Zimbabwe University Library Resources Program (ULRP) | AF HAR FY23 04

Opportunity Information: Apply for AF HAR FY23 04

The Zimbabwe University Library Resources Program (ULRP) is a U.S. Embassy Zimbabwe Public Diplomacy grant opportunity designed to strengthen working ties between U.S. and Zimbabwean academic libraries, with a clear focus on improving teaching, learning, and research support at Zimbabwean higher education institutions. The program is aimed at helping university libraries better serve faculty and students by expanding access to high-quality educational content and, where needed, the technology required to reliably access that content. The subject areas the program prioritizes are One Health, STEM fields in Agriculture, Mental Health, and Peace and Conflict Resolution, and proposals are expected to directly connect library support to faculty-led learning and research activities in these areas.

At the core of ULRP is the goal of expanding access to U.S. educational resources in both digital and physical forms. The Embassy is looking for proposals that result in faculty and students having improved access to relevant publications, online research databases, electronic thesis resources, and other digital learning materials, with the broader intent of improving research capacity, information literacy, research methodologies, and overall learning outcomes. A key requirement is that any resources purchased with grant funds must be open access for all students and faculty at the host institution, meaning the materials cannot be restricted to a small group or limited behind internal paywalls that block broad campus use.

Projects are expected to fit within one or more of three main themes. The first is access to academic journals and electronic thesis databases, such as subscriptions or access arrangements that specifically support the four priority subject areas. The second is strengthening higher education print and digital collections, where libraries collaborate with relevant faculty departments to identify, source, and provide materials that students and researchers actually need for coursework and scholarship in One Health, Agriculture-related STEM, Mental Health, and Peace and Conflict Resolution. The third theme is improving access to the internet for academic library use, such as practical steps to strengthen library connectivity so users can reliably reach online research databases and digital resources. While internet-related equipment purchases are allowed, they must be reasonable, well-justified in the budget, and capped at no more than 20 percent of the total project budget. Another non-negotiable condition is that all educational materials supported through this program must be obtained from U.S. sources.

The intended participants and target audience are university faculty, undergraduate and postgraduate students in the priority disciplines, and academic library staff. Proposals must show meaningful engagement with specific faculty departments rather than treating the library as a standalone unit, since the program is framed around supporting faculty teaching and research outcomes through stronger library services and collections.

Funding is offered as a grant under Public Diplomacy (Smith-Mundt) funds. The performance period is 12 months or less, with an anticipated start date of April 1, 2023. The Embassy anticipates making up to five awards, each up to USD 10,000, for a total funding pool of USD 50,000, and the opportunity is explicitly subject to the availability of funds.

Eligible applicants include Zimbabwean or U.S. media organizations, civil society groups, academic institutions, and non-governmental organizations. For-profit or commercial entities are not eligible. Cost sharing is not required, but it is encouraged, which can strengthen an application by showing institutional commitment and helping extend impact beyond the grant amount.

Applications require standard U.S. government grant registrations and forms. Organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and an active registration in SAM.gov, and they must also obtain an NCAGE/CAGE code. The application package can be requested by emailing PublicDiplomacyGrants-ZIM@state.gov (an automated response provides forms), and materials are also available through grants.gov. The proposal must be written in English and should clearly address the program goals and objectives while laying out the who, what, why, when, where, how, and cost of the project in a direct, organized way. A detailed budget is required in U.S. dollars and must include both a budget table and a budget narrative with unit costs, quantities, and totals.

Required forms include the completed application form, a detailed projected budget form, SF-424 (or SF-424-I for individuals, though the opportunity is primarily organization-focused), SF-424A, and SF-424B. Applicants must also include letters of support from partners describing roles and responsibilities. If indirect costs are included and the organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), the NICRA must be attached as a PDF. If there is no NICRA, indirect/overhead costs may not exceed 10 percent of the budget. Any required official permission letters for project activities should also be included.

The proposal window opened November 1, 2022, and submissions were expected before January 31, 2023 for consideration. Applications can be emailed to PublicDiplomacyGrants-ZIM@state.gov, and applicants are instructed to use the subject line “Democratic Principles Grant Proposal,” even though the program itself is the University Library Resources Program (this appears to be a standard internal subject-line instruction and should be followed as written to avoid processing delays).

Proposals are reviewed competitively by the Public Diplomacy Grants Committee. Applicants not selected are expected to be notified by email no later than September 30, 2023. Qualified proposals may remain on file for up to 12 months and could be considered later if additional funding becomes available. After submission, applicants should not expect substantive discussion with State Department staff about the competition until the review process is complete, though status updates can be requested via email using the specified subject line format.

If selected, the award is formally issued and administered by a Grants Officer, and recipients may only begin incurring costs on or after the start date listed in the fully executed award document. Payment is made via electronic funds transfer, and recipients must comply with U.S. Department of State and federal assistance rules, including 2 CFR 200 and relevant Standard Terms and Conditions, which also include U.S. flag branding and marking requirements. Grantees must submit program and financial reports, and future disbursements may depend on acceptable accounting for funds already received, consistent with the award’s reporting schedule. For any application process questions, the primary contact is PD Harare at PublicDiplomacyGrants-Zim@state.gov.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Zimbabwe in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Zimbabwe University Library Resources Program (ULRP)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 01, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 31, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $10,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for AF HAR FY23 04

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: