- DRL encourages candidates to foster collaborative partnerships, particularly with native group(s) in goal international locations and/or areas, the place relevant. The place applicable, candidates are invited to type consortia for submitting a mixed proposal, with one lead (“prime”) applicant.
- DRL strongly encourages candidates to think about contributing to, enhancing, collaborating or partnering with the builders of, and/or updating current comparable analysis, instructional supplies, or different assets earlier than creating duplicative or comparable merchandise.
- When working with marginalized and susceptible populations, choice will probably be given to tasks that substantively accomplice with organizations or teams which can be composed of, or led by, members of the populations being supported and/or explicitly deal with points associated to these teams.
- DRL strives to make sure its packages advance the rights and uphold the dignity of probably the most at-risk and susceptible populations. Initiatives that immediately have interaction with or deal with such teams, or with actions in repressive environments, should present an understanding of context-specific moral and security concerns of their method, a transparent plan for responsibly and safely conducting their work, and applicable capability and experience to hold out that plan and reply to emergent dangers to this system, implementers, and/or beneficiaries.
- Any improvement or use of Synthetic Intelligence and/or Machine Studying will probably be required to adjust to Executive Order (E.O) 1396’s 9 Principles for Use of AI in Government.
- All peer-reviewed scholarly publications authored or coauthored by people or establishments ensuing from analysis carried out below proposed packages should be made freely and publicly obtainable and accessible by default with none embargo or delay after publication, in accordance with administration policy. Analysis tasks will probably be required to supply important justification and approval for any restrictions or limitations on information entry, use, and disclosure.
To be eligible ALL packages should:
- Clearly tackle a number of of the above Web Freedom Funding Themes.
To be eligible ALL packages should not:
- Deal with digital applied sciences (e.g. algorithmic instruments, blockchain, digital actuality, Web of Issues, facial recognition) with out a clear strategic software for and deal with defending human rights on-line.
- Comprise actions that concentrate on moderating and/or countering on-line content material except they explicitly prohibit their efforts to solely use strategies which don’t curtail freedom of expression (similar to on-line self-regulation by customers, privateness safety measures, and so on.).
- Comprise offensive cybersecurity efforts, similar to hacking, or counter-attacking.
Applications and actions which can be not usually thought-about aggressive inside ANY program theme, embrace, however should not restricted to
- Actions that transcend a corporation’s demonstrated competence, or for which the applicant doesn’t present proof of their capability to securely and responsibly perform these actions and obtain the said influence;
- Initiatives with out a real-world influence that improves Web Freedom in particular international locations or areas.
- Geographically or group centered packages that don’t articulate how their methods clearly tackle or are tailor-made for the distinctive wants, dangers, challenges, use instances, and cultural contexts of their goal populations.
- Applications in repressive, fragile, or conflict-affected environments and/or concentrating on at-risk, marginalized, or susceptible populations that don’t present clear consideration for the way the context could influence this system’s efforts and the way this system could positively and negatively change the native context and in any other case influence native human lives and pursuits.
- Using social-media monitoring instruments or different wide-scale assortment of private information with out knowledgeable consent. Initiatives proposing this should be capable of present a transparent dedication and capability to take action responsibly; a strong technical and operational framework for guaranteeing the security and privateness of these being monitored; and a compelling case for why this method is extra helpful, and would yield extra related data, than extra easy analysis strategies that require knowledgeable consent.
- Initiatives that concentrate on growth of bodily Web infrastructure or overcoming first-order boundaries to Web entry (i.e., the bodily availability and inherent high quality of community connections unbiased of deliberate authorities interference or focused repression).
- The creation of recent instructional or informational assets that can’t clearly articulate how they’re complementary to, and never duplicative of, different comparable present and former efforts. Initiatives that can’t do that should present important justification for why they might not construct on, contribute again to, revive, replace, translate, or localize current assets to serve their functions.
- Initiatives that purpose to determine, produce, or create assets, expertise, analysis efforts, service supply mechanisms, or networks which can be supposed to proceed to be utilized past the lifetime of the mission with out together with tangible efforts throughout the mission design to make sure this sustainable continuity.
