Forensic Assistance in Central and South America

The summary for the Forensic Assistance in Central and South America grant is detailed below. This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants. Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact. If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.

Forensic Assistance in Central and South America: Department of StatePublic NoticeBureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Request for Proposals:Forensic Assistance in Central and South AmericaPLEASE NOTE: DRL strongly urges applicants to access immediately www.grants.gov in order to obtain a username and password. It may take up to two full weeks to register with grants.gov. Please see the section entitled, "DEADLINE AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS" below for specific instructions. SUMMARYThe Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor announces an open competition for assistance awards. DRL requests proposals from non-profit organizations interested in a grant award from the U.S. Department of States FY 06 Human Rights and Democracy Fund for forensic assistance projects in Central and South America, specifically Argentina, Guatemala, Peru, and El Salvador. $2.97 million is available.Decades of political instability and lawlessness in Central and South America have led to tragic disappearances and mass killings of thousands of persons. Despite ongoing efforts since the 1980s, the majority of the remains and the found persons have not been identified due to the high cost of DNA extraction and analysis and the limited resources and experience of local laboratories and personnel. Major technological improvements since 2001 have made processing large amounts of genetic samples a feasible reality. Identification of remains and found persons through genetics brings solace and closure to the victims families and provides physical evidence to investigations about the recent past, contributing to the process of reparation and serving justice and society as a whole. Proposals will outline program concepts and capacity to manage projects that will support the identification of remains and increase the capacity of indigenous NGOs to conduct timely and reliable DNA testing through the following specific activities: . Mandatory coordination of programming activities with the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (Equipo Argentino de Antropologia Forense, www.eaaf.org at [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected]), the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation (Fundacion de Antropologia Forense de Guatemala, www.fafg.org, at [email protected]), the Peruvian Forensic Anthropology Team (Equipo Peruviano de Antropologia Forense, at [email protected] or [email protected]), and Pro-Busqueda Association for Disappeared Children (Asociacion Pro-Busqueda de Ninos y Ninas Desaparecidos, probusqueda.org.sv, at [email protected]). Applicants should not submit proposals without consulting with these partner organizations first. Applicants experiencing difficulty contacting these organizations should contact DRL immediately.. Lab renovation and technical training, including potential training abroad, to increase scientific capacity, experience, and processing capability in forensic anthropology in Central and South America. Increased sample collection through exhumation of additional remains and dissemination of information to populations about program availability to encourage DNA donation. Creation of databases of family reference samples and of human skeletal remains to facilitate matching . Provision of legal and psychological support to victims families. Creation of an information-sharing network among the NGOs in each country in order to strengthen program productivity, efficacy, resources, and sustainability. Innovative, targeted activities in El Salvador at the funding level of approximately $200,000 should be included. ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONThe Bureau supports innovative programs that uphold democratic principles, support and strengthen democratic institutions, promote human rights, and build civil society in countries and regions of the world that are geo-strategically important to the U.S. The Bureau funds projects that have the potential to have an immediate impact leading to long-term sustainable reforms. Projects should have potential for continued funding beyond Bureau resources. Projects must not duplicate or simply add to efforts by other entities.DRL anticipates awarding grants by late fall 2006. The bulk of project activities must take place in the target country(ies) and last between 1 and 3 years. U.S. - based activities, study tours, scholarships or exchange projects are strongly discouraged. However, proposals that include a component of limited training in the U.S. may be considered only if detailed justification is provided. Without detailed justification, projects involving U.S. training will be deemed non-competitive. Projects that have a strong academic or research focus will not be highly considered. The Bureau anticipates making 1-3 awards for a total of $2.97 million to support program and administrative costs required to implement this program.Proposals should not exceed 15 single-spaced pages in length using 12 point Times New Roman font in Microsoft Word with at least one-inch margins. Proposals including a timeline of activities are strongly encouraged. APPLICANT/ORGANIZATION CRITERIAOrganizations submitting statements should meet the following criteria:* Be a U.S. non-profit organization meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c) (3).* Have demonstrated experience administering successful projects, preferably in the Western Hemisphere or similarly challenging program environments. DRL reserves the right to request additional background information on organizations that do not have previous experience administering federal grant awards. These applicants may be subject to limited funding on a pilot basis.* Have existing, or the capacity to develop, active partnerships with in-country organization(s).* Organizations may form consortia and submit a joint proposal. However, one organization should be designated as the lead applicant. * Applicants may include subcontracts to institutions in order to provide technical expertise as a component of their proposal.REVIEW PROCESSA State Department Review Committee will evaluate proposals submitted under this request. Review criteria will include: 1. Quality of program idea - proposals should be responsive to the solicitation and exhibit originality, substance, precision, and relevance to the Bureaus mission.2. Program planning/ability to achieve objectives - work plan should demonstrate substantive activities and the organizations capacity and planning to undertake them. Objectives should be ambitious yet measurable and achievable.3. Impact/multiplier effect - proposed program should address long-term institution building with an emphasis on moving towards sustainability, directly impact the situation in the target country, and define and reach numerous audiences.4. Program evaluation plan - proposals should demonstrate the capacity for engaging in impact assessments and providing measurable outputs, outcomes, and short and long-term goals. 5. Institutions record and capacity - proposals should demonstrate an institutional record of successful program management. The Bureau will consider past performance of prior recipients and the demonstrated potential of new applicants.6. Cost-effectiveness - the overhead and administrative components of the proposal, including salaries and honoraria, should be kept as low as possible. Cost-sharing is encouraged.DEADLINE AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONSApplicants must submit proposals using www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on August 11, 2006. DRL will not accept proposals submitted via email, the U.S. postal system, Fedex, UPS and similar delivery companies, or courier. Faxed documents will not be accepted at any time. Please note: In order to safeguard the security of applicants electronic information, www.grants.gov utilizes a credential provider. It is the process of determining, with certainty, that someone really is who they claim to be. The credential provider for www.grants.gov is Operational Research Consultants (ORC). Applicants MUST register with ORC to receive a username and password which you will need to register with www.grants.gov as an authorized organization representative (AOR). Once your organization's E-Business point of contact has assigned these rights, you will be authorized to submit grant applications through Grants.gov on behalf of your organization. Each organization will need to be registered with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR) and you will need to have your organization's DUNS number available to complete this process. After your organization registers with the CCR, you must wait 3 business days before you can obtain a username and password. PLEASE be advised that completing all the necessary steps for obtaining a username and password from www.grants.gov can take up to 2 full weeks. DRL strongly urges applicants to begin this process on www.grants.gov well in advance of the submission deadline. No exceptions will be made for organizations that have not completed the necessary steps to post applications on www.grants.gov. Please access www.grants.gov for the all necessary information.TECHNICAL ELIGIBILITYTechnically eligible submissions are those which: 1) arrive electronically via www.grants.gov by the designated due date before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) and 2) have heeded all instructions contained in the solicitation document and Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI), including length and completeness of submission. If there is a discrepancy between the PSI and this announcement, please note that this document takes precedence. DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS All proposals must be received at the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on August 11, 2006. Please refer to the PSI for specific delivery instructions. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACTThe Office for the Promotion of Human Rights and Democracy of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL/PHD). Please specify Jennifer Mickel (202-261-8007) or Megan Oates (202-663-2678) on all inquiries and correspondence. Please read the complete announcement and PSI before sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the RFP deadline has passed, Bureau staff may not discuss this competition with applicants until the proposal review process has been completed.