Deadline: 16-Sep-22

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking applications for a cooperative agreement from qualified entities to implement the Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) Humanitarian Fellowship Program.

Goal and Program Objectives

• USAID/BHA is soliciting applications to support and implement the MSI Humanitarian Fellowship program. This program is designed to benefit the broader humanitarian community, and will enable organizations to better reflect the beneficiaries the humanitarian system serves, as more diverse voices and perspectives are brought into the system.
• This program has the following overarching goal, and two objectives which support this goal.
  • Overarching Goal: To promote and advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) within the international humanitarian system, with the ultimate aim of better serving a diversity of beneficiaries.
  • Objective 1: Increase diversity within the international humanitarian system. This will be accomplished by contributing to a medium/long-term recruitment pipeline of diverse graduating college seniors for entry level positions in the international humanitarian system. By creating this pipeline, the Fellowship program will enhance DEIA within the NGO community, and the broader humanitarian system. Increased diversity will ultimately improve provision of assistance to beneficiaries, as diverse staff will be more representative of the populations served.
  • Objective 2: Foster linkages between academic MSIs and international NGOs (INGOs), thereby providing avenues for MSIs to benefit from existing learning opportunities, technical resources, panel events and discussions, and professional networks offered by the INGO community. As MSIs strengthen ties with INGOs, the staffing opportunities and pipeline for these INGOs will become more diverse.

Funding Information

• Through this NOFO, USAID/BHA intends to award one cooperative agreement, but reserves the right to award any other form of assistance agreement. For this NOFO, USAID/BHA intends to award up to $15 million in total USAID funding.
• The anticipated start date of the new award is to be determined (TBD) based on the final award date. The awards will be issued for a period of performance of up to thirty six (36) months from the date of award.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligibility is restricted to qualified U.S. and non-U.S. non-profit organizations which may apply for funding for an assistance award under this NOFO. Foreign government-owned parastatal organizations from countries that have certain legal restrictions for receiving assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act or related appropriations acts are ineligible.
• This restriction of eligibility is necessary for programmatic purposes as the MSI Humanitarian Fellowship program is intended to stimulate a public purpose, and the direct linkage to non-profit organizations with a humanitarian mandate is critical for the goal and objectives of this program, including the development of a diverse pipeline of talent for the humanitarian sector.
• Non-U.S. non-profit organizations that apply must have a physical office in the U.S. with sufficient internal capacity and financial ability to host one (1) to two (2) humanitarian fellows. Interested non-profit organizations must apply as a consortium, comprised of at least five (5) NGOs, and not more than ten (10) NGOs.
• For purposes of this NOFO, the consortium must have one lead organization that will serve as the applicant organization. The application must identify any other members of the consortium tied to the implementation of the activity as described in the application.
• USAID/BHA welcomes applications from organizations that have not previously received financial assistance from USAID.
• USAID welcomes applications from organizations that have not previously received financial assistance from USAID.
• Faith-based organizations are eligible to apply for federal financial assistance on the same basis as any other organization and are subject to the protections and requirements of Federal law.

For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=342533