- Initiatives that don’t intend to make assets, applied sciences, and/or analysis findings they produce freely and publicly obtainable and accessible. These tasks should present compelling potential safety, authorized, privateness, moral, or technical justification for proscribing their availability.
- Initiatives that concentrate on a single nation moderately than a regional or world method.
- Stand-alone public consciousness campaigns.
- Examine excursions, scholarships or change tasks.
All packages ought to purpose to have influence that results in reforms and may have the potential for sustainability past DRL assets. DRL’s choice is to keep away from duplicating previous efforts by supporting new and inventive approaches. This doesn’t exclude from consideration tasks that enhance upon or broaden current profitable tasks in a brand new and complementary manner. Applications ought to search to incorporate teams that may deliver views primarily based on their faith, gender, incapacity, race, ethnicity, and/or sexual orientation and gender id. Applications must be demand-driven and domestically led to the extent doable. DRL requires all packages to be non-discriminatory and expects implementers to incorporate methods for integration of people/organizations no matter faith, gender, incapacity, race, ethnicity, and/or sexual orientation and gender id.
To maximise the influence and sustainability of the award(s) that end result(s) from this RSOI/NOFO, DRL reserves the appropriate to execute a non-competitive continuation modification(s). Any non-competitive continuation is contingent on efficiency and availability of funds. A non-competitive continuation just isn’t assured; the Division of State reserves the appropriate to train or not train the choice to challenge non-competitive continuation modification(s).
II. Eligibility Data
Organizations submitting SOIs should meet the next standards:
- Be a S.- or foreign-based non-profit/non-governmental group (NGO), or a public worldwide group; or
- Be a non-public, public, or state establishment of upper training; or
- Be a for-profit group or enterprise (noting there are restrictions on fee of charges and/or earnings below grants and cooperative agreements, together with these outlined in 48 CFR 30, “Price Accounting Requirements Administration”, and 48 CFR 31, “Contract Price Rules and Procedures”);
- Have current, or the capability to develop, energetic partnerships with thematic or in-country companions, entities, and related stakeholders together with personal sector accomplice and NGOs; and,
- Have demonstrable expertise administering profitable and ideally comparable packages. DRL reserves the appropriate to request further background data on organizations that shouldn’t have earlier expertise administering federal awards. These candidates could also be topic to restricted funding on a pilot foundation.
Candidates could type consortia and submit a mixed SOI. Nonetheless, one group must be designated because the lead applicant with the opposite members as sub-award companions.
DRL’s choice is to work with non-profit entities; nonetheless, there could also be some events when a for-profit entity is finest suited. Purposes submitted by for-profit entities could also be topic to further overview following the panel choice course of. Moreover, the Division of State prohibits revenue to for-profit or business organizations below its help awards. Revenue is outlined as any quantity in extra of allowable direct and oblique prices. The allowability of prices incurred by business organizations is set in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) at 48 CFR 30, Price Accounting Requirements Administration, and 48 CFR 31 Contract Price Rules and Procedures. Please see 2 CFR 200.307 for laws concerning program revenue.
DRL is dedicated to an anti-discrimination coverage in all of its packages and actions. DRL welcomes SOI submissions regardless of race, ethnicity, coloration, creed, nationwide origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender id, incapacity, or different standing.
Any applicant listed on the Excluded Events Listing System within the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) (www.sam.gov) and/or has a present debt to the U.S. authorities just isn’t eligible to use for an help award in accordance with the OMB tips at 2 CFR 180 that implement Government Orders 12549 (3 CFR,1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 CFR,1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” Moreover, no entity or particular person listed on the Excluded Events Listing System in SAM.gov can take part in any actions below an award. All candidates are strongly inspired to overview the Excluded Events Listing System in SAM.gov to make sure that no ineligible entity or particular person is included of their software.
Organizations should not required to have a sound Distinctive Entity Identifier (UEI) quantity—previously known as a DUNS (Knowledge Common Numbering System) quantity—and an energetic SAM.gov registration to use for this solicitation via SAMS Home. Nonetheless, if a SOI is accepted, these will should be obtained earlier than a corporation is ready to submit a full software. Due to this fact, we advocate beginning the method of acquiring a UEI and SAM.gov registration as quickly as doable. Please notice that there isn’t a price related to UEI or SAM.gov registration.
