U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE | U.S. MISSION UGANDA | Notice of Funding Opportunity
Funding Opportunity Title: Health-Based Journalism Training
Funding Opportunity Number: DOS-UGA-PEPFARPAS-FY19
Deadline for Applications: May 28, 2020
CFDA Number: 19.029 – The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief Program
Total Amount Available: Up to USD $50,000
This notice is subject to availability of funding.
A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION : The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Mission in Uganda announces an open competition for media training organizations interested in submitting applications for a grant to implement and manage training of both print and broadcast mid-level journalists on how to effectively and accurately report about health stories with a focus on HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis, and other key health issues as agreed by the U.S. Mission. The project aims to support one of the U.S. Mission’s central goals of improving the professional development of the Ugandan media corps.
- The one-year project aims to train over 100 journalists and editors from throughout the country in the following areas, with a special emphasis on health issues relating to HIV:
Skills and knowledge to effectively investigate and report on health and HIV issues in a way that informs and empowers the ordinary person to demand and enjoy his or her right to health; - Understanding Uganda’s healthcare policy and system and the individual rights allowed for within the policies and system;
- Innovative reporting on HIV/AIDS, shaping public response to HIV/AIDS, and other health issues through reporting;
- Covering disease outbreaks and the business/economics of healthcare with a focus on maintaining HIV prevention and treatment during an ongoing disease outbreak like COVID-19;
- Evaluating and covering healthcare quality and performance;
- Understanding and reporting on health disparities; including those among key populations living with HIV;
- Covering issues related to the need of linking key affected populations to HIV/AIDS care services, reporting on consumer and lifestyle health, trends in global health policy’
- The importance of effective and accurate headlines in health and HIV reporting;
- Understanding and reporting the impact Gender Based Violence (GBV) has on the health of Ugandans and the role that it plays in the HIV epidemic.
The implementer will also be expected to make available small grants for select journalists to carry out in-depth health investigative stories pertaining to HIV and relating issues.
Project Requirements
The project proposal must clearly state the number of journalists who will be trained, the selection process, geographical scope of training, mode of training, topics to be covered, biographies of the trainers, detailed curriculum, and a clear timeline for implementation.
Furthermore, in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the proposal should state how the implementer plans to make use of virtual technology in this training. Our preference is for the trainings to take place in person. However, if the COVID-19 pandemic persists for several months in Uganda, this training may not be able to take place in person, and may need to be conducted remotely with available technology.
Criteria for the selection of the implementing partner will include but is not limited to the following:
- Entities should be duly registered as non-profit organizations in Uganda.
- Established track record of training journalists (special emphasis on rural-based journalists);
- Ability to network with other media training organizations in these trainings;
- Organization must have the ability to promote and defend the right to freedom of expression through research, documentation, analysis, advocacy, strategic collaborations, and capacity building initiatives.
B. APPLICATION PROCEDURES AND ELIGIBILITY
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 be ineligible.
1. Proposal (10 pages maximum, excluding attachments): The proposal should clearly explain how the project will be implemented, including enough detail that someone unfamiliar with the proposal would easily understand the goals. You may use your own proposal format, but it must include all the items below.
- Proposal Summary: A short, concisely written narrative that outlines the proposed project, including project objectives, goals, and outcomes.
- Introduction to the organization or individual applying: A very brief description of past and present operations that demonstrate the organization/individual’s ability to implement the project. Include information on all previous grants from the U.S. Mission and/or U.S. government agencies, and other donor support.
- Problem Statement: Clear, concise, and well-supported statement of the problem to be addressed and why the proposed project is needed.
- Project Goals and Objectives: The “goals” describe what the project is intended to achieve. The “objectives” refer to the intermediate accomplishments on the way to the goals. These should be achievable and measurable.
- Project Activities: Describe the project activities and how they will help achieve the objectives.
- Program Methods and Design: A description of how the project is expected to work to solve the stated problem and achieve the goal. Include a logic model as appropriate.
