The United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) U.S. Global Development Lab is pleased to announce a new funding opportunity: Building Research and Innovation, Generating Evidence, and Training (BRIDGE-Train). BRIDGE-Train aims to support institutional partnerships between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in USAID Partner Countries and U.S.-based HEIs to develop research, innovation, and training centers for knowledge development aimed at addressing local and/or national development priorities. The Primary Objectives of BRIDGE-Train are to:
1.Support one or more HEIs in USAID Partner countries in becoming globally-recognized centers for development research, innovation, and training; and
2.Support strategic and catalytic partnerships between one or more HEIs in USAID Partner Countries and other key stakeholders.
BRIDGE-Train is released as an Addendum to the Science, Technology, Innovation, and Partnership Annual Program Statement (STIP APS). The STIP APS is an unfunded mechanism designed to allow USAID to easily collaborate with global HEIs and other key stakeholders to solve high-priority development challenges through the use of innovative tools and approaches.
Application Deadline
Five-page Concept Notes, using the required template, are due by 5:00pm EST on January 31, 2020.
Awards
Estimated 1-2 awards of $10-15 million each over 5 years.
Eligibility
Eligibility for BRIDGE-Train is restricted to HEIs. HEIs anywhere in the world may apply, but Applications must include institutional partnerships between one or more HEIs in a USAID Partner Country and one or more HEIs in the United States. In accordance with the requirements of the overarching STIP APS, Applications must also include meaningful engagement of at least one additional local institutional partner (public, private, civil society, NGO, etc.). Thus, non-HEI organizations are expected to be engaged in the proposed activities, however, only HEIs are eligible to serve as the Prime for this Award. Additional information about eligibility requirements can be found in the full BRIDGE-Train Addendum.
Questions
Any questions about the Addendum must be submitted to Julia Banks, jbanks@usaid.gov with a copy to LABCDR_Feedback@usaid.gov by 12:00 pm EST on December 30, 2019. Please refer to the STIP APS and full BRIDGE-Train Addendum for more detailed information about the Objectives, review criteria, and Application process.