III. Software Necessities, Deadlines, and Technical Eligibility
All SOIs should conform to DRL’s posted Proposal Submission Directions (PSI) for Statements of Curiosity, as up to date in November 2021, obtainable at https://www.state.gov/bureau-of-democracy-human-rights-and-labor/programs-and-grants/.
Full SOI submissions should embrace the next:
- Accomplished and signed SF-424 and SF424B, as directed on SAMS Home or Grants.gov (please confer with DRL’s PSI for SOIs for steerage on finishing the SF-424); and,
- Program Assertion (to not exceed three (3) pages in Microsoft Phrase) that features:
- A desk itemizing:
- Identify of the group;
- The goal nation/international locations;
- A desk itemizing:
- The whole quantity of funding requested from DRL, whole quantity of cost-share (if any), and whole program quantity (DRL funds + cost-share); and,
- Program size;
- A synopsis of this system, together with a short assertion on how this system could have a demonstrated influence and have interaction related stakeholders. The SOI ought to establish native companions as applicable;
- A concise breakdown explicitly figuring out this system’s targets and the actions and anticipated outcomes that contribute to every goal; and,
- A quick description of the applicant(s) that demonstrates the applicant(s) experience and capability to implement this system and handle a U.S. authorities award.
Major organizations can submit 2 SOIs in response to the RSOI. If an applicant chooses to submit a number of purposes to this RSOI, it’s the duty of the applicant to exhibit the competitiveness and uniqueness of every SOI. SOIs that request lower than $500,000 or greater than $3,000,000 could also be deemed technically ineligible.
Technically eligible SOIs are these which:
- Arrive electronically through SAMS Home or Grants.gov by 11:59 PM EST on January 13, 2023 the announcement titled “DRL FY22 Web Freedom Annual Program Assertion Spherical 2,” funding alternative quantity SFOP0009225
- Are in English;
- Heed all directions and don’t violate any of the rules said on this solicitation and the PSI for Statements of Curiosity.
For all SOI paperwork please guarantee:
- All pages are numbered;
- All paperwork are formatted to eight ½ x 11 paper; and,
- All paperwork are single-spaced, 12-point Occasions New Roman font, with 1-inch margins. Captions and footnotes could also be 10-point Occasions New Roman font. Font sizes in charts and tables could be reformatted to suit inside one web page width.
Grants.gov and SAMS Home routinely log the date and time an software submission is made, and the Division of State will use this data to find out whether or not an software has been submitted on time. Late purposes are neither reviewed nor thought-about. Recognized system errors brought on by Grants.gov or SAMS Home (https://mygrants.service-now.com ) which can be outdoors of the applicant’s management will probably be reviewed on a case by case foundation. Candidates shouldn’t count on a notification upon DRL receiving their software. DRL will not settle for SOIs submitted through e mail, fax, the postal system, supply corporations, or couriers. DRL strongly encourages all candidates to submit SOIs earlier than January 13, 2023to make sure that the SOI has been acquired and is full.
IV. Assessment and Choice Course of
DRL strives to make sure that every software receives a balanced analysis by a DRL overview panel. The Division’s Workplace of Acquisitions Administration (AQM) will decide technical eligibility for all SOI submissions. All technically eligible SOIs will then be reviewed towards the identical 4 standards by a DRL Assessment Panel: high quality of program concept, addressing boundaries to equal participation, program planning, and skill to attain targets/institutional capability.
Moreover, the Panel will consider how the SOI meets the solicitation request, U.S. overseas coverage targets, and DRL’s total precedence wants. Panelists overview every SOI individually towards the analysis standards, not towards competing SOIs. To make sure all SOIs obtain a balanced analysis, the DRL Assessment Panel will overview the primary web page of the SOI as much as the web page restrict and no additional. All Panelists should signal non-disclosure agreements and battle of curiosity agreements.
Usually, the DRL Assessment Panel contains representatives from DRL coverage and program workplaces. As soon as a SOI is accepted, chosen candidates will probably be invited to submit full proposal purposes primarily based on their SOIs. Until directed in any other case by the group, DRL might also refer SOIs for doable consideration in different U.S. authorities associated funding alternatives.