- Proposed Project Schedule and Timeline: The proposed timeline for the project activities. Include the dates, times, and locations of planned activities and events.
- Key Personnel: Names, titles, roles and experience/qualifications of key personnel involved in the project. What proportion of their time will be used in support of this project?
- Project Partners: List the names and type of involvement of key partner organizations and sub-awardees.
- Innovation: Please describe why your project is unique, different, innovative, and creative or somehow stands out from all the rest. (Not more than 200 words)
- Project Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: This is an important part of successful grants. Throughout the timeframe of the grant, how will the activities be monitored to ensure they are happening in a timely manner, and how will the program be evaluated to make sure it is meeting the goals of the grant?
- Future Funding or Sustainability: Applicant’s plan for continuing the program beyond the grant period, ability to cost-share, or the availability of other resources, if applicable.
2. Budget in U.S. dollars: Use budget categories listed below when drawing up the project budget, and include a short narrative of the budget items. All budget items must be itemized.
Guidelines for the Project Budget
- Personnel and Fringe Benefits: Describe the wages, salaries, and benefits of temporary or permanent staff who will be working directly for the applicant on the project, and the percentage of their time that will be spent on the project.
- Travel: Estimate the costs of travel and per diem for this project, both for program staff, consultants or speakers, and participants/beneficiaries. If the project involves international travel, include a brief statement of justification for that travel.
- Equipment: Describe any machinery, furniture, or other personal property that is required for the project, which has a useful life of more than one year (or a life longer than the duration of the project), and costs at least $5,000 per unit.
- Supplies: List and describe all the items and materials, including any computer devices that are needed for the project. If an item costs more than $5,000 per unit, then put it in the budget under Equipment.
- Contractual: Describe goods and services that the applicant plans to acquire through a contract with a vendor. Also describe any sub-awards to non-profit partners that will help carry out the project activities.
- Other Direct Costs: Describe other costs directly associated with the project, which do not fit in the other categories. For example, shipping costs for materials and equipment or applicable taxes. All “Other” or “Miscellaneous” expenses must be itemized and explained.
- Indirect Costs: These are costs that cannot be linked directly to the project activities, such as overhead costs needed to help keep the organization operating.
- “Cost sharing” refers to contributions from the organization or other entities other than the U.S. Embassy. It also includes in-kind contributions such as volunteers’ time and donated venues.
- Alcoholic beverages: Please note that award funds cannot be used for alcoholic beverages.
C. Required Registrations:
All organizations applying for this grant must obtain these registrations. Registration does not have to be completed at the time of application but must be completed before finalization of the grant. All are free of charge:
- Unique entity identifier from Dun & Bradstreet (DUNS number)
- NCAGE/CAGE code
- www.SAM.gov registration
Step 1: Apply for a DUNS number and an NCAGE number (these can be completed simultaneously)
DUNS application: Organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet. If your organization does not have one already, you may obtain one by calling 1-866-705-5711 or visiting http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform
NCAGE application: Application page here: https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/scage/CageList.aspx
Instructions for the NCAGE application process:
https://eportal.nspa.nato.int/AC135Public/Docs/US%20Instructions%20for%20NSPA%20NCAGE.pdf (PDF file)
For NCAGE help from outside the U.S., call 1-269-961-7766
Email: NCAGE@dlis.dla.mil for any problems in getting an NCAGE code.
Step 2: After receiving the NCAGE Code, proceed to register in SAM.gov by logging onto: https://www.sam.gov. SAM registration must be renewed annually.
D. Eligibility: Any registered non-profit, non-governmental organization may submit a proposal. Cost-sharing or matching is encouraged but not required.
E. Review and Selection Process
A Grants Review Committee comprised of members from the U.S. Mission will evaluate all eligible applications and contact the selected implementer. Only organizations whose applications are being considered for funding will be contacted by the U.S. Mission.
All application materials must be submitted by email to Kampalagrants@state.gov