The Panel could present situations and/or suggestions on SOIs to boost the proposed program, which should be addressed by the group within the full proposal software. To make sure efficient use of restricted DRL funds, situations and proposals could embrace requests to extend, lower, make clear, and/or justify prices and program actions.
DRL’s Entrance Workplace reserves the appropriate to make a remaining willpower concerning all funding issues, pending funding availability.
Assessment Standards
High quality of Program Thought
SOIs must be attentive to this system framework and coverage targets recognized within the RSOI, applicable within the nation/regional context, and may exhibit originality, substance, precision, and relevance to DRL’s mission of selling human rights and democracy. Initiatives ought to have the potential to have an instantaneous influence resulting in long-term, sustainable reforms. DRL prefers new approaches that don’t duplicate efforts by different entities. This doesn’t exclude from consideration tasks that enhance upon or broaden current profitable tasks in a brand new and complementary manner. In international locations the place comparable actions are already going down, an evidence must be offered as to how new actions won’t duplicate or merely add to current actions and the way these efforts will probably be coordinated. SOIs that promote inventive approaches to acknowledged ongoing challenges are extremely inspired. DRL prioritizes mission proposals with inclusive approaches for advancing these rights.
Addressing Boundaries to Equal Participation
DRL strives to make sure its tasks advance the rights and uphold the dignity of all individuals. Because the U.S. authorities’s lead bureau devoted to selling democratic governance, DRL requests a programming method devoted to strengthening inclusive societies as a essential pillar of sturdy democracies. Violence concentrating on any members of society undermines collective safety and threatens democracy. DRL prioritizes inclusive and built-in program fashions that assess and tackle the boundaries to entry for people and teams primarily based on their faith, gender, disabilities, ethnicity, or sexual orientation and gender id. Candidates ought to describe how programming will influence all of its beneficiaries, together with help that particularly targets communities going through discrimination, and which can be below risk of violence.
Program Planning
A powerful SOI will embrace a transparent articulation of how the proposed program actions and anticipated outcomes (each outputs and outcomes) contribute to particular program targets and the general program objective. Aims must be bold, but measurable, results-focused, and achievable in an inexpensive time-frame.
Capacity to Obtain Aims/Institutional Capability
SOIs ought to tackle how this system will have interaction related stakeholders and may establish native companions as applicable. If native companions are recognized, candidates ought to describe the division of labor among the many applicant and any native companions. SOIs ought to exhibit the group’s experience and former expertise in administering packages, ideally comparable packages concentrating on the requested program space or equally difficult environments.
For extra steerage, please see DRL’s posted Proposal Submission Directions (PSI) for Statements of Curiosity, as up to date in November 2021, obtainable at https://www.state.gov/proposal-submission-instructions/.
V. Further Data
DRL won’t think about purposes that replicate any kind of help for any member, affiliate, or consultant of a delegated terrorist group. Please refer the hyperlink for International Terrorist Organizations: https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations/. Mission actions whose direct beneficiaries are overseas militaries or paramilitary teams or people won’t be thought-about for DRL funding given goal limitations on funding.
In accordance with Division of State coverage for terrorism, candidates are suggested that profitable passing of vetting to judge the chance that funds could profit terrorists or their supporters is a situation of award. If chosen for an award, candidates will probably be requested to submit data required by DS Type 4184, Threat Evaluation Data (hooked up to this solicitation) about their firm and its principal personnel. Vetting data can be required for all sub-award efficiency on help awards recognized by the Division of State as presenting a danger of terrorist financing. Vetting data might also be requested for mission beneficiaries and individuals. Failure to submit data when requested, or failure to cross vetting, could also be grounds for rejecting your proposal previous to award.
The Leahy Legislation prohibits Division overseas help funds from supporting overseas safety pressure items if the Secretary of State has credible data that the unit has dedicated a gross violation of human rights. Per 22 USC §2378d(a) (2017), “No help shall be furnished below this chapter [FOREIGN ASSISTANCE] or the Arms Export Management Act [22 USC 2751 et seq.] to any unit of the safety forces of a overseas nation if the Secretary of State has credible data that such unit has dedicated a gross violation of human rights.” Restrictions could apply to any proposed help to police or different legislation enforcement. Amongst these, pursuant to part 620M of the International Help Act of 1961, as amended (FAA), no help offered via this funding alternative could also be furnished to any unit of the safety forces of a overseas nation when there’s credible data that such unit has dedicated a gross violation of human rights. In accordance with the necessities of part 620M of the FAA, also called the Leahy legislation, mission beneficiaries or individuals from a overseas authorities’s safety forces could should be vetted by the Division earlier than the supply of any help. If a proposed grant or cooperative settlement will present help to overseas safety forces or personnel, compliance with the Leahy Legislation is required.
Organizations must be conscious that DRL understands that some data contained in SOIs could also be thought-about delicate or proprietary and can make applicable efforts to guard such data. Nonetheless, organizations are suggested that DRL can not assure that such data won’t be disclosed, together with pursuant to the Freedom of Data Act (FOIA) or different comparable statutes.
Organizations must also remember that if in the end chosen for an award, DRL requires all recipients of overseas help funding to adjust to all relevant Division and Federal legal guidelines and laws, together with however not restricted to the next: The Uniform Administrative Necessities, Price Rules and Audit Necessities for Federal Awards set forth in 2 CFR Chapter 200 (Sub-Chapters A via F) shall apply to all non-Federal entities, apart from help awards to People and International Public Entities. Sub-Chapters A via E shall apply to all overseas organizations, and Sub-Chapters A via D shall apply to all U.S. and overseas for-profit entities. The applicant/recipient of the award and any sub-recipient below the award should adjust to all relevant phrases and situations, along with the reassurance and certifications made a part of the Discover of Award. The Division’s Customary Phrases and Circumstances could be considered at https://www.state.gov/about-us-office-of-the-procurement-executive/.
The data on this solicitation and DRL’s PSI for SOIs, as up to date in November 2021, is binding and will not be modified by any DRL consultant. Explanatory data offered by DRL that contradicts this language won’t be binding. Issuance of the solicitation and negotiation of SOIs or purposes doesn’t represent an award dedication on the a part of the U.S. authorities. DRL reserves the appropriate to scale back, revise, or enhance proposal budgets in accordance with the wants of this system analysis necessities.
This solicitation will seem on www.grants.gov, SAMS Domestic (https://mygrants.servicenowservices.com), and DRL’s web site https://www.state.gov/statements-of-interest-requests-for-proposals-and-notices-of-funding-opportunity/.
Background Data on DRL and DRL Funding
DRL has the mission of selling democracy and defending human rights globally. DRL helps packages that uphold democratic ideas, help and strengthen democratic establishments, promote human rights, stop atrocities, fight and stop violent extremism, and construct civil society world wide. DRL usually focuses its work in international locations with egregious human rights violations, the place democracy and human rights advocates are below stress, and the place governments are undemocratic or in transition.
Further background data on DRL and the human rights report could be discovered on https://www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for-civilian-security-democracy-and-human-rights/bureau-of-democracy-human-rights-and-labor/.
VI. Contact Data
SAMS Home Assist Desk:
For help with SAMS Home accounts and technical points associated to the system, please contact the ILMS assist desk by telephone at +1 (888) 313-4567 (toll costs apply for worldwide callers) or via the Self Service on-line portal that may be accessed from https://afsitsm.service-now.com/ilms/home. Buyer help is obtainable 24/7.
Please notice that establishing an account in SAMS Home could require the usage of smartphone for multi-factor authentication (MFA). If an applicant doesn’t have accessibility to a smartphone through the time of making an account, please contact the helpdesk and request directions on MFA for Home windows PC.
Grants.gov Helpdesk:
For help with Grants.gov accounts and technical points associated to utilizing the system, please name the Contact Heart at +1 (800) 518-4726 or e mail support@grants.gov. The Contact Heart is obtainable 24 hours a day, seven days every week, besides federal holidays.
See https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ for an inventory of federal holidays.
For technical questions associated to this solicitation, please contact InternetFreedom@state.gov.
Aside from technical submission questions, through the RSOI interval U.S. Division of State employees in Washington and abroad shall not focus on this competitors with candidates till all the proposal overview course of has been accomplished and rejection and approval letters have been transmitted.